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From June 18-20, 2024, a major to extreme heat event is forecast for the eastern half of the U.S., affecting over 25 million people. The event is characterized by record-level high temperatures in major cities and elevated nighttime temperatures. Climate Central's Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates that human-caused climate change has made this heat at least four times more likely in several states, including West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana.

The Southwest United States experienced an extreme heat event from June 6 to June 13, 2024, with human-caused climate change making high temperatures at least five times more likely. The event caused record-setting temperatures in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, led to numerous hospitalizations for heat exhaustion, and contributed to wildfires in California.

The document serves as an introductory resource for journalists to understand the causes and impacts of climate change and how to report on them accurately. It defines key terms, explains the role of greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, and details the effects of warming on weather patterns. The guide offers specific phrasing to help reporters connect extreme weather events to human-caused climate change and distinguishes between mitigation and adaptation strategies. It also outlines international and national policy frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement and the US Inflation Reduction Act, while advising journalists on how to avoid pitfalls like greenwashing and the platforming of climate deniers.

Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), Climate Central found that human-caused climate change significantly boosted spring warmth in 2024, affecting 300 million people in the U.S. and approximately one in four people globally. The strongest influence was observed in coastal and island regions, such as Puerto Rico and Florida, while areas with the highest temperature anomalies, like the Upper Midwest, showed lower CSI levels due to higher historical temperature variance.

The report finds that human-induced climate change significantly increased the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat globally from May 2023 to May 2024. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the study determined that 6.3 billion people experienced at least 31 days of extreme heat made at least twice as likely by climate change. It identifies 76 extreme heat waves across 90 countries and highlights critical gaps in impact reporting, particularly in developing regions. The authors advocate for City Heat Action Plans and systemic adaptations to prevent heat-related fatalities.

The document asserts that high-emitting States have breached international obligations to prevent significant transboundary harm and protect human rights by allowing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions to degrade the global climate system. It argues that these breaches constitute internationally wrongful acts under the law of State responsibility, requiring States to cease wrongful conduct and provide full reparation—including restitution, compensation, and satisfaction—for material and moral injuries. The memorandum emphasizes that international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement do not preclude these reparations and suggests that the burden of proof for causation should shift to responsible States given the available attribution science.

Analysis by Climate Central indicates that carbon pollution significantly increased the likelihood of abnormally warm winter days across the U.S. from December 2023 to February 2024. Approximately 85% of the U.S. population experienced at least one day where warm temperatures were at least twice as likely due to climate change. The Midwest experienced particularly strong climate fingerprints, with Minneapolis showing the largest warm departure from normal temperatures among 487 global cities with populations over 1 million. San Juan, Puerto Rico, recorded the highest number of days influenced by climate change at Climate Shift Index level 2 or higher.

The document provides a preliminary legal mapping of the procedural and substantive requirements for a delictual claim against Carbon Majors in South Africa. It examines jurisdictional hurdles, such as the need to attach assets for foreign defendants, and the potential for state immunity defenses for state-owned companies. Substantively, it analyzes the elements of delictual liability—wrongfulness, fault, and causation—suggesting that South African courts' flexible approach to factual causation and the use of attribution science could support such claims. It also discusses parent company liability and the possibility of holding a select group of joint wrongdoers severally liable for the full extent of damages.

The report analyzes the April 2022 floods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, using attribution science to link the disaster to human-induced global warming. It argues that 'carbon majors'—the largest global GHG emitters—should be held accountable under the 'polluter pays' principle. The document explores the legal pathways in South African delictual law to seek compensation for both immediate losses and future climate resilience, while highlighting the disproportionate impact of such disasters on marginalized communities.

An attribution study by the World Weather Attribution initiative found that human-induced climate change doubled the likelihood of the heavy precipitation associated with Storm Bettina and increased its intensity by approximately 5 percent. In contrast, the study found no clear evidence that climate change influenced the wind speeds of the event, attributing observed decreases in wind speed to natural variability. The analysis notes that warming increases the proportion of precipitation falling as rain rather than snow, exacerbating flood damages, and that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war increased the vulnerability of affected populations.

The analysis finds that all regions of India experienced net warming in March and April since 1970, with the fastest March warming in Jammu and Kashmir. The probability of temperatures exceeding 40°C during late March has expanded from three states in the 1970s to nine states in 2024, with Bilaspur currently facing the highest risk at 31%.

