What is climate change?

Climate is the average weather in a place over many years. Climate change is a shift in
those average conditions.
The rapid climate change we are now seeing is caused by humans using oil, gas and
coal for their homes, factories and transport.
When these fossil fuels burn, they release greenhouse gases - mostly carbon dioxide
(CO2). These gases trap the Sun's heat and cause the planet's temperature to rise.
The world is now about 1.2C warmer than it was in the 19th Century - and the amount of
CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by 50%.
Temperature rises must slow down if we want to avoid the worst consequences of
climate change, scientists say. They say global warming needs to be kept to 1.5C by
2100.
However, unless further action is taken, the planet could still warm by more than 2C by
the end of this century. A report in 2021 by the Climate Action Tracker group calculated
that the world was heading for 2.4C of warming by the end of the century.
If nothing is done, scientists think global warming could exceed 4C in the future, leading
to devastating heatwaves, millions losing their homes to rising sea levels and
irreversible loss of plant and animal species.

What is the impact of climate change?

Extreme weather events are already more intense, threatening lives and livelihoods.
With further warming, some regions could become uninhabitable, as farmland turns into
desert. In other regions, the opposite is happening, with extreme rainfall causing historic
flooding - as seen recently in China, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
People in poorer countries will suffer the most as they do not have the money to adapt
to climate change. Many farms in developing countries already have to endure climates
that are too hot and this will only get worse.
Our oceans and its habitats are also under threat. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia,
for example, has already lost half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by
climate change.
Wildfires are becoming more frequent as climate change increases the risk of hot, dry
weather.
And as frozen ground melts in places like Siberia, greenhouse gases trapped for
centuries will be released into the atmosphere, worsening climate change.
In a warmer world, animals will find it harder to find the food and water they need to live.
For example, polar bears could die out as the ice they rely on melts away, and
elephants will struggle to find the 150-300 litres of water a day they need.
Scientists believe at least 550 species could be lost this century if action is not taken.
How will different parts of the world be affected?
Climate change has different effects in different areas of the world. Some places will
warm more than others, some will receive more rainfall and others will face more
droughts.
If temperature rise cannot be kept within 1.5C:
 The UK and Europe will be vulnerable to flooding caused by extreme rainfall
 Countries in the Middle East will experience extreme heatwaves and farmland could turn
to desert
 Island nations in the Pacific region could disappear under rising seas
 Many African nations are likely to suffer droughts and food shortages
 Drought conditions are likely in the western US, while other areas will see more intense
storms
 Australia is likely to suffer extremes of heat and drought

Effects of global warming

The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole. Since 1906, the
global average surface temperature has increased by more than 1.6
degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius)—even more in sensitive polar
regions. And the impacts of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some
far-flung future–the effects of global warming are appearing right now.
The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, shifting precipitation patterns ,
and setting animals on the move.

Many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms,

but scientists prefer to use “climate change” when describing the
complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems.
Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but
also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and
habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. All of these changes
are emerging as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere.

Scientists already have documented these impacts of climate change:

 Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This

includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica
 and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. In Montana's Glacier National
Park the number of glaciers has declined  to fewer than 30 from
more than 150 in 1910.
 Much of this melting ice contributes to sea-level rise. Global sea
levels are rising 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year . The rise is
occurring at a faster rate in recent years and is predicted to
accelerate in the coming decades.
 Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and their habitats.
Vanishing ice has challenged species such as the Adélie penguin in
Antarctica, where some populations on the western peninsula
have collapsed by 90 percent or more.
 As temperatures change, many species are on the move . Some
butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have migrated farther north or
to higher, cooler areas.
 Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe,
on average. Yet some regions are experiencing more severe
drought, increasing the risk of wildfires, lost crops, and drinking
water shortages.
 Some species—including mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish, and crop
pests—are thriving. Booming populations of bark beetles  that feed
on spruce and pine trees, for example, have devastated millions of
forested acres in the U.S.
Other effects could take place later this century, if warming continues.
These include:

