"CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL"

ABSTRACT

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security, and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all”

CONTENTS

 DEFINITION OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

 CAUSES & EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

 CLIMATE REPORTS.

 PARIS AGREEMENT.

 KEY ELEMENTS OF PARIS AGREEMENT

 INITIATIVE & ACTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.

 NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS.

 PRESS RELEASE.

 CONCLUSION.

 FAMOUS QUOTES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE.

CLIMATE CHANGE:-

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and gas) increasing heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Increasing greenhouse gas emissions from human activity 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.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE:-

Warmer temperatures over time are changing weather patterns and disrupting the usual balance of nature, posing many risks to human beings and all other forms of life on Earth.

NEARLY ALL LAND AREAS ARE SEEING MORE HOT DAYS AND HEAT WAVES; 2021 was one of the hottest years on record. Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and can make it more difficult to work and move around. Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when conditions are hotter. Temperature rise is only the beginning of the story. Because the Earth is a system, where everything is connected, changes in one area often influence changes in all others. The consequences of climate change now include:

• Intense droughts

• Water scarcity

• Severe fires

• Rising sea levels

• Flooding

• Melting polar ice

• Catastrophic storms

• Declining biodiversity

PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING CLIMATE CHANGE IN DIVERSE WAYS.

It affects 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 developing states. Conditions like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate. In the future, the number of “climate refugees” is expected to rise dramatically.

THE ISSUES CAN SEEM DAUNTING.

When you confront the devastation that climate change has done and will predictably cause, it can seem too big and too complex to get your hands around, something that hopefully the government or the UN or scientists are working on.

That’s why 2030 or Bust

WE SEE THE CLIMATE CRISIS NOT ONLY AS A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS BUT ALSO AS A HUMAN CRISIS. The crisis that in the midst of the situation itself, our experience is one of powerlessness – not being able really to make the difference and so we do our best, do our part, stay hopeful, look for the right leader, none of which is what we at 2030 or bust call real power. The fact is that with all the great work being done, we are not on track to a sustainable future, and this decade is our last window of opportunity to turn things around. we’ve developed (in partnership with leading climate scientists) the science, models and action scenarios that give you the power to make a critical impact through your daily actions. we’ve made the ending of the climate crisis a game that anyone can play and together, and, as a critical mass of individuals can win. if enough of us give up the notion that the crisis is up to someone or something else to handle, seize our own power to make the difference and start taking the right actions in our daily life, we can bridge the critical 2030 emissions gap that will get us on track to a future where all life can thrive.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history. Warmer temperatures over time are changing weather patterns and disrupting the usual balance of nature. This poses many risks to human beings and all other forms of life on Earth.

GENERATING POWER

Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels causes a large chunk of global emissions. Most electricity is still generated by burning coal, oil, or gas, which produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide – powerful greenhouse gases that blanket the Earth and trap the sun’s heat. Globally, a bit more than a quarter of electricity comes from wind, solar and other renewable sources which, as opposed to fossil fuels, emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air.

MANUFACTURING GOODS

Manufacturing and industry produce emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels to produce energy for making things like cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes, and other goods. Mining and other industrial processes also release gases, as does the construction industry. Machines used in the manufacturing process often run on coal, oil, or gas; and some materials, like plastics, are made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels. The manufacturing industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

CUTTING DOWN FORESTS

Cutting down forests to create farms or pastures, or for other reasons, causes emissions, since trees, when they are cut, release the carbon they have been storing. Each year approximately 12 million hectares of forest are destroyed. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, destroying them also limits nature’s ability to keep emissions out of the atmosphere. Deforestation, together with agriculture and other land use changes, is responsible for roughly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

USING TRANSPORTATION

Most cars, trucks, ships, and planes run on fossil fuels. That makes transportation a major contributor of greenhouse gases, especially carbon-dioxide emissions. Road vehicles account for the largest part, due to the combustion of petroleum-based products, like gasoline, in internal combustion engines. But emissions from ships and planes continue to grow. Transport accounts for nearly one quarter of global energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions. And trends point to a significant increase in energy use for transport over the coming years.

PRODUCING FOOD

Producing food causes emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in various ways, including through deforestation and clearing of land for agriculture and grazing, digestion by cows and sheep, the production and use of fertilizers and manure for growing crops, and the use of energy to run farm equipment or fishing boats, usually with fossil fuels. All this makes food production a major contributor to climate change. And greenhouse gas emissions also come from packaging and distributing food.

