Climate Change’s New Global Dysfunction: From Kwaku’s Flight to Global Policy

On a conventional Tuesday, Kwaku, a professional based in Ghana, followed his routine: an early flight from Kumasi to Accra for a series of meetings, with a return flight scheduled for the evening to secure a crucial business deal the next morning. The morning sun in Accra was blistering, a familiar sapping heat. By mid-morning, dark clouds gathered with terrifying speed. Within minutes, a torrential downpour flooded the city. The result? His evening flight was first delayed, then cancelled. The same skies that had baked him hours earlier had now grounded him, causing him to miss his next day’s pivotal meeting. Kwaku’s story is no longer an isolated weather anecdote; it is a microcosm of a macro-trend: climate volatility as a direct, operational disruptor. This event encapsulates a concept gaining urgency in international corridors: the emergence of a new global dysfunction driven by climate change.

This article dissects this paradigm. We will move from personal disruption to global policy, examining the stark contrast between the UN’s call for a accelerated third era of climate cooperation and the political headwinds, such as the U.S. retreat from climate science, that threaten it. The core question is: what does this “new dysfunction” mean for individuals, businesses, and global stability, and what concrete path forward remains?

Introduction: When Weather Becomes a Business Risk

For decades, climate change was framed as a future, environmental, or scientific issue. The narrative has violently shifted. It is now a present-tense economic, logistical, and human security crisis. The term “new global dysfunction”, coined by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, powerfully captures this reality: a world where climate instability actively undermines global cooperation, economic stability, and daily life, compounding existing geopolitical tensions like trade wars. This article will translate that high-level diagnosis into tangible implications, using Kwaku’s experience as a starting point to explore a world where extreme weather disruption is a routine business continuity threat.

Key Points at a Glance

• Climate change is an immediate operational risk: Extreme weather (intense heat, flash floods) directly disrupts travel, supply chains, and productivity, as seen in the Kwaku case study.
• A “new global dysfunction” is emerging: Climate volatility exacerbates geopolitical instability, making international cooperation harder while simultaneously making it more essential.
• The UN’s three-era framework: From diagnosing the problem (Era 1) to building the Paris Agreement (Era 2), the world must now enter Era 3: urgent, scaled implementation of climate action.
• Political regression vs. economic momentum: While some governments (e.g., U.S. under Trump) are rolling back climate regulations, market forces and national climate plans show the clean energy transition is largely irreversible.
• Climate adaptation is non-negotiable: For vulnerable regions like Africa, building resilience is the only path to protecting lives, livelihoods, and economies from worsening climate impacts.
• The path forward is localized and collaborative: Success requires sub-national actors (cities, businesses, investors) to work with national governments to deliver real-world results, exceeding Paris Agreement targets.

Background: The Evolution of International Climate Efforts

To understand the current moment, one must trace the arc of global climate diplomacy.

The First Two Eras: Discovery and Agreement

Simon Stiell’s framework defines the first era as the foundational period of scientific discovery and awareness, culminating in the establishment of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The second era was the negotiation and adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. This landmark deal succeeded in creating a universal, flexible structure where all nations submit national climate plans (NDCs) and agree to periodically strengthen them. Its genius was in proving that near-universal cooperation on climate was possible.

However, as Stiell notes, the Paris Agreement was never a final solution. It was a framework, a starting gun. The initial NDCs, taken together, were insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C–2°C above pre-industrial levels, the scientific threshold to avoid the most catastrophic impacts.

The Dawn of Era 3: Implementation Gap and Growing Impacts

The period following Paris has been a paradox. On one hand, there is undeniable progress: renewable energy investment has skyrocketed, costs have plummeted, and the technology is mature. On the other, global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise, and the physical impacts of climate change have intensified with alarming frequency and severity—from Kwaku’s flash flood to droughts, wildfires, and sea-level rise. This gap between pledged action and real-world outcomes defines the precipice into which the world now stumbles. The Global Stocktake at COP28 (2023) formally concluded that current commitments are inadequate, creating a mandate for a massive scale-up in action.

Analysis: The Collision of Science, Policy, and Reality

The current landscape is defined by two powerful, conflicting forces: the undeniable, accelerating physical reality of climate change and a political backlash that undermines coordinated response.

1. The “New Global Dysfunction” in Practice

Stiell’s phrase is not hyperbole. It describes a systemic failure where climate impacts:

• Disrupt Economic Activity: Kwaku’s missed meeting is a tiny example. At scale, climate disruption damages infrastructure, halts production, increases insurance premiums, and causes commodity price shocks (e.g., failed harvests).
• Exacerbate Geopolitical Tensions: Water scarcity, food insecurity, and displacement caused by climate change act as “threat multipliers,” intensifying conflicts over resources and triggering migration crises. This occurs in a world already fractured by trade disputes and military conflicts.
• Undermine Trust in Institutions: When governments fail to protect citizens from predictable climate disasters or roll back protections, public trust erodes. This fuels instability and makes the long-term cooperation needed for climate action harder to achieve.

In essence, climate change is no longer a standalone issue to be managed by environment ministries. It is a cross-cutting national security, economic, and developmental crisis.

2. The U.S. Policy Reversal: A Case Study in Regression

President Donald Trump’s actions represent the most significant recent regression. His administration’s revocation of the EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding—the scientific bedrock that greenhouse gases threaten public health—is a profound rejection of established climate science. The stated rationale (reducing vehicle manufacturing costs) is heavily contested by economists and environmental groups who argue that long-term health costs from pollution and climate damage far outweigh any short-term savings. This move, coupled with the threatened withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, signals a return to fossil fuel dependence.

