The high death toll and the unprecedented devastation that Hurricane Sandy left in its wake should serve as a reminder that we cannot be myopic when it comes to policymaking and climate change.

Despite the continuing debate about whether climate change is the direct cause of natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, there is more than enough evidence to show that global warming is accelerating, as year after year extreme weather worsens.

Arctic sea ice melted to its smallest extent in satellite records in September, and the US, Middle East and Africa suffered severe droughts this year.