Children Face Sharply Increased Climate Extremes

New research reveals that children born today will experience significantly more frequent and intense climate extremes—including heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and crop failures—than previous generations, with impoverished populations most at risk. Projections indicate that, under current climate policies leading to 2.7°C warming by 2100, 83% of today’s five-year-olds will endure unprecedented heatwaves in their lifetimes, compared to just 16% of those born in 1960. The risk of exposure to other extreme events, such as floods and crop failures, is also expected to surge for younger generations. Recent incidents like the Siberian wildfires and Libyan floods illustrate these escalating dangers, already altering seasonal patterns and increasing the frequency and duration of extreme weather. Limiting warming to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target could dramatically reduce the number of children exposed to such devastating conditions. The findings underscore the urgent need for ambitious climate action to protect children, especially the most vulnerable.