climate emergency

Noun

climate emergency (countable and uncountable, plural climate emergencies)

1. The dangerous situation in which anthropogenic climate change threatens to cause irreversible environmental damage.
   • The effects of the climate emergency are more evident than biodiversity loss, but still, society is failing to cut emissions, the paper argues. If people understood the magnitude of the crises, changes in politics and policies could match the gravity of the threat.2021 January 13, Phoebe Weston, “Top scientists warn of 'ghastly future of mass extinction' and climate disruption”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   climate crisis

2. (countable) An official recognition that such a situation exists.
   • Dozens of local areas have copied Carla's motion and declared climate emergencies including Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Bath.2019 May 3, Lindsay Brown, “Climate change: What is a climate emergency?”, in BBC News