National Climate Assessment warns of escalating climate threats, urging urgent action despite falling U.S. emissions.

The fifth installment of the National Climate Assessment, released by the White House, warns of increasing threats to society, infrastructure, and economy. The report, which includes representatives from multiple federal agencies, details how climate change is already causing extreme heat, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods and rising sea levels. It estimates that “billion-dollar disasters” are occurring every three weeks on average, up from every four months in the 1980s. While U.S. emissions are falling, far more dramatic cuts are needed, the assessment suggests. The world has already warmed by over 1 degree Celsius since the preindustrial era, with greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere higher than at any point in at least the last 800,000 years. The assessment is the first such report released under the Biden administration, which has prioritized climate change.