Amid deepening inequalities and escalating crises, including climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, a new United Nations report presents a bold approach for change. 

The 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report, Turning Over a New Leaf, issued by the UN University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), shifts focus from diagnosing problems to mapping out solutions. It establishes that many of today’s solutions are surface-level fixes, and that to create lasting change, we need to question the societal structures and mindsets that perpetuate these challenges.

 “Society is at a crossroads,” says Prof. Shen Xiaomeng, Director of UNU-EHS. “For years, scientists have warned us about the damage we’re doing to our planet, and how to stop it. But we aren’t taking meaningful actions. We know climate change is worsening, yet fossil fuel consumption keeps hitting record highs. We already have a waste crisis, yet household waste is projected to double by 2050. Time and again, we see the danger ahead, yet we keep moving towards it. In many cases, we see the abyss, we know how to turn around, and yet we confidently keep walking towards it. Why?” 

To answer this question, the report offers a more holistic analysis of what lies at the heart of human actions, and how true change can be achieved, and it also gives real-world examples of positive changes that have been made around the world and can serve as a model and source of inspiration.

The Theory of Deep Change

The previous edition of Interconnected Disaster Risks had warned about irreversible risk tipping points, and this year the authors picked up where the last report left off by developing a path forward: The Theory of Deep Change (ToDC).

This theory dives down to root causes of global problems, identifying structures and assumptions in society that allow them to persist. For example, when a river is so clogged with plastic waste that it creates disastrous floods, people might criticize the waste management system and call for more recycling. However, the Theory of Deep Change goes deeper: it first identifies the structures that allow waste to accumulate to begin with, such as single-use items or mass production systems, and then dives deeper into the assumptions that led to the creation of those systems, and that incentivize people to keep them going, such as believing that ‘new is better’ or that material production and consumption is a sign of progress. 

Change starts at the roots

The scientists relate their model to a tree, where the visible outcomes are the fruits, but the real issues lie at the roots: Rotten roots produce rotten fruits.

True change, the report emphasizes, starts at the roots. Without rethinking the values and mindsets underpinning these systems, the systems themselves will never change. Interventions such as recycling or conservation will remain inadequate because they are superficial fixes that do not address the root causes of waste and biodiversity loss. Society cannot recycle its way out of the plastic crisis without questioning why so much plastic waste is produced in the first place.

Caitlyn Eberle, a lead author of the report, remarks: “There are many people who are trying to change the world for the better. But trying to do the right thing can seem like an impossible challenge, and when we feel as though things aren’t moving in the right direction, it is easy to feel defeated. Our report shows that many of the actions we take, as well-intentioned as they are, won’t work as long as there is a whole system working against us. We need to go deeper, envision the world that we want to live in, and change the structures to match that vision.”

Recognizing and going beyond superficial fixes

Solar geoengineering is one example cited in the report of how not addressing the deep roots of a problem can cause even further risks. Currently, there is growing interest in research and deployment of solar geoengineering technologies, such as spraying aerosols into the Earth’s stratosphere to reflect sunlight back to space and lower average global temperatures. Hailed as a solution for climate change, this approach could have unpredictable impacts on weather patterns all across the globe. 

But additionally, seen through the lens of the Theory of Deep Change, solar geoengineering is also an attempt to leave the current system in place rather than committing to the real solution. By addressing the negative consequences of human actions (global warming), instead of the actions themselves (burning fossil fuels), it is a superficial fix. Moreover, when executed by individual governments or companies, it is also an example of a unilateral decision being made in one part of the world that could have far-reaching consequences for others.

Five deep changes

The report outlines five areas where deep systemic changes are urgently needed:

• Rethink waste: From trash to treasure
• Realign with nature: From separation to harmony
• Reconsider responsibility: From me to we
• Reimagine the future: From seconds to centuries
• Redefine value: From economic wealth to planetary health.

Levers: How to make change happen

To create truly deep change, the Theory of Deep Change recognizes two types of levers that can be used to affect change: inner and outer levers. While it is possible to start with one lever, both are needed to create lasting change.

• Inner levers: Inner levers are the ways we can change the current assumptions of our systems. They include paradigm or mindset shifts that allow people to redefine the boundaries of what is possible.
• Outer levers: Outer levers translate the new goals of a system into practical structures to produce more positive outcomes. They involve changes to policy, institutions or education, for instance.

