In a global effort to spotlight the human impact of climate change, journalists, researchers, and humanitarian workers at the Climate Disaster Project (CDP) and the International Red Cross have gathered firsthand accounts from survivors of extreme weather events.
The CDP, an international newsroom coordinated by the University of Victoria in Canada, collaborates closely with those affected by disasters, capturing personal experiences with a trauma-informed approach.
Their goal is to create “a people’s history of climate change,” which allows survivors to share their stories with dignity, connecting others to the urgency and reality of the crisis.
These testimonies reveal the personal costs of the climate crisis—lives disrupted, homes destroyed, and livelihoods lost.
By documenting these accounts, the CDP offers a crucial, human-centered perspective on climate change, giving voice to those who experience its devastating effects.
Humanity’s climate story unfolds: real lives affected, revealing the urgency of global change.The Red Cross has joined forces with the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, to expand this body of work.
Carrington emphasizes that climate change is not a distant issue but a present-day crisis with severe consequences.
“The climate crisis is already here, taking lives, destroying homes, wiping out livelihoods,” he says, underscoring the urgent need for global action.
This initiative by the CDP and the Red Cross serves as a powerful reminder: the cost of inaction grows daily.
As each new story is shared, the broader public is confronted with the reality that every delay in climate action leads to greater suffering.
Through this project, the testimonies become more than stories; they form a collective call to action, urging us to address climate change before it inflicts even more damage.