The stakes couldn't be higher when it comes to fighting climate change, with the UN warning of no less than a 'doomsday' scenario.
The climate crisis report - published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in August - forecast a humanity-threatening rise in temperatures and said there is "unequivocal" evidence that human activity is warming the planet.
As world leaders gather for the COP26 conference, they will reflect on a year that has seen Britain ravaged by floods and wildfires tearing through Greece and California.
But alongside such apocalyptic scenes, the planet is also under threat from a number of smaller yet shocking consequences of global warming.
From lower sex drives to worsening allergies and sharks braving new waters, here we reveal the changes you might not expect.
Hayfever explosion
If you've felt your hayfever getting worse over recent years, you might not be imagining it.
A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pollen concentrations had increased by more than 21 per cent and that the season is more than 20 days longer than it was in 1990.
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Researchers looked at different climate models and found that human-caused climate change was the main driver of longer, more intense pollen seasons over recent decades.
Higher CO2 levels have also led to more intense seasons, according to the Weather Channel.
When pollution attaches to pollen grains, it can cause them to explode into small pieces that get into our system - while CO2 can even cause plants to bloom more.
Previously, researchers have warned that pollen levels could more than double by 2040.
Invasion of the jellyfish
Alongside an explosion in allergies, beach-goers may have to brace themselves for the sight of more jellyfish.
With greenhouse gases trapped heat on the planet, our oceans are heating up too and leaving seas with less oxygen.
Where this might spell disaster for most marine life, jellyfish actually thrive in warmer water.
In higher temperatures, their offspring can grow quicker and they even enjoy longer reproductive periods.
As stronger river currents rip up more debris, the dirt eventually flows into the oceans and is making them appear darker.
In heavily-polluted spots, this can lead to 'dead zones' where most sea creatures cannot survive.
Jellyfish, however, are particularly resilient and able to survive on plankton, meaning they will be free to thrive.
Sex drives through the floor
When you're getting down to business in the bedroom, there are all sorts of potential mood killers.
And according to one study, one of them could just be - you guessed it - climate change.
With the US birth rate largely on the decline for at least a century, researchers examined whether rising temperatures were taking their toll on couples.
The National Bureau of Economic Research found that for every day that soared above 80 degrees between 1931 and 2010, there were 0.4% fewer births nine months later, CNN reported.
With scorching days across the year only set to increase, the study suggested that over a longer period this could mean about 100,000 fewer births in the US every year.
"I wouldn't say it is the end of human civilization, but I would suggest it is going to add to the cost of climate change," said Alan Barreca, associate professor of economics at Tulane University and lead author of the study.
Sharks on the move
As swarms of jellyfish take over our oceans, great white sharks are finding life more difficult.
Earlier this year, research found the species were being forced into new waters and causing populations of endangered wilflife to plunge.
Young great whites were found to have moved nearly 400 miles north off the coast of California since 2014, in waters that were previously too cold.
During that time, there was a sharp rise in sea otters meeting a grisly end, while populations of salmon have also fallen, the Guardian reports.
“White sharks aren’t just another species – they’re an apex predator and all eyes are on them in the ocean,” said Kyle Van Houtan, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
"“What we’ve detected here is just a harbinger of much broader patterns.”
“The sharks are not the problem – climate change is the problem. The sharks are telling us that the ocean is changing and it’s now time for us to do something about it.”
Lightning more frightening
As you might imagine, warmer atmospheres will lead to increased humidity - which in turn raises the chance of us getting more intense thunderstorms.
This phenomenon was illustrated earlier this year by researchers monitoring the number of lightning strikes in the Arctic.
The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, found that at the start of 2010 there had been around 18,000 strikes recorded in the summer months - by 2020 it was more than 150,000.
During this period, temperatures in the area had increased by an average of 0.3C.
The study supported previous research by the University of California that suggested a one degree Celsius increase in temperature would increase the frequency of lightning strikes by 12 per cent.
Aside from scaring you awake during a rainy night, more lightning strikes will also increase the chance of forest fires.
More mosquitoes and grim viruses
If you thought you were safe from mosquitoes in the cold, miserable UK, that could soon change.
Warmer temperatures and more rainfall from climate change could provide the creatures with ideal conditions, particularly in the south, scientists have warned.
Writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, experts said that just a 2C rise in temperature could extend mosquitos' activity season by one month and geographical spread by up to 30 by 2030.
Aside from more itchy bites, this could lead to grim conditions like the flu-like West Nile Virus, chikungunya and dengue fever - which can cause serious and even fatal illness.
Higher temperatures could also attract deadly Asian tiger mosquitos that can carry the Zika virus.
The bugs have been making their way towards the UK in recent years and have even been spotted near the English Channel.
Professor Steve Leach, from the emergency responses department at Public Health England, said: "We are not suggesting that climate change is the only or the main factor driving the increase in vector-borne diseases in the UK and Europe, but that it is one of many factors including socio-economic development, urbanisation, widespread land-use change, migration, and globalisation that should be considered.
"Lessons from the outbreaks of West Nile virus in North America and chikungunya in the Caribbean emphasise the need to assess future vector-borne disease risks and prepare contingencies for future outbreaks."
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