In respect to the previously mentioned example of solar geoengineering, an inner lever would shift assumptions from prioritizing self-interest to viewing ourselves as responsible people caring about the global community. Outer levers can also be pulled to create structures for international governance and commitments to work together to solve global problems. Both of these are needed in combination to create a deep change that will last and result in a better future. 

Overcoming barriers to change

The report acknowledges major challenges to change, such as the “Delta of Doom” – even when solutions are clear and change is already underway, implementation can be stalled by conflicts of interest, fear and systemic inertia. This may aptly describe the strong headwinds against meaningful action we see today.   

The key to overcoming them lies in recognizing that positive change can and does happen every day, and that systems can change because they are human-made.

“Change can be uncomfortable, but going backwards won’t solve the challenges of a rapidly evolving world,” says Dr. Zita Sebesvari, another lead author of the report. “This report is not just about avoiding disaster – it’s about breaking free from the mindset of merely mitigating harm. We limit ourselves when we focus only on preventing the worst, rather than striving for the best. By addressing the root causes of the problems, fostering global cooperation and believing in our collective power, we can shape a world where future generations do not just survive but thrive. It’s time for fresh thinking, and ultimately, turning over a new leaf.”

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Further information on the five broad changes

1. Rethink waste: The world’s “take-make-waste” model is unsustainable, generating 2 billion tonnes of household waste annually – enough to fill a line of shipping containers wrapped around the equator 25 times. The report calls for a rethinking of the concept of “waste” and for shifting to a circular economy that prioritizes durability, repair and reuse. Kamikatsu, Japan is highlighted as a model of success, a town that has embraced circular strategies such as composting, upcycling, clothing exchanges, and waste separation, and that has achieved a recycling rate four times the average in Japan. The report warns that failure to keep resources in use can also affect their availability in the future. Lithium, which is used in batteries for rechargeable items like phones, is taken in great quantities, but rarely reused. Lithium reserves are currently estimated to be depleted by around 2050. At the same time, it is projected that over 75 per cent of lithium mined by 2050 will end up in the garbage. We are depleting lithium reserves while letting the lithium that has been used go to waste. 
2. Realign with nature: Humanity must stop seeing itself as separate from, and superior to, nature. Humans have attempted to control natural processes instead of coexisting with them, but centuries of exploitation have led to deforestation, species extinction and ecosystem collapse. Destroying nature destroys some of the most precious resources needed for human survival, such as clean air and water, food or the materials used for shelter. One example in the report is river channelization, a process that alters rivers to flow in straight lines, to improve navigability, create more agricultural land or to protect cities from flooding. In the 1960s, the Kissimmee River in Florida, USA, was channelized, drying out around 160 square kilometres of wetlands and leading to a massive decline in species. Furthermore, while channelization is often done to reduce flooding in one area, it frequently makes flooding worse for downstream communities. But the Kissimmee River is also a positive example: having recently been restored, wetland species have returned, corridors for panthers and bears to cross the state reinstated, and the wetlands are again serving as a sponge, storing billions of gallons of water to help prevent flooding during storms, especially important as hurricanes become more frequent and severe.
3. Reconsider responsibility: The world is a shared home to more than 8 billion people, but resources and opportunities are unevenly distributed. This disparity also extends to greenhouse gas emissions and how the impacts of climate change are felt. The wealthiest nations and individuals contribute disproportionately to emissions, while the poorest bear the brunt of climate-related disasters. One example highlighted in the report is carbon offsetting, where rich countries avoid ambitious climate goals by balancing out their own emissions through tree planting in another part of the world, thereby also shifting negative effects to these other countries (“carbon colonialism”). The report calls for a shift from individualism and unilateralism to collective global accountability, advocating for a multilateral vision for the future.
4. Reimagine the future: Short-term thinking – the problem of “presentism” – dominates decision-making. Because society tends to focus on the here and now, we often shift responsibility to future generations. The people alive today determine the conditions for the trillions of people yet to be born, and in many respects, we will be leaving future generations a world with more challenges rather than setting them up for success. One example highlighted in the report is nuclear waste. While some view nuclear energy as a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, it also produces radioactive waste with a lifespan of over 100,000 years. At present, humanity has found no way to properly dispose of this toxic waste, so it is most often deposited in temporary storage sites, which pose containment risks, in the hopes that future generations will solve the problem. The report urges for more long-term thinking, for example by institutionalizing future visioning in policymaking.
5. Redefine value: The world is becoming richer, with world GDP rising, but more global wealth does not equate more global prosperity and well-being. Benefits are not shared equally, and planetary health is declining. The report reveals an imbalance in values where economic value is usually put before other values. One example cited are forests, which support biodiversity, as well as human health and well-being. However, in some places, deforested land is valued up to 7.5 times more than forested land, leading to strong economic pressure on forests and to deforestation. A narrow focus on monetary value fuels inequality and environmental degradation and strains planetary boundaries. The report cites alternative models like Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index, which prioritizes well-being and ecological balance over economic growth.

