World leaders address climate crisis before UN meet amid record-breaking El Niño

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   World leaders meet in New York for Climate Week amid record El Nino

   World leaders are gathering in New York for Climate Week and a United Nations meeting to address the climate crisis. Discussions occur against a backdrop of a record-breaking El Nino event. Negotiators face several complicating factors, including rising fuel prices, the integration of AI, and recent natural disasters. The World Wildlife Fund identifies the 2026 gathering as a critical test for climate action, particularly as leaders attempt to balance environmental goals with tightening budgets and increasing borrowing costs.

   Why it matters

   Climate Week NYC serves as a precursor to formal UN negotiations. These meetings determine global funding and policy targets for emissions reductions. The timing is critical as extreme weather events increase in frequency.

   What is confirmed

   • World leaders are meeting in New York to address the climate crisis before a UN meeting.
   • A record-breaking El Nino is occurring during these climate discussions.
   • Climate Week NYC is taking place in 2026.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Borrowing costs are surging.

   What to watch next

   • Specific policy commitments from the UN meeting
   • Funding agreements to offset tighter national budgets
   • Reports on the impact of the record-breaking El Nino
   Sources used for this update (5)

   1. The New York Times — Let’s Talk Climate
   2. Fortune — A hotter world, tighter budgets: the World Wildlife Fund on Climate Week’s 2026 test
   3. WSJ — Welcome to Climate Week NYC; Plus, the Silver Lining to a Surge in Borrowing Costs
   4. AP News — World leaders in New York to grapple with climate. Fuel prices, AI and disasters complicate things
   5. The Guardian — World leaders address climate crisis before UN meet amid record-breaking El-Niño
   confidence 80%