climate breakdown

American  

[klahy-mit breyk-doun] / ˈklaɪ mɪt ˌbreɪk daʊn /

noun

Climatology.

1. the collective effects of harmful and potentially irreversible trends in climate, specifically those resulting from unchecked global warming.

   In September 2023, the United Nations announced that “climate breakdown has begun.”

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Etymology

Origin of climate breakdown

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

Streeting did not halt his speech, and the woman was ushered from the hall as she continued to warn about "climate breakdown".

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2025

A mass roll-out of such restaurants could help tackle the UK's food poverty and malnutrition, while also increasing agriculture's resilience to climate breakdown and raising farmers' incomes.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2024

Across the planet, the signs of climate breakdown are growing more disturbing by the day.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2023

And it also draws on research that shows that the heat dome that they saw in 2021 was exacerbated by climate breakdown.

From Slate • Jul. 30, 2023

“We want to have this conversation, and to bring it around to our demand about what we need to do to avoid climate breakdown and collapse,” Ms. Carrington said.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2022