In a subsequent report, United Nations experts pointed out that global warming could threaten food security in some countries, particularly in vulnerable tropical and subtropical regions. The report also warned that climate change could increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, heavy rainfall, and floods, creating additional costs that could affect economies around the world.

Experts from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that agriculture worldwide is being affected by climate change, raising concerns about food supplies for the growing global population.

Agricultural yields can decline when crops are exposed to higher temperatures, drought, and other climate extremes. Some higher-latitude regions may experience longer growing seasons or temporary increases in suitability for certain crops, but these potential benefits can be accompanied by increased risks from pests, diseases, and other climate-related stresses.

In tropical regions where farming is particularly dependent on rainfall, some crops are already approaching or exceeding their temperature tolerance limits. Further warming, combined with changes in precipitation, drought, and extreme heat, could lead to greater losses in crop production. The IPCC reports that climate change is already affecting food security and that the risks increase with every additional degree of warming.

Human activities have released large quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise. The IPCC’s latest assessments show that continued warming will increasingly affect food production, water supplies, human health, ecosystems, and economies around the world.

The economic effects of climate change are difficult to express as a single global figure because they depend on the amount of warming, future economic conditions, adaptation, and the particular region being studied. However, the IPCC concludes that economic damages generally increase as global temperatures rise, with particularly serious risks at higher levels of warming.

作者：Michael Chiu，MWS，CI
Previously published in Ming Pao Daily News – Updated and Revised in 2026