The risks are visible. Can institutions act in time?

A University of Chicago Climate Impact Lab model projects approximately 451,000 excess heat-related deaths globally over June 2026–February 2027 against an average year. The larger figure covers the full nine-month period; its estimate for September–February alone is 239,000 ±11,000. The model projects 66,800 additional deaths in the Sahel over the full period.

In his 22 September address to the UN General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres called on governments developing advanced AI to exchange information about emerging risks, cooperate on testing and evaluation, and develop common safeguards with credible independent oversight. No binding multilateral framework has yet been agreed.

The chairs of nine pharmaceutical companies published an open letter on 22 September urging European governments to accelerate clinical trials, expand investment in medicines and protect intellectual property. Their letter says Europe’s share of commercial clinical trials halved over a decade to 9%, citing European Commission data. The authors have a commercial interest in the policy choices they advocate.

Research reported on 23 September estimates that about 20% of terrestrial and inland-water areas and 10% of marine areas are formally protected against a 30% target for each by 2030. Only 3.5% of the ocean is assessed as effectively protected. These are NGO-led findings; the final official UN progress review is due next month.