By the Numbers

Rethink waste:

• 2 billion: Tonnes of household waste produced annually 
• 95% less: Energy required to produce recycled aluminum compared to primary production
• 7.4 million: Tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions saved annually in the UK by keeping organic waste out of landfills
• 80%: Recycling rate achieved by Kamikatsu, Japan (4x the national average)

Realign with nature:

• 1 million: Species of plants and animals at risk of extinction 
• 95%: Land altered by human activities
• 25,000: Kilometres of rivers planned for restoration to free-flowing conditions in Europe by 2030

Reconsider responsibility:

• 75%: of relative income losses due to climate change felt by the poorest half of the population, despite being responsible for just 12% of greenhouse gas emissions
• 98%: Decrease in ozone-depleting substances since the Montreal Protocol was enacted
• 8.2 billion: People who share planet Earth as a home
• 30%: Of the reserves of minerals essential to global manufacturing and technology are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet over 30% of the local population experiences severe poverty
• 1.3 million: Deaths from COVID-19 around the world that could have been prevented with equitable vaccine coverage

Reimagine the future:

• 6.75 trillion: Predicted number of births over the next 50,000 years
• 7 generations: The minimum impact window considered in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s decision-making principle
• $659 billion: Global investment in renewable energy in 2023, a record high

Redefine value:

• $100 trillion: Global GDP in 2022, up from $4.5 trillion in 1973
• 10%: Proportion of the global population that owns 76% of all wealth

Some examples of proven success stories: change is possible

In addition to the examples noted earlier, the report highlights many global and national initiatives where society has managed to make deep positive changes, including:

• USB-C law: In 2022 the EU passed a law requiring all portable electronics to use USB-C charging ports to reduce e-waste
• Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center: a hub for zero-waste activities in the town of Kamikatsu, Japan that allowed it to achieve an 80 per cent recycling rate
• UK Peatland Conservation: A nature-based solution benefiting both ecosystems and communities 
• Earth jurisprudence: In 2008, Ecuador’s constitution established enforceable rights of Pachamama, or Mother Earth. Under this framework, one court ruled that flooding caused by dumping construction debris into the Vilcabamba River violated rights of nature, ordering the removal of the debris to restore the right of the river to flow.
• Montreal Protocol: Successfully reversed ozone layer depletion through coordinated global action
• The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation: Indigenous-led framework to supply carbon credits
• Finland’s Committee for the Future advises on policies with multi-generational impacts
• Svalbard Global Seed Vault: Protecting biodiversity for future generations
• Green prescriptions: In countries like Canada, New Zealand and Japan, doctors give out “green prescriptions” to promote health by spending time in nature – recognizing the diverse values that nature provides.
• Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index prioritizes well-being and ecological balance over economic growth
• Smoking: Example of a big societal shift where a mindset shift and regulations have come together to drastically reduce an unhealthy behaviour

About the Interconnected Disaster Risks Report (#InterconnectedRisks)

Interconnected Disaster Risks is a science-based report designed to be accessible to the general public. First released in 2021, it has a different topical focus for each edition, with the aim to shed light on the interconnections that are at the root of today’s global challenges, as well as solutions. Based on thorough scientific analysis, it includes technical background reports for each of the cases it discusses in the main report, this year for each of the five changes that are highlighted.

The main report, technical reports, executive summary, along with additional multimedia resources, are available post embargo at interconnectedrisks.org

About the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

The United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) was established in 2003 in Bonn, Germany. The institute conducts research work focusing on advancing human security and well-being by addressing present and future risks arising from environmental hazards and climate change. Its main areas of work are risk & adaptation and transformation. In addition to its research work, UNU-EHS offers education opportunities at the master’s level and hosts a number of international PhD projects and capacity-development courses on global issues of environmental risks and sustainable development. More information: https://unu.edu/ehs

@UNUEHS

News release in full, click here

Example media coverage (with headline translations):

Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA):

1. UN: We have to get to the root of problems,
2. Coping with environmental crises: does a changed mindset help humanity?
3. Thinking differently: is this the salvation of humanity?

