There is nothing unclear about their forecasts or about the consequences they predict. Islands and coastlines disappearing underwater, more extreme weather patterns, heat waves, rivers bursting their banks, drought, water shortages, failed harvests, ecosystems damaged beyond repair and diseases spreading. Needless to say, there are still doubts and uncertainties. After all, no one can look into the future. But the scientific community agrees that the risks are present and that they threaten the entire world.

Nature seems to have given us all the warnings we need. Floods, mudslides and windstorms are all getting more frequent. Science cannot say to what extent we humans are responsible for this. But it does not have to. Indeed it would be irresponsible to wait for absolute scientific proof.

The effects of climate change are irreversible – for ecosystems, agriculture, water supply and health. The less we do and the longer we wait to tackle the roots of this problem, the more serious the effects and the greater the strain on the resilience of people, plants and animals. It is ironic that developing countries, which are least of all to blame for this predicament, will suffer the most devastating consequences. And it is they whose economic resilience is lowest. The damage caused by climate change aggravates the socio-economic inequalities that already exist. The poorest people often live in the toughest locations in the world, the driest, the least productive, the most vulnerable. They are the first hit and the least able to defend themselves.