Overview

• A Nature study reveals that over 50% of children born in 2020 will face unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves, even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C.
• Under current climate policies leading to 2.7°C warming, 83% of children born in 2020 will face extreme heat, and this rises to 92% under a 3.5°C scenario.
• The study highlights severe regional and socioeconomic disparities, with children in tropical and low-income areas bearing the heaviest burdens due to limited adaptation resources.
• Researchers define 'unprecedented exposure' as lifetime climate extremes with less than a one-in-10,000 chance of occurring in a pre-industrial climate.
• The findings intensify calls for urgent global action to meet Paris Agreement targets and scale up climate finance, particularly for vulnerable populations.