POWERING BUILDINGS

Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all electricity. As they continue to draw on coal, oil, and natural gas for heating and cooling, they emit significant quantities of greenhouse gas emissions. Growing energy demand for heating and cooling, with rising air-conditioner ownership, as well as increased electricity consumption for lighting, appliances, and connected devices, has contributed to a rise in energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions from buildings in recent years.

CONSUMING TOO MUCH

Your home and use of power, how you move around, what you eat and how much you throw away all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. So does the consumption of goods such as clothing, electronics, and plastics. A large chunk of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households. Our lifestyles have a profound impact on our planet. The wealthiest bear the greatest responsibility: the richest 1 per cent of the global population combined account for more greenhouse gas emissions than the poorest 50 per cent.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

HOTTER TEMPERATURES

As greenhouse gas concentrations rise, so does the global surface temperature. The last decade, 2011-2020, is the warmest on record. Since the 1980s, each decade has been warmer than the previous one. Nearly all land areas are seeing more hot days and heat waves. Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and make working outdoors more difficult. Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when conditions are hotter. Temperatures in the Arctic have warmed at least twice as fast as the global average.

MORE SEVERE STORMS

Destructive storms have become more intense and more frequent in many regions. As temperatures rise, more moisture evaporates, which exacerbates extreme rainfall and flooding, causing more destructive storms. The frequency and extent of tropical storms is also affected by the warming ocean. Cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons feed on warm waters at the ocean surface. Such storms often destroy homes and communities, causing deaths and huge economic losses.

INCREASED DROUGHT

Climate change is changing water availability, making it scarcer in more regions. Global warming exacerbates water shortages in already water-stressed regions and is leading to an increased risk of agricultural droughts affecting crops, and ecological droughts increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems. Droughts can also stir destructive sand and dust storms that can move billions of tons of sand across continents. Deserts are expanding, reducing land for growing food. Many people now face the threat of not having enough water on a regular basis.

A WARMING, RISING OCEAN

The ocean soaks up most of the heat from global warming. The rate at which the ocean is warming strongly increased over the past two decades, across all depths of the ocean. As the ocean warms, its volume increases since water expands as it gets warmer. Melting ice sheets also cause sea levels to rise, threatening coastal and island communities. In addition, the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, keeping it from the atmosphere. But more carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic, which endangers marine life and coral reefs.

LOSS OF SPECIES

Climate change poses risks to the survival of species on land and in the ocean. These risks increase as temperatures climb. Exacerbated by climate change, the world is losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history. One million species are at risk of becoming extinct within the next few decades. Forest fires, extreme weather, and invasive pests and diseases are among many threats related to climate change. Some species will be able to relocate and survive, but others will not.

NOT ENOUGH FOOD

Changes in the climate and increases in extreme weather events are among the reasons behind a global rise in hunger and poor nutrition. Fisheries, crops, and livestock may be destroyed or become less productive. With the ocean becoming more acidic, marine resources that feed billions of people are at risk. Changes in snow and ice cover in many Arctic regions have disrupted food supplies from herding, hunting, and fishing. Heat stress can diminish water and grasslands for grazing, causing declining crop yields and affecting livestock.

MORE HEALTH RISKS

Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate impacts are already harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people cannot grow or find sufficient food. Every year, environmental factors take the lives of around 13 million people. Changing weather patterns are expanding diseases, and extreme weather events increase deaths and make it difficult for health care systems to keep up.

POVERTY AND DISPLACEMENT

Climate change increases the factors that put and keep people in poverty. Floods may sweep away urban slums, destroying homes and livelihoods. Heat can make it difficult to work in outdoor jobs. Water scarcity may affect crops. Over the past decade (2010–2019), weather-related events displaced an estimated 23.1 million people on average each year, leaving many more vulnerable to poverty. Most refugees come from countries that are most vulnerable and least ready to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Note:- Based on various UN sources

CLIMATE REPORTS

WMO | Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

17 May 2023

Global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years, fueled by heat-trapping greenhouse gases and a naturally occurring El Niño. According to this report issued by the World Meteorological Organization, there is a 66% likelihood that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year. There is a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record. The Paris Agreement refers to the 1.5°C threshold for long-term warming over many years. This report predicts the level will be breached temporarily, with increasing frequency, but not permanently.