The document argues that climate change is a human rights crisis driven by a small number of 'Carbon Majors' in the fossil fuel and agroindustrial sectors. It asserts that States have a duty under the American Convention on Human Rights to regulate these entities, halt fossil fuel expansion, and ensure reparations for affected communities. It further argues that business enterprises have an independent obligation to respect human rights, which includes conducting due diligence across their entire value chain and ceasing deceptive 'climate-washing' practices.

Climate Central's analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) reveals that 90% of the global population experienced at least 10 days of temperatures strongly influenced by climate change between November 2022 and October 2023. The study highlights that one in four people faced extreme heat streaks of at least five days driven by carbon pollution, with the strongest influences observed in the developing world and specific high-impact areas like Jamaica and several U.S. cities.

The period from November 2022 to October 2023 was the hottest 12-month stretch in recorded history, with a global average temperature 1.32°C above the pre-industrial baseline. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), Climate Central found that 90% of the global population (7.3 billion people) experienced at least 10 days of temperatures very strongly affected by climate change (CSI level 3 or higher). Approximately 1.9 billion people (24%) experienced a five-day heat wave strongly influenced by carbon pollution (CSI level 2 or higher). The report highlights an inequitable distribution of impacts, with small island developing states and least developed countries facing higher exposure, although heat waves also occurred in G20 nations. The analysis also links human-induced climate change to severe weather events, including deadly flooding in Africa and Libya, and record-breaking wildfires in Canada and Hawaii.

The document argues that reporting on extreme weather is incomplete without explaining the climate connection. It provides specific phrasing for journalists to describe how warming temperatures 'supercharge' weather patterns and offers examples of this application across various phenomena, including heatwaves, droughts, flooding, sea level rise, winter weather, hurricanes, and wildfires. It also recommends specific attribution tools like the Climate Shift Index and World Weather Attribution to provide scientific grounding for these claims.

A World Weather Attribution study found that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood and intensity of extreme rainfall events in the Mediterranean region in September 2023. In Libya, a 1-in-300 to 600 year event became up to 50 times more likely and 50% more intense compared to a 1.2C cooler climate. In a region encompassing Greece, Bulgaria, and Türkiye, similar events became up to 10 times more likely and 40% more intense. The study highlights that while climate change exacerbated the weather, the scale of the disaster—particularly in Libya—was compounded by state fragility, lack of dam maintenance, and inadequate emergency communication.

Analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) reveals that 97% of the U.S. population experienced at least one summer day in 2023 with temperatures made at least twice as likely by climate change. The strongest impacts were concentrated in the U.S. South, Southwest, and Southeast, with San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Victoria, Texas, among the most affected cities. The period was also characterized by record-breaking heat streaks and a record number of billion-dollar weather disasters in the U.S.

Analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) shows that human-caused climate change significantly increased the likelihood of record-shattering heat during the June-August 2023 period. Approximately 48% of the global population experienced at least 30 days where heat was made at least three times more likely by climate change (CSI level 3 or higher). The report highlights a stark inequity in exposure, noting that countries with the lowest historical emissions experienced three to four times more days of very strong climate fingerprints than G20 countries.

Analysis of July 2023, likely Earth's record hottest month, shows that human-caused climate change significantly increased the likelihood of extreme heat globally. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the report finds that 6.5 billion people experienced at least one day where heat was at least three times more likely due to climate change. Particularly strong influences were noted in the Caribbean, Mexico, the southern U.S., and parts of Africa and Asia. In the U.S., 73% of the population experienced at least one day at CSI level 3 or higher, with several cities in Florida, New Mexico, and Arizona showing the strongest climate fingerprints.

The analysis finds that July 2023 was likely Earth's hottest month on record, with human-caused climate change making extreme heat significantly more likely for a vast majority of the global population. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the report demonstrates that 81% of people experienced at least one day where temperatures were at least three times more likely due to climate change. The strongest signals were observed in tropical regions and small island developing states, where conditions were often five times more likely due to human influence. The report highlights specific record-breaking temperatures in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, emphasizing that such extremes will increase in frequency as long as fossil fuel combustion continues.