Correio Braziliense, Brazil (12,940,904): Humanity must change the way it relates to planet Earth, warns UN

Agencia EFE, Spain via Infobae, Argentina (9,304,035): New UN report proposes a profound change in structures and mentality

Anadolu Ajansı, Turkey (7,713,511): UN University urges addressing root causes of environmental challenges

ORF Online, Austria (6,546,203): Deep change necessary in five areas

El Periódico Diario Informacion, Spain (3,292,443): “Five profound changes to save the planet”: UN identifies urgent actions to address the climate crisis

Frankfurter Rundschau, via MSN Deutschland (Germany, 2,021,232): UN: We have to get to the root of problems

The Times of India (India, 30,569,186) UN University finds five deep changes urgently needed for a safer world, how to achieve them

Full coverage summary, click here

A United Nations University report finds that drastic changes are approaching if risks to our fundamental socioecological systems are not addressed.

The Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023 published by the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) warns of six risk tipping points ahead of us:

• Accelerating extinctions
• Groundwater depletion
• Mountain glaciers melting
• Space debris
• Unbearable heat
• Uninsurable future

Systems are all around us and closely connected to us: ecosystems, food systems, water systems and more. When they deteriorate, it is typically not a simple and predictable process. Rather, instability slowly builds until suddenly a tipping point is reached and the system changes fundamentally or even collapses, with potentially catastrophic impacts.

A risk tipping point is defined in the report as the moment at which a given socioecological system is no longer able to buffer risks and provide its expected functions, after which the risk of catastrophic impacts to these systems increases substantially. These diverse cases illustrate that risk tipping points extend beyond the single domains of climate, ecosystems, society or technology. Instead, they are inherently interconnected, and they are also closely linked to human activities and livelihoods.

Many new risks emerge when and where our physical and natural worlds interconnect with human society. One example of a risk tipping point that the report explains is groundwater depletion. Underground water reservoirs called aquifers are an essential freshwater resource around the world, and they supply drinking water to over 2 billion people. Around 70 per cent of groundwater withdrawals are used for agriculture, oftentimes when there is not sufficient water from above-ground sources available. Today, aquifers help to mitigate half of the losses in agriculture caused by drought, a phenomenon which is only expected to increase in the future due to climate change. But the report warns that now it’s the aquifers themselves that are approaching a tipping point:

More than half of the world’s major aquifers are being depleted faster than they can be naturally replenished. If the water table falls below a level that existing wells can access, farmers can suddenly find themselves without the ability to access water, which puts entire food production systems at risk of failure. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have already surpassed this groundwater risk tipping point, others, like India, are not far from it.

“As we indiscriminately extract our water resources, damage nature and biodiversity, and pollute both Earth and space, we are moving dangerously close to the brink of multiple risk tipping points that could destroy the very systems that our life depends on,” said Dr. Zita Sebesvari, Lead Author of the Interconnected Disaster Risks Report and Deputy Director of UNU-EHS. “Additionally, we also lose some of our tools and options to deal with future disaster risk.”

The analysis reveals the cases share similar root causes and drivers which are embedded in our actions and behaviours that increasingly put pressure on our systems until they are pushed to the brink of collapse. Reaching these points means new risks will be introduced, many of which we do not yet know of.

“As we approach these tipping points, we will already begin to experience the impacts. Once, crossed it will be difficult to go back,” warned Dr. Jack O’Connor, Lead Author and Senior Expert at UNU-EHS. “Our report can help us see risks ahead of us, the causes behind them, and the urgent changes required to avoid them.”

The report does not just define and identify risk tipping points, but it also proposes a new framework to avoid or mitigate the consequences. Solutions fall into two categories: Avoid solutions, which target root causes and drivers of risk to avoid risk tipping points altogether and Adapt solutions, which help prepare or better address the negative impacts of risk tipping points if they cannot be avoided.

For both Avoid and Adapt solutions, there are two type of actions. Delay actions work within the existing “business as usual” system and aim to slow down the progression toward risk tipping points or the worst impacts. But the ideal action is to Transform, which involves a fundamental reimagining of a system into something stronger and more sustainable than before.