Legal and Global Implications: This reversal is likely to face legal challenges, as the Endangerment Finding is grounded in extensive scientific evidence reviewed by the EPA. Internationally, it isolates the U.S. from its allies and major economies, all of whom reaffirmed their Paris commitments at COP30. It creates a dangerous policy vacuum, potentially slowing innovation and ceding clean energy leadership to other nations.

3. The Irreversible Market Momentum

Paradoxically, while political will wavers in some capitals, the economic tide has turned. Stiell’s data is clear: in 2025, global investment in clean energy was more than double that in fossil fuels. For the first time, renewable energy sources overtook coal as the world’s largest electricity generator. This is driven by:

• Plummeting costs of solar, wind, and battery storage.
• Corporate and investor demand for climate-resilient portfolios.
• National security concerns over energy independence.
• Public health benefits from reduced air pollution.

This market reality means that even with regulatory rollbacks in one country, the global energy transition is on a path of its own. The challenge is to accelerate it to a speed compatible with climate limits.

Practical Advice: Navigating the New Dysfunction

For individuals like Kwaku, businesses, and local governments, waiting for perfect international coordination is not an option. Adaptation and mitigation must happen now.

For Individuals and Commuters

• Build Redundancy into Schedules: As Kwaku learned, critical travel should have buffer time and backup plans (alternative transport, flexible meeting formats).
• Stay Informed on Local Climate Risks: Use local meteorological services and climate adaptation portals to understand specific threats (flash floods, heatwaves) in your area.
• Advocate Locally: Support and demand investment in resilient infrastructure—drainage systems, green spaces to reduce heat, and robust public transport.

For Businesses and Entrepreneurs

• Conduct Climate Risk Audits: Assess vulnerabilities across your supply chain, operations, and workforce. Where are you exposed to physical climate risks?
• Integrate Climate into Strategy: Treat climate risk as a core financial and operational risk, not a CSR add-on. Scenario planning for different climate futures is essential.
• Seize the Transition Opportunity: Invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy for operations, and develop products/services that help others adapt. The market for climate resilience solutions is exploding.
• Engage in Policy Advocacy: Businesses, especially those with long-term horizons, must advocate for stable, long-term climate policies that provide investment certainty.

For Local and Regional Governments

• Implement Nature-Based Solutions: Invest in urban forestry, wetland restoration, and permeable pavements to manage flood and heat risks cost-effectively.
• Enforce and Update Building Codes: Mandate climate-resilient construction for new developments and retrofits.
• Develop Early Warning Systems: Ensure communities have timely alerts for extreme weather and clear evacuation/response plans.
• Access Climate Finance: Actively pursue international climate adaptation funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund) and develop bankable local projects.

FAQ: Common Questions on Climate Dysfunction and Action

What exactly is meant by “new global dysfunction”?

It refers to a state where climate change impacts (extreme weather, sea-level rise, resource scarcity) actively disrupt global systems—trade, supply chains, geopolitical stability, and social order—making the world more volatile and less able to cooperate on shared problems. It’s “dysfunction” because the climate crisis amplifies existing fractures (like trade wars) while requiring more cooperation to solve.

Is the Paris Agreement failing?

Not failing, but insufficient. The Paris Agreement created the essential architecture for global cooperation and has driven significant investment and policy shifts. Its core mechanism—countries regularly updating and strengthening their national plans—is working. However, the aggregate ambition of those plans is still far from what science demands. The test now is Era 3: implementing and drastically exceeding current commitments.

If the U.S. backs out, can the world still meet climate goals?

It becomes significantly harder but not impossible. The U.S. is a historic emitter and a major economy. Its withdrawal reduces overall global effort and slows technology diffusion. However, the momentum in the EU, China (in renewables deployment), and many other nations, coupled with unstoppable market forces in clean energy, means the transition continues. The goal now is to ensure the pace is fast enough to avoid the worst impacts, which requires every major economy to act.

What is the difference between climate mitigation and adaptation?

Mitigation refers to actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., switching to renewables, electrifying transport) to limit future warming. Adaptation refers to actions to adjust to current and expected climate impacts (e.g., building sea walls, developing drought-resistant crops, strengthening early warning systems). Both are now essential. Stiell emphasizes that for vulnerable regions, adaptation is the immediate priority for survival and stability.

What is the “third era of climate action”?

It is the urgent, implementation-focused phase. Era 1 was understanding the problem. Era 2 was negotiating the Paris Agreement. Era 3 is about execution at scale: rapidly deploying clean energy, phasing out fossil fuels, doubling energy efficiency, and massively increasing finance for adaptation, all while ensuring a “just transition” for workers and communities. It requires moving from pledges to tangible, on-the-ground results by 2030.

Conclusion: Choosing Cooperation in an Era of Chaos

Kwaku’s cancelled flight is a metaphor. The climate system has become an unpredictable, disruptive actor in our daily lives and in global affairs. The new global dysfunction is the reality of operating in a world where this disruption is constant and worsening, layered upon other crises. Simon Stiell’s diagnosis is clear: in this unstable world, climate action and cooperation are not a distraction from security and stability—they are the primary pathway to achieving it.

The choice before the international community is stark. It can succumb to the dysfunction, allowing climate impacts to worsen geopolitical fractures, or it can use climate action as a force for building resilient economies, fostering technological collaboration, and creating a more stable, predictable world. The market is moving, but policy must catch up and lead. For people like Kwaku, and for billions worldwide, the third era of climate action cannot start soon enough. It is the only era that matters.

Sources and Further Reading

• United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2025). Speech by Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, at the COP31 Presidency Designate Press Conference, Istanbul. [Official UN transcript].
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2023). First Global Stocktake Synthesis Report. [Technical document summarizing global progress towards Paris Agreement goals].
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2023). AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023. [The