Climate Science Weekly — March 22, 2026

2 sources

nature.com

Climate change is speeding up — the pace nearly doubled in ten years

nature.com

nature.com

Key Research & Findings

Global Warming Rate Has Nearly Doubled Since 2015

• Published in: Nature / Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
• Key finding: Earth is now warming at a rate of approximately 0.35°C per decade — nearly double what it was in the 1970s. By stripping out short-term natural influences (El Niño, volcanic eruptions, solar cycles), researchers uncovered a clear acceleration in the planet's long-term warming trend beginning around 2015.
• Why it matters: The doubling of the warming rate since 2015 has profound implications for the timeline of reaching global temperature thresholds. If sustained, this pace would place the world on course to blow past 1.5°C and 2°C benchmarks far sooner than previously modeled.

Climate Change Is Making Earth's Days Longer

• Published in: Euronews (reporting peer-reviewed study), week of March 14, 2026
• Key finding: Human activity — specifically climate-change-driven redistribution of water mass (ice melt and ocean changes) — is responsible for slowing Earth's rotation and lengthening days. Scientists describe this phenomenon as "unprecedented in the past 36 million years."
• Why it matters: Beyond being a striking physical consequence of warming, this finding underscores the far-reaching, systemic effects of human-caused climate change on Earth's fundamental geophysical processes, not just surface temperatures.

Forestation Faces a Climate vs. Biodiversity Dilemma

• Published in: Mongabay (reporting global study), ~2 weeks ago; covered in fresh roundup March 17, 2026
• Key finding: A major global study mapping optimal forestation strategies finds a fundamental trade-off: forest planting programs optimized for carbon sequestration often underperform for biodiversity, and vice versa. The research maps where these goals conflict and where they align worldwide.
• Why it matters: Forests are a cornerstone of most national climate mitigation plans. This research reveals that without careful design, reforestation could provide carbon benefits at the cost of biodiversity — or fail to maximize either goal — complicating one of the most widely adopted nature-based climate solutions.

Climate Data & Observations

The convergence of data from NOAA and NASA paints a stark picture: 2023, 2024, and 2025 are the three warmest years in recorded climate history, occurring back-to-back. The acceleration in warming rate identified by PIK researchers — now nearly twice the pace seen in the 1970s — means each successive year is beginning from a higher baseline. The record-breaking streak of three consecutive hottest years aligns precisely with the post-2015 warming acceleration detected in the PIK/Nature analysis.

Policy & Action

• 24 U.S. States Sue EPA Over Endangerment Finding Repeal: In a major legal confrontation, 24 U.S. states filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency, accusing it of illegally repealing the "endangerment finding" — the foundational scientific assessment that requires the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. The suit argues the agency's action is unlawful and strips it of the authority to protect public health from climate pollution.

• EU Finalizes 90% Emissions Cut Target for 2040: European Union member states gave final approval to an ambitious climate target requiring a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The bloc pressed ahead with the target despite political resistance, cementing Europe's position as a global leader in climate ambition.

• European Commission Promises Imminent ETS Overhaul: EU Commission President von der Leyen pledged changes to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) "in days," and floated a proposed €30 billion "ETS investment booster" to help European industry decarbonize. The announcement comes as electricity bills remain a political flashpoint across the continent.

• Carbon Credits Approved Under Paris Agreement Market Mechanism: The United Nations formally approved the first carbon credits under the Paris Agreement's Article 6.4 market mechanism — a long-anticipated step toward enabling cross-border carbon trading to support emissions reductions and climate finance for developing nations.

What to Watch Next

The following developments — all signaled in this week's research results — merit close monitoring in the coming days and weeks:

1. EPA Endangerment Lawsuit Proceedings: The 24-state coalition's legal challenge to the EPA's rollback of greenhouse gas regulations is likely to move quickly through the courts. Watch for preliminary injunctions, scheduling orders, and potential amicus filings from scientific and public health organizations. The outcome could determine whether the U.S. federal government retains the legal authority to regulate climate pollution.

2. EU ETS Reform Announcement: Commission President von der Leyen said ETS changes are coming "in days." The specifics of the proposed €30 billion investment booster — how it would be structured, which industries qualify, and whether it will satisfy critics who say energy costs are strangling European competitiveness — will have major implications for EU industrial policy and climate ambition.

3. COP31 Hosting Arrangements: Questions around the unusual COP31 co-hosting compromise remain unresolved and contentious. As the climate conference season approaches, the logistical and diplomatic complexities of the arrangement — and what it signals for the strength of international climate diplomacy — will come into sharper focus. Observers are watching whether the compromise undermines or strengthens ambitions heading into the next round of national climate pledges (NDCs).

Climate Science Weekly is published each week. All data and findings cited in this issue come from sources published between March 14–22, 2026. Verify critical details directly with cited sources.