In the case of the “Unbearable heat” risk tipping point described in the report, it is human-induced climate change that is causing a global rise in temperatures, leading to more frequent and intense heat- waves that will in some areas reach temperatures in which the human body can no longer survive. An Adapt-Delay solution would aim to counteract this risk by installing air conditioners, for example. The air conditioners will delay when the risk tipping point is reached for the people in the area, but will not address the heat itself. An Avoid-Transform solution, on the other hand, would aim to halt the emissions of greenhouse gasses and at the same time drive societal change toward low-carbon ways of living so the tipping point can ultimately be avoided.

The report finds that solutions being implemented today tend to focus on Delay rather than Transform, although increasing focus is being put on transformative change to achieve global goals on transitioning to a more sustainable future. It will require more game-changing solutions to move us away from a future of multiplying risk tipping points.

Transformative solutions will also require considerable societal and personal effort, and the report highlights overall changes we can each make to our behaviours and values.

“Real transformative change involves everyone,” said Sebesvari. “The report serves as a timely reminder before the UN Climate Conference that we must all be part of the solution.”

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Brief summaries of the 6 risk tipping points included in the report

Accelerating extinctions:

Intense human activities – including land use change, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and introduction of invasive alien species – have created a rate of species extinction at least 10 to 100 times Earth’s natural rate.

Ecosystems are built on intricate connections between species. If one species goes extinct, it can have knock-on effects on many others. The risk tipping point in this context is when an ecosystem loses key species that are strongly connected, triggering cascading extinctions of dependent species, which can eventually lead to the collapse of an entire ecosystem.

An example is the gopher tortoise, which digs burrows that are used by more than 350 other species for breeding, feeding, protection from predators and avoiding extreme temperatures. One of these species is the endangered dusky gopher frog. If the gopher tortoise goes extinct, as foreseen, the dusky gopher frog is one species that will likely follow. But because the dusky gopher frog helps control insect populations and prevent pest outbreaks in longleaf pine forest ponds, its extinction would again trigger a number of negative effects that may become unstoppable.

Groundwater depletion

The risk tipping point in this context is the loss of access to freshwater resources in underground reservoirs known as aquifers.

Aquifers supply drinking water to over 2 billion people, and around 70 per cent of withdrawals are used for agriculture. More than half of the world’s major aquifers are being depleted faster than they can be naturally replenished. The tipping point in this case is reached when the water table falls below a level that existing wells can access, putting entire food production systems at risk of failure.

Some countries have already experienced the effects. Saudi Arabia was the world’s 6th-largest wheat exporter in the mid-1990s based on large-scale groundwater extraction for irrigation, but wells ran dry and the nation had to turn to wheat imports. India and other countries are currently nearing this risk tipping point, with global impacts expected to ripple through the world’s food systems, economy and environment. Also affected are the very structure of society, the well-being of future generations, and the ability to manage future agricultural losses due to climate change-driven drought.

Mountain glaciers melting

Glaciers retreat when the ice mass that formed many years ago melts faster than it is replaced by snow. Due to global warming, the world’s glaciers are now melting twice as fast than they did in the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2019, glaciers lost 267 gigatons of ice per year, which is roughly equivalent to the mass of 46,500 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Glaciers store large amounts of freshwater. Meltwater from glaciers and snow supplies water for drinking, irrigation, hydropower and ecosystems to entire regions. The risk tipping point in this context is “peak water” – the point when a glacier produces the maximum volume of water run-off due to melting. After this point, freshwater availability will steadily decline.

Peak water has been reached or is expected to occur within the next 10 years for many small glaciers in Central Europe, Western Canada and South America. In the Andes, where peak water has already passed for many glaciers, communities are grappling with unreliable water sources for drinking and irrigation. For example, Peru’s Quelccaya glacier, once the world’s largest tropical ice cap, has shrunk by 31 per cent in the last 30 years contributing to periodic dry season water scarcity and widespread impacts.

An estimated 90,000+ glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountains are currently at risk of reaching the tipping point, threatening the nearly 870 million people that rely on them.

Space debris

Space has a garbage problem. This is because when satellites become defunct, they are left in the Earth’s orbit as space debris. Out of 34,260 objects tracked in orbit today, only around 25 per cent are working satellites. The rest are junk – broken satellites or discarded rocket stages. Additionally, there are likely around 130 million pieces of debris too small to be tracked, measuring between 1 mm and 1 cm.

Space debris travels at over 25,000 km per hour, and even the smallest debris can cause significant damage if it collides with something, creating even more debris. This is why other objects, such as the International Space Station or satellites, need to regularly conduct maneuvers to avoid it. The problem worsens as more and more objects are launched into space and debris accumulates.

