Jean-Baptiste Fressoz

Earth’s climate system is moving deeper into uncharted territory. We present the 2026 update of planetary vital signs that track the state of Earth’s climate system, alongside indicators of the human activities driving ongoing change. Of 16 climate-related indicators, seven are currently at record extremes. Several indicators also show evidence of accelerating trends or abrupt shifts, raising concerns about increasing climate instability, interacting feedbacks, and the growing risk of crossing critical tipping points. Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion, remain the dominant drivers of these changes. Despite the worsening trends, encouraging signs of societal changes are emerging, including the rapid expansion of renewable electricity and battery storage, although progress remains far below the scale and speed needed to stabilize Earth’s climate system. Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, effective adaptation, ecosystem protection, and transformative societal change remain essential

Cinquante ans plus tard, les derniers jours du mois de mai ressemblent aux premiers jours de l’été 1976, explique la climatologue Françoise Vimeux dans une tribune au « Monde ». Afin de mieux anticiper ces désordres météorologiques appelés à devenir plus réguliers et plus intenses, elle préconise « une adaptation transformative et structurelle ».