As world leaders descend on Egypt for the annual climate conference, known this year as COP27, experts are warning that the world is not on track to meet previous emissions reduction targets.
Most countries are not even close to meeting their commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreements, which called for keeping global warming below 2C or ideally 1.5C, according to a report published in April by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  ).
Net-zero climate experts at UK-based price comparison company Uswitch used an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Midjourney to find out what the world’s major cities would look like 70 years from now under worst- and best-case scenarios for climate .
To uncover the potential consequences of not meeting climate targets, the green energy team worked with the research director of the University of Oxford’s Net Zero initiative to analyze emissions data and the latest IPPC report to “determine how each country will be most affected from climate change in 2100.”
Researchers used Midjourney to predict the future of 20 well-known locations around the world.  They include Toronto, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Tokyo, Agra, Auckland, Barcelona, ​​Beijing, Berlin, Dubai, Edinburgh, Giza, Kruger National Park (South Africa), London, Los Angeles, Mexico City and Moscow .

Here’s what Toronto would look like in 2100:

Toronto’s best- and worst-case scenarios are seen in AI-generated images by Ben Gallizzi and Professor Sam Fankhauser via Uswitch.com.
Aiming to reach zero by 2040, Toronto has one of North America’s most aggressive targets for tackling global emissions, created after the city declared a climate emergency in 2019.
Fossil fuel consumption in homes, businesses and cars in Toronto must be phased out completely over the next 20 years in order to reach the net zero goal by 2040, according to the city government.  This is necessary since climate change is predicted to make Toronto’s weather hotter, wetter and more intense in the coming years.
“AI expects a dark and gloomy Toronto that has highly visible pollution affecting the city’s skyline. However, if city council and the people of Canada help make these changes happen, then the image on the right could look like a more positive outlook,” according to a Uswitch release.

New York in 2100

New York’s best and worst scenarios are seen in AI-generated images by Ben Gallizzi and Professor Sam Fankhauser via Uswitch.com.
New York has experienced severe pollution due to daily emissions from commuters, as have most business hubs.  According to AI graphics, New York’s lush Central Park will become permanently dry if current trends continue and do not reach net zero by 2050.

London in 2100

London’s best and worst scenarios are seen in AI-generated images by Ben Gallizzi and Professor Sam Fankhauser via Uswitch.com.
England’s capital has experienced significantly hotter and drier summers in recent years.  The average summer in London could be 5 per cent drier and the average summer day could be 3 degrees warmer by the middle of this century, Uswitch researchers say.  Heat waves are more likely to occur and were significantly hotter in the summer of 2022, when London’s temperature reached 41 degrees Celsius.
Working towards the net zero goal will help London avoid appearing foggy and drab, as AI images show, highlighting poor air quality and pollution.
“It’s important to envision what the world could look like in the coming decades if we fail to start making changes now,” Ben Gallizzi, energy specialist at Uswitch, said in a statement.
“If countries around the world don’t start changing their habits, then the impact could see many places look unrecognizable.”