The risk tipping point in this context is the point at which the Earth’s orbit becomes so full of debris that
one collision sets off a chain reaction of collisions. If that were to happen, the orbit could become unusable, which would threaten our ability to operate satellites, for example to monitor the weather and environmental changes, and to receive early disaster warnings.

More than 100,000 new spacecraft could be launched into orbit by 2030, greatly increasing the risk of this tipping point.

Unbearable heat

Human-induced climate change is causing a global rise in temperatures, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, and this is only expected to become more severe. Extreme heat was responsible for an average of 500,000 excess deaths annually in the last two decades, disproportionally affecting those who are particularly vulnerable due to their age, health conditions or profession, for example. There are weather stations in the world that have already recorded temperatures beyond the tipping point for what a human body can survive in. If this threshold is crossed for more than six hours, even a young and healthy body will suffer extreme consequences.

The tipping point in this context is a so-called “wet-bulb temperature” above 35°C. A wet-bulb temperature is a measurement which combines temperature and humidity, relevant because high humidity worsens the effects of heat as it hinders the evaporation of sweat, which is needed to maintain a stable core body temperature and avoid organ failure and brain damage.

Wet-bulb temperatures have crossed this critical threshold in at least two weather stations, one in the Persian Gulf and one in the Indus River Basin. Research indicates that by 2070, parts of South Asia and the Middle East will regularly surpass this threshold. By 2100 more than 70 per cent of the global population may be exposed to deadly climate conditions for at least 20 days per year.

Uninsurable future:

Since the 1970s, damages as a result of weather-related disasters have increased sevenfold, with 2022 alone seeing $313 billion in global economic losses and severe disasters forecast to double globally by 2040. Additionally, the number and size of at-risk areas are predicted to expand as climate change shifts the range of hazards like wildfires and storms into new areas.

These changes also affect the insurance industry. Where extreme weather events increasingly wreak havoc, insurance premiums have climbed as much as 57 per cent since 2015, and some insurance companies in at-risk areas have decided to limit the amount or type of damages they can cover, cancel policies or leave the market altogether. For instance, it is predicted that more than half a million Australian homes will be uninsurable by 2030, primarily due to increasing flood risk.

The risk tipping point in this context is reached when insurance becomes unavailable or unaffordable, leaving people without an economic safety net when disasters strike, which opens the door to increasing socioeconomic consequences, particularly when it is the most vulnerable parts of the population that cannot afford to move to safer areas.

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About the Interconnected Disaster Risks report (#InterconnectedRisks)

Interconnected Disaster Risks is an annual science-based report designed to be accessible for the general public. It is published by the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security, and was first released in 2021. The idea for the report was developed based on the recognition that disasters are occurring at an ever-faster rate and, despite progress being made in how we prepare and respond to them, we are continuously being caught out by new extremes and new emerging threats. The report analyses several concrete examples of disasters each year and explains how they are inter- connected with each other and with human actions. It seeks to shed light on the interconnections that might otherwise be missed, and describes how we can develop solutions to use these connections to our advantage. The report is based on thorough scientific analysis and includes technical background reports for each of the cases, which together with the main report and executive summary are made available on interconnectedrisks.org.

About the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

Based in Bonn, Germany, UNU-EHS conducts research on risks and adaptation related to environmental hazards and global change. The institute’s research promotes policies and programmes to reduce these risks, while taking into account the interplay between environmental and societal factors. Research areas include climate change adaptation by incorporating insurance-related approaches, environmentally- induced migration and social vulnerability, ecosystem-based solutions to adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and models and tools to analyse vulnerability and risks linked to natural hazards, with a focus on urban space and rural-urban interfaces.

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Media coverage highlights:

Agence France Presse, France, via Daily Mail, United Kingdom (87,359,497) UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-12670145/UN-report-warns-catastrophic-risks-Earth-systems.html

AFP French, via Sud Ouest, France (8,145,308) Débris spatiaux, chaleur insupportable… Un rapport de l’ONU alerte sur six risques catastrophiques pour la planète Space debris, unbearable heat … a UN alert report on six catastrophic risks for the planet  https://www.sudouest.fr/environnement/climat/debris-spatiaux-chaleur-insupportable-un-rapport-de-l-onu-alerte-sur-six-risques-catastrophiques-pour-la-planete-17207629.php

