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The world is on track for around 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F) of temperature rise by 2100 — double the global target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F). But how would an additional 1.5 degrees really affect people’s lives? 

New data from WRI — which projects climate risks for nearly 1,000 of the world’s largest cities — shows that under 3 degrees of warming, heat waves would be longer and more deadly. Cooling demand would push energy use skyward while many who cannot afford air conditioning would be left to swelter. Warmer conditions would breed mosquito-borne diseases like malaria around the globe, including in places they aren’t seen today. People in the world’s poorest cities would likely feel the brunt of these effects — sometimes all at once.

WRI experts mapped out how these differences could play out across cities, regions and income levels.

Bolivia is battling its worst wildfires in over 20 years. São Paulo, Brazil recently recorded the most dangerous air quality in the world due to stifling smoke. Parts of the Amazon rainforest are engulfed by flames. WRI experts compared historical and near-real-time data to show just how unusual these fires are — and why this worrying trend is likely to continue.

Three unique startups have figured out how to turn spoiled and surplus food into profit using methods ranging from fly larvae to AI. They’re showing that tackling the world’s massive food waste problem is not only good business, but can also create jobs, fight hunger and reduce emissions.

Each year, WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities searches the globe for changemakers creating greener, healthier and more inclusive cities. This year’s winner hails from Fortaleza, Brazil: The Re-Ciclo program uses electric tricycles to increase recycling, expand urban biking and create better jobs for the city’s stigmatized waste pickers. 

New WRI data shows that, without action to rapidly curb climate change, global temperature rise of around 3 degrees C could drive longer, more severe heat waves around the globe. The Middle East and North Africa would see some of the most intense increases.