WMO | Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update

17 May 2023

Global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years, fueled by heat-trapping greenhouse gases and a naturally occurring El Niño. According to this report issued by the World Meteorological Organization, there is a 66% likelihood that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year. There is a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record. The Paris Agreement refers to the 1.5°C threshold for long-term warming over many years. This report predicts the level will be breached temporarily, with increasing frequency, but not permanently.

WMO | State of the Global Climate in 2022

21 April 2023

The State of the Global Climate 2022 shows the planetary-scale changes on land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The years 2015-2022 were the eight warmest on record, despite the cooling impact of a La Niña event for the past three years. Melting of glaciers and sea level rise - which again reached record levels in 2022 - will continue to up to thousands of years. Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest extent on record, and the melting of some European glaciers was, literally, off the charts.

WMO Report

UNEP | Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window

27 October 2022

Inadequate progress on climate action calls for urgent sector and system-wide transformations – in the electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and the food and financial systems – as current climate pledges leave the world on track for a temperature rise of 2.4-2.6°C by the end of this century.

UNEP Report

WMO | Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

26 October, 2022

The latest report warns that atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide - reached new record highs in 2021, showing the biggest year-on-year jump in methane concentrations since systematic measurements began nearly 40 years ago. Moreover, the increase in carbon dioxide levels from 2020 to 2021 was larger than the average annual growth rate over the last decade.

WMO Report

WMO | United in Science 2022

13 September 2022

As global warming increases, “tipping points” in the climate system cannot be ruled out and the ambition of emissions reduction pledges for 2030 needs to be seven times higher to be in line with the 1.5 °C goal of the Paris Agreement.

WMO Report

WMO | State of the Climate in Africa 2021

8 September 2022

Water stress and hazards like withering droughts and devastating floods are hitting African communities, economies, and ecosystems hard. Rising water demand combined with limited and unpredictable supplies threatens to aggravate conflict and displacement.

WMO Report

IPCC | Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

4 April 2022

Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) is beyond reach. In the scenarios assessed, limiting warming to around 1.5°C requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43% by 2030; at the same time, methane would also need to be reduced by about a third. According to the report, there is increasing evidence of climate action. In 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history, but the rate of growth has slowed. An increasing range of policies and laws have enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and accelerated the deployment of renewable energy.

IPCC Report

WMO | State of Global Climate 2021

18 May 2022

Record atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and associated accumulated heat have propelled the planet into uncharted territory, with far-reaching repercussions for current and future generations. This report finds the past seven years are on track to be the seven warmest on record, based on data for the first nine months of 2021. A temporary cooling “La Niña” event early in the year means that 2021 is expected to be “only” the fifth to seventh warmest year on record. But this does not negate or reverse the long-term trend of rising temperatures. Global sea level rise accelerated since 2013 to a new high in 2021, with continued ocean warming and ocean acidification. The report combines input from multiple United Nations agencies, national meteorological and hydrological services and scientific experts. It highlights impacts on food security and population displacement, harming crucial ecosystems and undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

WMO Report

IPCC | Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, Vulnerability

28 February 2022

Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and is affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, says this Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit. Increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are already exceeding plants and animals’ tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals. These weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage. They have exposed millions of people to acute food and water insecurity, especially in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, on small islands and in the Arctic. To avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure, urgent, ambitious, and accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

IPCC Report

WMO| Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

25 October 2021

The abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record in 2020, with the annual rate of increase above the 2011-2020 average. That trend has continued in 2021, according to the latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. Concentration of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas, reached 413.2 parts per million in 2020 and is 149 per cent of the pre-industrial level. Methane is 262 per cent of the level in 1750 when human activities started disrupting the Earth’s natural equilibrium. The economic slowdown from COVID-19 did not have any discernible impact on atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and their growth rates, although there was a temporary decline in new emissions. Roughly half of carbon dioxide emitted by human activities today remains in the atmosphere. The other half is taken up by oceans and land ecosystems, but their ability to act as “sinks” may become less effective in the future.