Reuters, via Daily Mail, United Kingdom (87,359,497) World on brink of environmental tipping points, UN says https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-12670117/World-brink-environmental-tipping-points-UN-says.html

Agenia EFE, via Infobae, Argentina (60,708,789)Informe de la ONU alerta de “calor insoportable” y agotamiento de las aguas subterráneas UN Report Alert of “Unbearable Heat” and Underground Waters Exhaustion https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2023/10/25/informe-de-la-onu-alerta-de-calor-insoportable-y-agotamiento-de-las-aguas-subterraneas/

CBS News,Online and national TV report, United States (37,446,105) Otis batters Mexico as U.N. climate report warns Earth close to multiple “risk tipping points” https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-climate-change-leaks-into-hurricane-season/

Forbes United States 69,090,272 Here Are 6 Tipping Points The UN Warns Could Soon Spell Disaster For Humanity—From Space Junk To Disappearing Water https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/10/25/here-are-6-tipping-points-the-un-warns-could-soon-spell-disaster-for-humanity-from-space-junk-to-disappearing-water/

Le Monde France 25,370,042Un rapport de l’ONU alerte sur six risques catastrophiques pour la planèteA UN report alert on six catastrophic risks for the planet https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2023/10/25/un-rapport-de-l-onu-alerte-sur-six-risques-catastrophiques-pour-la-planete_6196405_3244.html

O Globo Brazil 18,416,024Derretimento no Polo Norte, calor insuportável e detritos espaciais: ONU aponta seis riscos catastróficos para o planetaMelting in the north pole, unbearable heat and spatial debris: UN points to six catastrophic risks to the planethttps://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/clima-e-ciencia/noticia/2023/10/25/derretimento-no-polo-norte-calor-insuportavel-e-detritos-espaciais-onu-aponta-seis-riscos-catastroficos-para-o-planeta.ghtml

Le Parisien France 17,476,308Fonte des glaciers, débris spatiaux, eaux souterraines… l’ONU alerte sur six risques catastrophiques pour la TerreMelting glaciers, spatial debris, groundwater … The UN alert on six catastrophic risks for the earthhttps://www.leparisien.fr/environnement/climat/fonte-des-glaciers-debris-spatiaux-eaux-souterraines-lonu-alerte-sur-six-risques-catastrophiques-pour-la-terre-25-10-2023-PNRFJO6XYRCUTBVW4OETFY5Y5I.php

Los Angeles Times, via Yahoo! News, United States 58,017,212U.N. report warns of catastrophic climate tipping points. California is nearing severalhttps://news.yahoo.com/u-n-report-warns-catastrophic-100035185.html

Times of India India 29,331,020UN Report: Planet moving towards irreversible ‘Tipping Points’ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/un-report-planet-earth-moving-towards-irreversible-tipping-points/photostory/104704023.cms

Scientific American United States 5,796,435We Are Racing Toward Earth’s Catastrophic Tipping Pointshttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-are-racing-toward-earths-catastrophic-tipping-points/

La Presse Canada 4,010,657Nouveau rapport des Nations unies Le monde se rapproche de nombreux « points de basculement »New United Nations Report Le Monde approaches many “shift points”https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/environnement/2023-10-25/nouveau-rapport-des-nations-unies/le-monde-se-rapproche-de-nombreux-points-de-basculement.php

ICI Radio-Canada, Canada (4,486,869)Voici 6 points de bascule dont l’humanité se rapproche Here are 6 tipping points that humanity is getting closer https://ici.radio-canada.ca/recit-numerique/7216/rapport-onu-risques-points-bascule-glaciers-aquiferes-chaleur

Le Figaro, France (29,235,065) Chaleur insupportable, fonte des glaciers… Un rapport de l’ONU alerte sur les risques catastrophiques pour la planète Unbearable heat, casting of glaciers … A UN alert report on catastrophic risks for the planet https://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/chaleur-insupportable-fonte-des-glaciers-un-rapport-de-l-onu-alerte-sur-les-risques-catastrophiques-pour-la-planete-20231025

Deutsche Welle Germany 16,594,754Klima-Kipppunkte: Sind Katastrophen noch abzuwenden?Climate tipping points: Are disasters still to be averted?https://www.dw.com/de/klima-kipppunkte-sind-katastrophen-noch-abzuwenden/a-67209113

