A UN report issued on 2 November warned that unchecked climate change will increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. Ban Ki-moon said that if we maintain a ‘business as usual’ attitude about climate change the opportunity to keep temperature rise below the 2 degrees Celsius target ‘will slip away within the next decade.’ A recent assessment of climate change report confirms actual climate change being registered around the world and warming of climate systems that is unequivocal. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, snow and ice has diminished, sea levels have risen and the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased to an unprecedented level. The report found the world very ill-prepared for the risks of a changing climate, especially the poor and most vulnerable who have contributed least to this problem. See also last week’s Prayer Alert ‘EU reaches deal on CO2 emissions cut’.