Understand
Global Problems
The great challenges of our time are not separate problems. Climate, biodiversity, water, food, demographics, technology, security, economy and resources interact continuously. Understanding these connections is essential to acting on causes and not only on effects.
A snapshot of the present
The world today
Global temperature
+1.44 °C
compared to the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average, year 2025
2025 · Source: WMO — 2026
Atmospheric CO₂
431.44 ppm
monthly average at Mauna Loa, June 2026
2026 · Source: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory — 2026
Biodiversity
−73%
average size of monitored vertebrate populations from 1970 to 2020
2024 · Source: Living Planet Index 2024 — ZSL/WWF
World population
≈ 8.3 billion
estimated world population in 2026
2026 · Source: UN DESA — World Population Prospects 2024
Nuclear weapons
12,187
warheads in the world inventory, January 2026
2026 · Source: SIPRI Yearbook 2026
Earth Overshoot Day
30 July 2026
the day humanity's annual demand exceeds what Earth can regenerate that year
2026 · Source: Global Footprint Network — 2026
Everything is connected
Ten areas that influence each other
Each card shows the other areas the problem is directly connected to.
Collegato a
- Biodiversity loss
- Water
- Food
- Resources and consumption
- Global cooperation
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Water
- Food
- Resources and consumption
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Food
- Demographics
- Biodiversity loss
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Water
- Biodiversity loss
- Demographics
- Resources and consumption
Collegato a
- Water
- Food
- Inequalities
- Resources and consumption
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Food
- Global cooperation
- Artificial intelligence
Collegato a
- Inequalities
- Nuclear risk
- Global cooperation
- Resources and consumption
Collegato a
- Demographics
- Food
- Resources and consumption
- Climate change
- Global cooperation
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Biodiversity loss
- Food
- Inequalities
- Demographics
Collegato a
- Climate change
- Nuclear risk
- Artificial intelligence
- Biodiversity loss
- Inequalities
The connections shown are possible, observed or plausible relationships — not automatic outcomes. They help identify where an intervention can also produce effects elsewhere.
The challenges
The 10 great global challenges
Open each card to read why it matters and what it's connected to.
Climate change
In 2025 the global average temperature was around 1.44 °C above the 1850–1900 average.
Source: WMO — 2026
The increase in greenhouse gases produced by human activity is altering the Earth's climate. Higher temperatures, extreme events, melting ice and rising sea levels are already affecting ecosystems and human societies.
Why it matters
- Water and food — Droughts, irregular rainfall and extreme temperatures can reduce water availability and agricultural output.
- Ecosystems and biodiversity — Climate change alters habitats and environmental conditions faster than many species can adapt.
- Society and the economy — Extreme events, loss of livable land and infrastructure damage can drive up costs, migration and instability.
Connected to
Water · Food · Biodiversity · Migration · Economy · Global cooperation
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is declining at a rate unprecedented in recent human history.
Habitat destruction, resource overexploitation, pollution, invasive species and climate change are reducing the variety of life and weakening the ecosystems we depend on.
Why it matters
- Ecosystems and natural services — Pollination, soil fertility, clean water and climate regulation all depend on functioning ecosystems.
- Food — Less diversified farming systems are more exposed to pests, disease and climate shocks.
- Resilience — Less biological variety means ecosystems have a reduced capacity to absorb change and crises.
Connected to
Climate · Water · Food · Resources and consumption · Demographics
Water
Billions of people already live under water stress for at least part of the year.
Available freshwater is limited and very unevenly distributed. Climate change, rising demand, pollution and poor management are increasing the pressure on a resource essential to life.
Why it matters
- Health — Access to drinking water and sanitation remains a basic condition for people's health.
- Food — Agriculture is the largest user of freshwater: less water means more uncertain harvests.
- Ecosystems and social stability — Rivers, lakes and aquifers sustain ecosystems and economic activity; scarcity can generate tension.
Connected to
Climate · Food · Demographics · Biodiversity · Global cooperation
Food
The food system must feed billions of people while at the same time reducing its impact on the planet.
Farming and livestock rearing depend on climate, water, soil and biodiversity, but can in turn contribute to their degradation. Waste and unequal distribution make the problem even more complex.
Why it matters
- Hunger and malnutrition — Food availability is not just a matter of quantity produced, but also of access and distribution.
- Land use — Producing food occupies a very large share of usable land.
- Environment and health — Emissions, fertilizers, water use and habitat loss are all linked to how we produce food.
Connected to
Climate · Water · Biodiversity · Demographics · Resources and consumption
Demographics
The world's population continues to change, but in profoundly different ways across regions.
Some countries face rapid population growth and heavy pressure on services and resources; others face declining birth rates and ageing populations. There is therefore no single global “demographic problem”.
Why it matters
- Resources — How many people consume, and how, affects the overall pressure on the planet.
- Services and cities — Schools, healthcare, housing and transport must adapt to populations that are growing or ageing.
- Economy and generations — The balance between generations affects work, welfare and the capacity to invest in the future.
