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Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun\u2019s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s,\u00a0human activities have been the main driver of climate change<\/a>, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and\u00a0gas.<\/p>\n Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun\u2019s heat and raising temperatures.<\/p>\n The main greenhouse gases 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 cutting down forests can also release carbon dioxide. Agriculture, oil and gas operations are major sources of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the\u00a0main sectors<\/a>\u00a0causing greenhouse\u00a0gases.<\/p>\n Climate scientists have showed that\u00a0humans are responsible<\/a>\u00a0for virtually all global heating over the last 200 years. Human activities like the ones mentioned above are causing greenhouse gases that are warming the world faster than at any time in at least the last two thousand\u00a0years.<\/p>\n The average temperature of the Earth\u2019s surface is now\u00a0about 1.42\u00b0C warmer<\/a>\u00a0than it was in the late 1800s-prior to the industrial revolution-and warmer than at any time in the last 100,000 years. The last decade (2015-2024) was the\u00a0warmest on record<\/a>, and each of the last four decades has been warmer than any previous decade since\u00a01850.<\/p>\n Many people think that 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\u00a0others.<\/p>\n The\u00a0consequences of climate change<\/a>\u00a0include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.<\/p>\n Climate change can affect our\u00a0health<\/a>, 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 entire communities have had to relocate, while protracted droughts are putting people at risk of famine. In the future, the number of people displaced by weather-related events is expected to\u00a0rise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a series of\u00a0UN reports<\/a>, thousands of scientists and government reviewers agreed that limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5\u00b0C would help us avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a liveable climate. Yet policies currently in place point to\u00a0up to 2.8\u00b0C of warming<\/a>\u00a0by the end of the\u00a0century.<\/p>\n The emissions that cause climate change come from every part of the world and affect everyone, but\u00a0some countries produce much more than others<\/a>. The six biggest emitters (China, the United States of America, India, the European Union, the Russian Federation, and Indonesia) together account for more than half of all global greenhouse gas emissions. By contrast, the 45 least developed countries contribute only 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas\u00a0emissions.<\/p>\n Everyone must take climate action, but people and countries creating more of the problem have a greater responsibility to act\u00a0first.<\/p>\n Adapting<\/a>\u00a0to climate consequences protects people, homes, businesses, livelihoods, infrastructure and natural ecosystems. It covers current impacts and those likely in the future. Adaptation will be required everywhere but must be prioritized now for the most vulnerable people with the fewest resources to cope with climate hazards. The rate of return can be high. Early warning systems for disasters, for instance, save lives and property, and can deliver benefits up to\u00a010 times<\/a>\u00a0the initial\u00a0cost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nHumans are responsible for global\u00a0warming<\/h2>\n
People are experiencing climate change in diverse\u00a0ways<\/h2>\n
Every increase in global warming\u00a0matters<\/h2>\n
We can pay the bill now, or pay dearly in the future<\/h2>\n