The climate crisis is no longer a future threat. In 2021 its effects became more present than ever: record-breaking storms; drought; deadly jellyfish migrating into the warming Mediterranean Sea.

Climate change is warping not only our weather patterns and ecosystems, but also our economies, politics and health.

As the emergency dawns, there are signs of a belated awakening. Technological breakthroughs have made it possible to consider the end of fossil fuel reliance. Activism has helped make climate change impossible to ignore.

Some of the biggest developments:

An Arctic heat wave. Siberia is usually associated with merciless cold. Yet this June temperatures rocketed to a searing 48 degrees. Throughout the summer, forest fires raged. Heat records were broken in many places, with July the hottest month ever recorded. But the blazing heat in the Arctic Circle was alarming.

Deadly floods in Europe. Countries like Germany and Belgium have rarely been on the front line of the climate crisis. This July, rivers in Western European countries burst their banks to submerge regions and claim lives. These events would have been unlikely without global warming.

"Code red" for humanity. Such extremes are scary enough, but the outlook for the future is bleaker. In August, a major report showed the consequences of global warming would be more disastrous than previously feared, making huge swathes of the planet uninhabitable.

Green politics goes mainstream. In such dire circumstances, politicians can no longer ignore the call to action. In January, US President Joe Biden took power with green policies at the heart of his agenda. In September, the German Green PartyA centre-left party largely focused on environmental politics. It formed part of a coalition government with the Social Democrats between 1998 and 2005. won 15% of the vote.

A climate summit offers glimmers of hope. When world leaders met for Cop26Cop stands for  Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the outcome was frustrating. Yet commitments made in Glasgow keep the possibility of avoiding all-out catastrophe alive. "We can credibly say," said Cop president Alok Sharma, "that we kept the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in reach".

The electric car boom. Electric vehicles have been around for some time, but at expensive cost. This year, one in 12 cars sold in Europe ran on batteries, and governments began to solve shortages such as a lack of charging points.

Britain's greenest day. On Easter Monday, wind and solar power generated 60% of all energy used in the UK. The proportion from fossil fuels was just over 20%. Wind and solar used to be considered efficient; now green energy is the cheapest variety, and getting more effective each year. A green future is in sight.

No. We will look back on 2021 as a year of criminal negligence. These small signs of progress are inadequate: the planet is burning. Future generations will be appalled.

Yes. We are still on grim path, but the momentum has shifted. This year will come to be seen as the turning of the tide, the beginning of the end for fossil fuels and the first step on the road to a sustainable civilisation.

Health - Climate change is thought to cause five million deaths per year, with causes including heat, drought and extreme weather. Research also suggests it has had major impacts on mental health.

Forest fires - In Siberia, 1.5 million hectares of forest burned. Unusually destructive wildfires were also rampant in many other places, including Greece, Oregon and Brazil.

Major report - The report was from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It was the most wide-ranging and authoritative report in recent years.

Green Party - Green parties (which prioritise environmental concerns) are now part of a governing coalition in several European countries, including Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden.

Cop26 - The annual Cop events gather the international community under a UN framework for tackling environmental issues. This year's was particularly important because countries had to commit to policies to keep warming below 1.5C, as agreed in Paris in 2015.