Рамблер (Rambler), Russia (22,371,230) В Университете ООН назвали шесть переломных моментов, которые изменят мир The University of the UN called six turning points that will change the world  https://news.rambler.ru/tech/51655297-v-universitete-oon-nazvali-shest-perelomnyh-momentov-kotorye-izmenyat-mir/

Deutsche Presse Agentur, via t-online, Germany (21,513,343) Klima | Von Artensterben bis Hitze – Report zeigt Risiko-Kipppunkte Climate | From species death to heat – report shows risk tipping points https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/panorama/wissen/id_100266750/von-artensterben-bis-hitze-report-zeigt-risiko-kipppunkte-.html

The Guardian, United Kingdom (3,254,937) Climate crisis threatens ‘tipping point’ of uninsurable homes, says UN  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/25/climate-crisis-threatens-tipping-point-of-uninsurable-homes-says-un

UK Press Association, via London Evening Standard, United Kingdom (17,051,522) Earth ‘approaching cliff edge’ of six tipping points, says UN  https://www.standard.co.uk/news/science/earth-united-states-india-saudi-arabia-b1115844.html

Radio France International (RFI) France 6,780,245 World on brink of tipping points that could be catastrophic for humanity   https://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20231025-world-on-brink-of-tipping-points-that-could-be-catastrophic-for-humanity

CGTN China 5,297,573UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-10-26/UN-report-warns-of-catastrophic-risks-to-Earth-systems-1oddj42dGk8/index.html

Press Trust of India India 125,708 UN report warns India heading towards groundwater depletion tipping pointhttps://www.ptinews.com/news/national/677045.html

IndoAsia News Service, via ProKerala.com India 8,126,852 UN University report warns about risk tipping points https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1472334.html

Pravda – Правда.ру (RUS) Russia 4,252,827 Доклад организации объединенных наций перечислил 6 ключевых угроз для человечества The United Nations report transferred 6 key threats to humanity  https://www.pravda.ru/news/science/1899938-doklad_organizacii_obedinennykh_nacii_preduprezhdaet_ob_ugrozakh/

ANSA.it Italy 17,228,184 Da estinzioni al caldo, sei pericoli per il futuro secondo l’Onu  From extinctions to heat, six dangers for the future according to the UN  https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/topnews/2023/10/25/da-estinzioni-al-caldo-sei-pericoli-per-il-futuro-secondo-lonu_d599e676-2715-4a1d-9d3a-239b49ccf440.html

Anadolu Agency Turkey 7,166,031BM Üniversitesi, felaket riskleri raporunda “6 kritik nokta” uyarısı verdi UN University gave a “6 critical point” warning in the disaster risks report  https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/bm-universitesi-felaket-riskleri-raporunda-6-kritik-nokta-uyarisi-verdi/3032304

SAPO Portugal 7,327,485ONU alerta sobre seis riscos catastróficos para o planet UN warns about six catastrophic risks to the planet  https://viagens.sapo.pt/viajar/noticias-viajar/artigos/onu-alerta-sobre-seis-riscos-catastroficos-para-o-planeta

Belga newswire, via Le Soir, Belgium (3,381,380) Débris spatiaux, menaces sur les systèmes d’assurances… un rapport de l’ONU alerte sur des risques peu connus pour la planète Space debris, threats to insurance systems … a UN alert report on risks little known for the planet https://share.belga.press/news/f1fb03fd-93af-4f7e-85ce-e30cbe02d7a7

New Scientist, United Kingdom (3,499,332) These 6 tipping points could be catastrophic for humanity, says the UN  https://www.newscientist.com/article/2399226-these-6-tipping-points-could-be-catastrophic-for-humanity-says-the-un/

ABC, Spain (19,741,888) Las seis inquietudes del Informe de la Universidad de Naciones Unidas sobre el futuro del planeta The six concerns of the United Nations University report on the future of the planet  https://www.abc.es/antropia/seis-inquietudes-informe-universidad-naciones-unidas-sobre-20231025110006-nt.html

FAZ, Germany (15,807,368)Artensterben, Weltraummüll, Hitze Species death, space waste, heat https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wissen/interconnected-disaster-risks-report-zeigt-risiko-kipppunkte-19267107.html

ABC Online, Australia (14,445,211) UN warns humanity facing threats from space, climate change, but it’s not too late to act https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-25/un-report-warns-tipping-points-crisis-humanity-must-take-action/103014684

ORF Online, Austria (7,020,339) Sechs Risiken drohen zu kippen Six risks threaten to tip over https://science.orf.at/stories/3221849/

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