**Conflict of interest**

*Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development*

society and significantly affects the economic growth.

**9. Climate change and future of life on planet Earth**

**8. Climate change cost**

billions of dollars a year by 2090.

was yesterday or the day before".

species may experience extinction.

tem, biodiversity, and health.

**10. Conclusions**

by 2028.

Numerous countries work together under the umbrella of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The recommendation of the IPCC is to keep the global warming below 1.5°C to avoid irreversible damages. Unfortunately, in some countries, extensive political lobbying denying the contribution of humans to climate change and creating political barrier to pro-environmental policies has emerged. In 2015, all United Nations countries negotiated the Paris Agreement aiming to keep global warming well below 2.0°C [41]. Almost all countries signed the treaty. However, in 2017, the USA decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

Climate change, through its multiple consequences, has a very high cost for the

The estimates of total direct damage of hurricane Katrina were up to \$125 billion

Adaptive and preventive strategies need important financial investments. The cost of halting global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emission to very low levels by 2050 will be around \$50 trillion. At the current greenhouse gas emission rate, the budget for keeping the global warming below 1.5°C would be exhausted

Climate change is a serious threat for our planet. The number of relatively undisturbed ecosystems is decreasing rapidly. Climate change seriously affects the viability of many plant and animal species, and human health. Climate change may

Services (IPBES) releases regular reports on biodiversity written by hundreds of experts from all regions of the world. The reports found that biodiversity is declining in every region of the world, endangering economies, livelihoods, food security, and quality of life. In the words of the IPBES chair, "the time for action

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem

According to scientists, we have approximately a decade to keep carbon dioxide from reaching catastrophic levels that can cause irreversible damages. If no efficient preventive action is undertaken, by the year 2050, 15 to 37% of existing plant and animal species are predicted to become extinct and by the year 2100, half of all

It is widely accepted that the climate is changing in an accelerating pace. Climate change is affecting every aspect of life. It is recognized as a serious threat to ecosys-

Adaptation to health consequences of climate change and prevention of aggravation of climate change are key challenges for the society. The health sector should promote research, education (for health personnel), and information (for public and policymakers) on climate change and its consequences.

become one of the major drivers of species extinction in the 21st century.

and the cost of California wildfires of 2017 and 2018 exceeded \$40 billion. It is estimated that the cost of climate change for USA economy can reach hundreds of

**214**

The author declares no conflict of interest.