 Sea levels are expected to rise between 10 and 32 inches (26 and

82 centimeters) or higher by the end of the century.
 Hurricanes and other storms are likely to become stronger. Floods
and droughts will become more common. Large parts of the U.S.,
for example, face a higher risk of decades-long "megadroughts" by
2100.
 Less freshwater will be available, since glaciers store about three-
quarters of the world's freshwater .
 Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (and
the 2016 resurgence of the Zika virus).
 Ecosystems will continue to change: Some species will move
farther north or become more successful; others, such as polar
bears, won’t be able to adapt and could become extinct.
Climate change is hitting the planet faster
than scientists originally thought

The negative impacts of climate change are mounting much faster than scientists
predicted less than a decade ago, according to the latest report from a United Nations
climate panel. Many impacts are unavoidable and will hit the world’s most vulnerable
populations hardest, it warns — but collective action from governments to both curb
greenhouse-gas emissions and prepare communities to live with global warming could
yet avert the worst outcomes.

“The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal,” says Maarten van Aalst, a

climate scientist who heads the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in Enschede,
the Netherlands, and is a co-author of the report. “Any further delay in global action
on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of
opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”

The report, released on 28 February, is the second instalment of the latest climate
assessment from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Issued
last August, the first instalment focused on recent climate science, whereas the latest
one looks at the impacts of climate change on people and ecosystems. It will be
followed in early April by a third instalment that evaluates humanity’s options for
battling climate change, including ways of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. This is
the sixth such assessment from the IPCC in a little over three decades, and the
warnings have only become more dire. Advocates hope the latest assessment will
finally spur governments to tackle the climate crisis decisively.

“I’ve seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this,” said UN
secretary-general António Guterres during a press conference unveiling the report. It
is a “damning indictment of failed climate leadership”, he added.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These
shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the
1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to
burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped
around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon
dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a
building, for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills for
garbage are a major source of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings,
agriculture and land use are among the main emitters.

Greenhouse gas concentrations are at their highest levels in 2 million years

And emissions continue to rise. As a result, the Earth is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was
in the late 1800s. The last decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record.

Many people think climate change mainly means warmer temperatures. But temperature
rise is only the beginning of the story. Because the Earth is a system, where everything is
connected, changes in one area can influence changes in all others.

The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water

scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and
declining biodiversity.

People are experiencing climate change in diverse ways

Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. Some
of us are already more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living in small island
nations and other developing countries. Conditions like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion
have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate, and protracted
droughts are putting people at risk of famine. In the future, the number of “climate refugees”
is expected to rise.

 
Every increase in global warming matters

In a series of UN reports, thousands of scientists and government reviewers agreed that
limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C would help us avoid the worst climate
impacts and maintain a livable climate. Yet based on current national climate plans, global
warming is projected to reach around 3.2°C by the end of the century.

The emissions that cause climate change come from every part of the world and affect
everyone, but some countries produce much more than others. The 100 least-emitting
countries generate 3 per cent of total emissions. The 10 countries with the largest
emissions contribute 68 per cent. Everyone must take climate action, but people and
countries creating more of the problem have a greater responsibility to act first.

We face a huge challenge but already know many solutions

Many climate change solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and
protecting the environment. We also have global frameworks and agreements to guide
progress, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. Three broad categories of action are: cutting
emissions, adapting to climate impacts and financing required adjustments.

Switching energy systems from fossil fuels to renewables like solar or wind will reduce the
emissions driving climate change. But we have to start right now. While a growing coalition
of countries is committing to net zero emissions by 2050, about half of emissions cuts
must be in place by 2030 to keep warming below 1.5°C. Fossil fuel production must
decline by roughly 6 per cent per year between 2020 and 2030.

We can pay the bill now, or pay dearly in the future

Climate action requires significant financial investments by governments and businesses.

But climate inaction is vastly more expensive. One critical step is for industrialized countries
to fulfil their commitment to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries so they can
adapt and move towards greener economies.