A Postcard from the Future: The Heat Toll of the 2026–27 Super El Niño and What We Can Still Do
El Niño is turning this summer’s already-record heat up a notch, threatening to drive nearly universal above-normal temperatures worldwide. An upcoming Climate Impact Lab report projects that many people could die from this El Niño's record heat, concentrated overwhelmingly in the countries with the least ability to adapt and the thinnest warning systems. In many respects, El Niño is a postcard from our future, providing a preview of temperatures expected to become normal under climate change.
This session will address the scale of projected deaths, precisely where they will be concentrated, and what can still be done — at the global level and within individual countries and communities — to save lives. This session will take place at Glasshouse on Bryant Park (54 West 40th St) on the 9th floor.
The session will feature:
- Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics, University of Chicago; Founding Director, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth
- Nat Keohane, C2ES President
- Michelle Nunn, President and CEO, CARE USA
- Hari Menon, President, Global Growth and Opportunity, Gates Foundation
- Greg Puley, UN OCHA Chief of Climate and Innovation
This event is co-hosted by Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and Climate Impact Lab (CIL).
September 23, 2026
1:00 PM-2:00 PM ET