Opinion: Why preventive diplomacy must be at the heart of climate action

As the climate crisis accelerates, so does a quieter but equally alarming issue: The failure of global diplomacy to anticipate and prevent climate-induced instability. This is not only hampering our collective ability to respond to escalating shocks, but it also risks undermining the multilateral system itself.

The signs are impossible to ignore. Over just three months, nearly 4 billion people endured at least 30 days of extreme heat, according to Climate Central. During the Fourth of July weekend, flash floods in Texas, USA, killed at least 135 people.  

Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization reports record-breaking temperatures on land and sea, and the United Nations warns of rapid glacier loss and worsening water stress. These are not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of intensifying and recurring climate crises that almost always disproportionately affect the most vulnerable.