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This report section analyzes the increasing vulnerability of the urban poor to extreme heat across 54 high-impact countries in 2022, highlighting a rise in the population at high risk due to lack of access to cooling.

The report highlights the escalating risks of extreme heat on human health and productivity, noting that 356,000 people died from extreme heat in 2019. It argues that while cooling demand is expected to soar—with space-cooling units potentially reaching 2.5 billion by 2030—this must be managed through sustainable solutions to avoid tripling global electricity demand by 2050. The text advocates for a mix of passive cooling, nature-based solutions, and energy-efficient active cooling, supported by policies like Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and the appointment of Chief Heat Officers in cities such as Athens and Miami Dade County.

Chilling Prospects 2022 identifies that 3.66 billion people face high or medium risk from cooling access challenges, with 1.2 billion rural and urban poor at high risk. The report highlights critical gaps in food cold chains, health services, and human safety, while forecasting that achieving SDG 7.1 and SDG 1.1 could reduce the high-risk population by 36% by 2030. It advocates for a transition to sustainable, energy-efficient cooling and the implementation of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs) to mitigate climate impacts and protect vulnerable populations.

The September 2021 survey indicates that public understanding of global warming is at record highs in the U.S., with 76% of Americans believing it is happening and 60% attributing it to human causes. While 70% of respondents express worry and 69% feel a personal responsibility to help, there is a gap in understanding the strength of scientific consensus, with only 24% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. The report also highlights a high perceived link between global warming and domestic weather impacts, including extreme heat and wildfires, though many Americans rarely discuss the topic with friends or family.

The Union of Concerned Scientists documents how the fossil fuel industry in Colorado employs four primary disinformation tactics—The Fix, The Diversion, The Screen, and The Fake—to maintain political control and undermine public health and safety. The report details the industry's use of front groups, lobbying, and misleading economic claims to thwart regulations and ballot initiatives, while highlighting the disproportionate impact of pollution on communities of color and low-income residents. It concludes with recommendations for state regulators to prioritize science and community voices over industry profits.

The September 2021 report 'Climate Change in the American Mind' provides a comprehensive data set tracking US public opinion on global warming. Key findings include a rise in the percentage of Americans who believe global warming is happening (76% in September 2021) and an increase in those who are 'Very worried' about it (35%). The data also shows a growing consensus that global warming is caused by human activities (60%) and is affecting US weather (70%), specifically impacting wildfires (50% 'A lot') and extreme heat (49% 'A lot').

The September 2021 'Climate Change in the American Mind' report reveals that 76% of Americans believe global warming is happening, with 60% attributing it primarily to human activity. While 70% express worry and a majority perceive risks to their local communities from extreme weather, there is a significant gap in understanding the strength of scientific consensus, with only 24% aware that over 90% of climate scientists agree on human-caused warming. The report also highlights that most Americans conceptualize global warming as an environmental and scientific issue, though a growing number view it through the lenses of morality and social justice.

The document argues that Latinx communities are disproportionately affected by climate hazards, pollution, and economic disparities. It calls for a national Clean Energy Standard by 2035, the electrification of public transit and school buses, and the remediation of abandoned oil and gas wells. The authors demand that at least 40% of infrastructure investments be directed toward disadvantaged communities and call for the Department of Labor to establish heat illness standards to protect outdoor workers, particularly farmworkers.

The report finds that without action to reduce emissions, outdoor workers in the US will face a three- to fourfold increase in exposure to dangerous heat (heat index above 100°F) by midcentury, putting up to $55.4 billion in annual earnings at risk. It highlights that Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino workers are disproportionately represented in outdoor occupations and will bear a heavier burden of these losses. The authors argue that current voluntary heat guidelines are insufficient and call for the enactment of the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Prevention Act of 2021 to establish mandatory, enforceable federal heat safety standards.

The document examines how rising temperatures and worsening air quality in Japan threaten the health and performance of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, specifically highlighting the risk of exertional heat stroke and the impact of ground-level ozone. It provides data on Tokyo's warming trend since 1964 and lists specific sports at high risk, such as the marathon and triathlon. Mitigation efforts include relocating the marathon to Sapporo, implementing the 'Tokyo 2020 Cooling Project', and athlete acclimatization.

