The Pope, politicians should tackle climate crises.

Once again, a month of record-breaking temperatures has left scientists struggling for words to express the unparalleled reality. Zeke Hausfather from the Berkeley Earth climate data project referred to it as “remarkably extraordinary.” September has marked the hottest month on record, following record-breaking August and July. It surged beyond the previous September record by an astonishing 0.5°C, the largest temperature leap ever recorded.

While the disruption in the UK from a rainy summer and unseasonably warm early autumn days has been relatively less severe compared to other regions, floods, wildfires, and exceptionally high temperatures are increasingly frequent globally. Recent emergencies include the overflow of Lhonak Lake in India and wildfires paired with scorching heat in Tenerife.

The countdown to the upcoming UN climate talks in Dubai, starting in late November, is underway. Pope Francis updated his 2015 encyclical, directed to “every person living,” warning that “the world in which we live is collapsing,” urging a transformation away from “irresponsible” western lifestyles. Over 80 countries are advocating for a fossil fuel phaseout on the Cop28 agenda. However, notable leaders of major emitting nations like Joe Biden and Xi Jinping were absent from a recent summit convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York last month.

Guterres raised concerns about oil companies and states aggressively lobbying against efforts to transition away from fossil fuel-dependent industries. Saudi Arabia, in particular, has significantly invested in football to bolster its influence and silence critics. Last year, state-owned Saudi Aramco recorded an unprecedented profit of $161 billion, setting a record for an oil and gas company.

Despite scientists’ astonishment at the latest data, there’s no guarantee that greenhouse gas emissions will stop rising by 2025, a critical target to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C.

Under Rishi Sunak’s leadership, the UK’s environmental ambitions have weakened. Commitments to phase out petrol cars and gas boilers were recently scaled back, and government ministers at the party’s conference used provocative language to underscore public fears about the affordability of decarbonization. Other governments also show a troubling lack of commitment. A recent proposal by the UK’s former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, for a windfall tax on the oil and gas revenues of countries with significant deposits, exceeded recent actions taken by major Western states. This disparity has led governments of the most vulnerable countries, facing the gravest threats from global warming with the least contribution to the problem, to express anger.

As Pope Francis suggested, “we can keep hoping.” Despite alarming soaring temperatures, they could serve as a catalyst for responsible politicians to generate the momentum needed for an accelerated transition towards a greener future.