In the last 10 days, torrential rain and unprecedented flooding has hit both Europe and China, resulting in loss of life and huge infrastructural damage. Elsewhere in Europe, some areas are in the grip of a sweltering heat wave, while similar scenes have been ongoing for over a month in North America. 

The extreme and record-breaking weather events are stoking the climate change discussion.

Scientists have been warning of the disastrous consequences to our weather systems as a result of climate change for decades. But for many people, climate change has remained something that exists far into the future, if at all. Many “perceive climate change as a distant problem … it’s just one of thousands of other issues out there,” says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Programme on Climate Change and Communication. 

But are the recent extreme weather events hitting a little closer to home? And will global businesses finally start to recognise that not addressing the problem is more costly than going green?

This is our edit of the global conversation on purpose. 

• Listen to the Guardian’s podcast on how the heatwaves in the US are forcing many to confront climate change (The Guardian).
• The ambitious company building a carbon calculator to track every product in the world (Fast Company). 
• How adaptation may become key in the future of fighting the effects of climate change (The Economist). 
• The Atlantic’s Power of Purpose virtual event is available to stream on YouTube, with a panel of individuals committed to the purposeful business movement (The Atlantic). 
• How cities on the frontline of climate change can adapt in the future (McKinsey).
• Biodiversity: what happened after a few acres of land was left to rewild for 60 years? (The Conversation)
• The 21st century space race: what impact does leaving our planet have on those who are left behind? (Financial Times). 
• And finally, Iceland has been trialling a four day work week, but was it really a resounding success? (Raconteur)