2026 in climate change

This article documents notable events, research findings, scientific and technological advances, and human actions to measure, predict, mitigate, and adapt to the effects of global warming and climate change—during the year 2026.

Summaries

Measurements and statistics

"Vital Signs of the Planet" as presented by NASA at the end of 2025 / beginning of 2026^[1]

9 January: a report published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences said that ocean heat content in 2025 had reached a new record for nine consecutive years.^[2]
9 January (reported): an Oxfam report concluded that the richest 1% exhausted their annual carbon budget in ten days.^[3] (Carbon budget is the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted while keeping the planet within 1.5 °C of global warming.)
22 January: Ember's European Electricity Review 2026 reported that in 2025, wind and solar energy provided 30% of EU electricity, surpassing fossil power (29%) for the first time, and generating more power than fossil sources in 14 of 27 EU countries.^[4]

Natural events and phenomena

Actions, and goal statements

Science and technology

January (reported): a Chinese company launched the first megawatt-level airborne wind turbine—a 60x40x40 m (197x131x131 ft) helium-filled aerostat—providing electricity through a tether cable from 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above the ground.^[5]
14 January: at Concordia Station, Antarctica, the Ice Memory Foundation inaugurated a global repository of mountain ice cores, to ensure that future generations will be able to study past climate conditions.^[6]

Political, economic, legal, and cultural actions

7 January: US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and 65 other international organizations—alleging the treaties "no longer serve American interests".^[7]
7 January: US President Donald Trump's Office of Management and Budget received a proposed final rule reversing the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which stated that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare by driving climate change. The Endangerment Finding had enabled federal government regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.^[8]
8 January: US President Donald Trump's administration announced that the country would be withdrawing from the Green Climate Fund, which since 2010 has provided funds to help poorer nations deal with the effects of climate change.^[9]

Mitigation goal statements

Adaptation goal statements

Consensus

Projections

Significant publications

"Global Water Bankruptcy / Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era" (PDF). United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. 20 January 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

References

^ "Climate change / Vital signs". science.NASA.gov. NASA. 31 December 2025. Archived from the original on 31 December 2025.
^ Pan, Y., Cheng, L., Abraham, J. et al. "Ocean Heat Content Sets Another Record in 2025". Advances in Atmospheric Sciences: 6737. 9 January 2026. doi:10.1007/s00376-026-5876-0.
^ "Richest 1% have blown through their fair share of carbon emissions for 2026 in just 10 days, says Oxfam". Oxfam. 9 January 2026. Archived from the original on 11 January 2026.
^ "European Electricity Review 2026" (PDF). Ember. 22 January 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 January 2026.
^ Sinha, Sujita (13 January 2026). "China's world-first megawatt-level 'windmill' airship rises 6,560 ft, feeds grid". Interesting Engineering. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026.
^ Winfield, Nicole; Santalucia, Paulo (14 January 2026). "A novel sanctuary in Antarctica is preserving ice samples from rapidly melting glaciers". AP News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026.
^ Sengupta, Somini; Friedman, Lisa (7 January 2025). "Trump Pulls Out of Global Climate Treaty". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026.
^ Ahmed, Issam (16 January 2026). "US To Repeal The Basis For Its Climate Rules: What To Know". Barron's. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026.
^ Schonhardt, Sara (8 January 2026). "US ditches world's biggest climate fund, a day after spurning landmark treaty". Politico. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026.

External links

Organizations

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Climate indicators at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)

Surveys, summaries and report lists

[1] "Climate change / Vital signs". science.NASA.gov. NASA. 31 December 2025. Archived from the original on 31 December 2025.

[AdvAtmosSci_20260109-2] Pan, Y., Cheng, L., Abraham, J. et al. "Ocean Heat Content Sets Another Record in 2025". Advances in Atmospheric Sciences: 6737. 9 January 2026. doi:10.1007/s00376-026-5876-0.

[Oxfam_20260109-3] "Richest 1% have blown through their fair share of carbon emissions for 2026 in just 10 days, says Oxfam". Oxfam. 9 January 2026. Archived from the original on 11 January 2026.

[Ember_20260122-4] "European Electricity Review 2026" (PDF). Ember. 22 January 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 January 2026.

[IntEngineering_20260113-5] Sinha, Sujita (13 January 2026). "China's world-first megawatt-level 'windmill' airship rises 6,560 ft, feeds grid". Interesting Engineering. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026.

[AP_20260114-6] Winfield, Nicole; Santalucia, Paulo (14 January 2026). "A novel sanctuary in Antarctica is preserving ice samples from rapidly melting glaciers". AP News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2026.

[NYTimes_20260107-7] Sengupta, Somini; Friedman, Lisa (7 January 2025). "Trump Pulls Out of Global Climate Treaty". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026.

[Barrons_20260116-8] Ahmed, Issam (16 January 2026). "US To Repeal The Basis For Its Climate Rules: What To Know". Barron's. Archived from the original on 18 January 2026.

[Politico_20260108-9] Schonhardt, Sara (8 January 2026). "US ditches world's biggest climate fund, a day after spurning landmark treaty". Politico. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026.

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v t e Human impact on the environment
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