Climate Central developed an Urban Heat Intensity Index for 159 U.S. cities, finding that New Orleans, Newark, New York City, Houston, and San Francisco have the highest intensity scores. The report identifies albedo, lack of greenery, population density, and building height as primary drivers of the UHI effect. These conditions exacerbate heat waves, worsen air quality through ground-level ozone formation, and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly those in formerly redlined neighborhoods. Proposed solutions include short-term emergency cooling measures and long-term infrastructure changes such as planting trees, installing green and cool roofs, and deploying solar energy.

The research finds that risk perceptions of extreme heat in California vary significantly by gender, race, age, and political affiliation, with women, non-White Hispanic residents, and Democrats reporting higher levels of worry. Conversely, older populations—despite being physically more vulnerable—are the least worried. Regarding adaptation, 75% of Californians own air conditioning, which is 16 percentage points lower than the U.S. average. Ownership of central AC is lower among Hispanic respondents (48%) compared to White, non-Hispanic respondents (58%), and among renters (39%) compared to homeowners (59%). The report highlights that those facing the highest heat risks often lack AC and face financial barriers to installation and energy costs, while noting that increased AC usage stresses the state's power grid.

A rapid analysis of the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heatwave concludes that the event was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. The study estimates the event as a 1-in-1000-year occurrence in the current climate, noting it was approximately 2°C hotter than it would have been before the industrial revolution. Projections indicate that with 2°C of global warming, such events could occur every 5 to 10 years.

A group of Connecticut-based academics and professionals expresses support for legal action against ExxonMobil, alleging the company spent decades spreading disinformation about climate change despite internal knowledge of the risks since the 1960s. The letter highlights specific climate threats to Connecticut, including increased extreme heat and tidal flooding, and argues that the company should pay for damages and adaptation measures.

The report examines the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and security in Southeast Asia. It identifies key vulnerabilities, including sea level rise threatening megacities and the Mekong Delta, and extreme heat reducing economic productivity. These stressors are analyzed as 'threat multipliers' that exacerbate existing geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, fuel violent extremism through livelihood degradation, and complicate transboundary water management of the Mekong River. The document also highlights the 'energy-climate security nexus,' arguing that the region's continued reliance on coal and the pursuit of civilian nuclear power—often involving long-term partnerships with China and Russia—create new strategic risks. It concludes with a call for 'Climate Security Watch Centers,' carbon drawdown plans for ASEAN states, and a systemic shift toward renewable energy to ensure regional stability.

The COP26 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines five core messages for advancing global climate resilience: the necessity of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), the urgent need for diversified and increased adaptation finance (preferring grants over loans), the bridging of knowledge and implementation gaps, the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across urban, coastal, and rural settings, and the requirement to center marginalized groups—including women, youth, and Indigenous peoples—in decision-making. The report details thematic insights across ten areas, including finance, water, food, energy, and health, while emphasizing the need to scale these efforts toward COP27.

The report concludes that the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heatwave was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, estimating it as a 1-in-1000 year event in the current climate. The analysis indicates the event was approximately 2°C hotter than it would have been in a pre-industrial climate and would have been at least 150 times rarer without anthropogenic warming. Future projections suggest that in a world with 2°C of global warming, such an event would occur every 5 to 10 years and be another degree hotter. Meteorological drivers included an 'omega-block' high-pressure system and dry antecedent soil conditions, while natural variability modes like ENSO and PDO played little to no role.

The document describes how the 'urban heat island' effect causes cities to be hotter than rural areas, noting that this heat is disproportionately felt in formerly 'redlined' neighborhoods. It highlights the role of tree canopies and green spaces in mitigating heat and suggests resources and methods for journalists to report on urban heat inequality.

Based on 2018 and 2019 survey data, the study finds that 64% of Americans believe global warming affects U.S. weather. Risk perceptions are heavily influenced by local geography, with residents in the West fearing droughts and wildfires, those in the Midwest fearing flooding, and those in the East and Southeast fearing hurricanes. While 56% of Americans view extreme weather as a high or moderate risk to their community over the next decade, the specific concerns vary by state, often reflecting local experiences with 'Billion Dollar Disaster Events'.

The report concludes that the prolonged regional heat in Siberia from January to June 2020 was effectively impossible without human influence, with a best estimate probability ratio of 99,000 compared to a 1900 climate. Such events would have been at least 2°C cooler without anthropogenic influence. For the specific record of 38°C at Verkhoyansk, the study found a confident anthropogenic shift in intensity of 1.5°C, although the probability ratio for this specific station event is of lower confidence. By 2050, the regional heat is expected to be further intensified, with a synthesis change in intensity of 4.85°C compared to 1900.