Connected to
Food · Water · Inequalities · Resources and consumption · Climate
Nuclear risk
Nuclear arsenals capable of causing global consequences still exist.
A nuclear conflict could cause not only immediate destruction, but climatic, food, economic and humanitarian effects capable of extending well beyond the countries directly involved.
Why it matters
- Immediate destruction — The direct effects on cities and populations would be beyond comparison with other acts of war.
- Global consequences — Scientific studies point to possible effects on climate and harvests even far from the conflict.
- Escalation risk — Errors, accidents and fast-moving crises reduce the time available for careful decisions.
Connected to
Food · Climate · Inequalities · Global cooperation · AI
Artificial intelligence
The capabilities of AI systems are growing rapidly and their impact touches an ever-increasing number of human activities.
Artificial intelligence can accelerate research and solutions, but it can also amplify disinformation, concentration of power, military risks and other problems if increasingly powerful systems are developed without adequate safeguards.
Why it matters
- Information and democracy — Synthetic content and manipulation of information can weaken public debate.
- Work and the economy — Automation changes jobs and skills and can concentrate benefits in few hands.
- Security — Military use and critical applications require clear rules, checks and accountability.
Connected to
Inequalities · Energy · Nuclear risk · Global cooperation
Inequalities
Wealth, opportunity and access to resources remain extremely unevenly distributed.
Inequalities are not only about income. Access to education, health, energy, water, technology and the ability to take part in decisions all deeply affect people's opportunities.
Why it matters
- Social cohesion — Very wide gaps can weaken trust, participation and stability.
- Opportunity — Where a person is born still strongly affects health, education and income.
- Capacity to cope with crises — Those with fewer resources are more exposed to the effects of climate, health and economic crises.
Connected to
Demographics · Food · Resources and consumption · Climate · Global cooperation
Resources and consumption
A finite planet cannot indefinitely sustain unlimited growth in material use and waste production.
The linear “extract → produce → consume → discard” model uses vast amounts of energy and raw materials and generates waste and pollution. The problem depends both on how much we consume and on how we produce.
Why it matters
- Raw materials — Metals, minerals and rare earths are limited and concentrated in a few areas of the world.
- Pollution — Waste, plastics and chemicals accumulate in air, water and soil.
- Pressure on ecosystems — Extraction and production alter land, habitats and natural cycles.
Connected to
Climate · Biodiversity · Food · Inequalities · Demographics
Global cooperation
Many of the most important problems, such as pandemics, cross national borders, while most decision-making power remains national.
Climate, nuclear risk, AI, biodiversity and other global challenges require coordinated decisions. But diverging interests, rivalries and often insufficient international tools make it difficult to act with the speed and continuity needed.
Why it matters
- Shared decisions — Shared problems require shared goals, not just voluntary commitments.
- Compliance with agreements — Without verification and continuity, commitments risk remaining mere declarations.
- Capacity to act — Resources, expertise and tools capable of acting at a global scale are needed.
Connected to
All nine other challenges
Consequences
Every action has consequences
The sequences below are not inevitable fates: they are possible relationships, useful for seeing how an effect can become the cause of another.
Climate
- Climate
- Drought
- Hunger
- Migration
- Instability
- Conflicts
Deforestation
- Deforestation
- Loss of pollinators
- Lower harvests
- Hunger
- Migration
Biodiversity and pandemics
- Biodiversity loss
- Higher zoonotic risk
- Pandemics
- Economic crises
- Instability
Fossil fuels
- Fossil fuels
- Rising CO₂
- Global warming
- Extreme events
- Economic damage
Artificial intelligence
- Unregulated AI
- Disinformation
- Polarisation
- Instability
- Conflicts
Nuclear war
- Nuclear war
- Nuclear winter
- Crop collapse
- Global hunger
- Humanitarian crisis
Once we understand the connections, it becomes clear that tackling only the effects is not enough. Building a better future requires acting on the causes.
Global problems are different from one another. Their roots, often, are the same.
The time factor
The future also depends on when we act
Not all problems evolve at the same speed. Some changes can still be corrected relatively soon; others produce consequences that last decades, centuries, or become difficult to reverse. That is why time is a fundamental part of our decisions.
2026
Today
The choices are still open
We can act on the causes, invest in solutions and change the direction of many trends.
2030
This decade
The nearest decisions matter greatly
Energy, emissions, ecosystems, security and the governance of new technologies require decisions that produce effects within the next few years.
2050
A generation
The consequences become more visible
Much of today's infrastructure will still be in use. Today's choices will shape climate, cities, energy, ecosystems and the economy of the middle of the century.
2100
The world we leave behind
Many people who will be alive then are not yet born
This century's decisions will help determine the environmental, technological and social conditions they will inherit.
The sooner we act on the causes, the greater our chances.
Acting early does not guarantee the outcome. Delaying, however, can narrow the available options and increase costs and difficulties.
Yes. Solutions exist.
Understanding the problems is the first step. The next is understanding what we can do to address them.