WMO Report

WMO and others | The State of the Climate in Africa 2020

19 October 2021

This report provides a snapshot of climate change trends and impacts in Africa, including sea level rise and the melting of the continent’s iconic glaciers. It highlights the region’s disproportionate vulnerability and shows how the potential benefits of investments in climate adaptation, weather and climate services and early warning systems far outweigh the costs. The report adds to the scientific evidence underlining the urgency of cutting global greenhouse gas emissions, stepping up climate ambition and increasing financing for adaptation. Greater weather and climate variability mean that up to 118 million extremely poor people in Africa may face drought, floods and extreme heat by 2030. Without response measures, poverty alleviation efforts will slow and gross domestic product could fall by up to 3 percent by 2050.

WMO Report

UN | United in Science 2021

16 September 2021

COVID-19 paused but did not slow the relentless advance of climate change. Record levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere commit the planet to dangerous future warming, according to a new report that links the latest findings from across the United Nations. Rising global temperatures are fuelling extreme weather throughout the world, impacting economies and societies. The average global temperature for the past five years was among the highest on record, and the scale of recent changes across the global climate system is unprecedented over many centuries to many thousands of years. Even with ambitious action to slow greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels will continue to rise and threaten low-lying islands and coastal populations throughout the world. The findings reinforce critical momentum behind climate action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

UN Report

IPCC | Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

9 August 2021

Climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying. That is the key finding of the latest scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It finds changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system. Many changes are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. Some, such as continued sea-level rise, are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. The report points to strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to limit climate change. Benefits for air quality would come quickly, while global temperatures would take 20-30 years to stabilize. The report, issued by the IPCC’s Working Group I and approved by 195 member governments, is the first in a series leading up to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. It includes a closer look at the regional dimensions of climate change and builds on advances in attributing specific weather and climate events to climate change.

IPCC Report

WMO | State of the Global Climate 2020

20 April 2021

The State of the Global Climate 2020 finds the year was one of the three warmest on record, despite a cooling La Niña event. The global average temperature was about 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level. The six years since 2015 have been the warmest on record, with 2011-2020 the warmest decade on record. The report documents indicators of the climate system, including greenhouse gas concentrations, increasing land and ocean temperatures, sea level rise, melting ice and glacier retreat and extreme weather. It also highlights impacts on socioeconomic development, migration and displacement, food security and land and marine ecosystems.

WMO Report

WMO | Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

23 November 2020

The global slowdown from the COVID-19 pandemic has not curbed rising levels of greenhouse gases, said the World Meteorological Organization in releasing its latest WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. Carbon dioxide levels have pushed past another record threshold, after rising in 2019 at a rate faster than the average for the last 10 years.

WMO Report

WMO | The State of the Climate in Africa 2019

26 October 2020

Increasing temperatures and sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and more extreme weather are threatening human health and safety, food and water security and socio-economic development in Africa, according to the State of the Climate in Africa Report devoted exclusively to the continent. The report provides a snapshot of current and future climate trends and associated impacts on the economy and sensitive sectors like agriculture. It highlights lessons for climate action in Africa and identifies pathways for addressing critical gaps and challenges.

WMO Report

WMO | 2020 State of Climate Services 2020

13 October 2020

Between 1970 and 2019, 79% of disasters worldwide involved weather, water, and climate-related hazards. These disasters accounted for 56% of deaths and 75% of economic losses from disasters associated with natural hazards reported during that period. As climate change continues to threaten human lives, ecosystems and economies, risk information and early warning systems (EWS) are increasingly seen as key for reducing these impacts. This latest WMO report highlights progress made in EWS capacity – and identifies where and how governments can invest in effective EWS to strengthen countries’ resilience to multiple weather, water and climate-related hazards.

WMO Report

WMO | United in Science 2020

9 September 2020

Climate change has not stopped for COVID19. United in Science 2020, a new multi-agency report from leading science organizations, highlights the increasing and irreversible impacts of climate change, which affects glaciers, oceans, nature, economies and human living conditions and is often felt through water-related hazards like drought or flooding. It also documents how COVID-19 has impeded our ability to monitor these changes through the global observing system.

WMO Report

WMO | State of the Global Climate in 2019

10 March 2020

The tell-tale physical signs of climate change, such as increasing land and ocean heat, accelerating sea level rise and melting ice, contributed to making 2019 the second warmest year on record according to a new report compiled by a network led by the World Meteorological Organization. The report documents the increasing impacts of weather and climate events on socio-economic development, human health, migration and displacement, food security and land and marine ecosystems.

WMO Report

WMO | State of the Global Climate in 2018

28 March 2019

The physical signs and socio-economic impacts of climate change are accelerating as record greenhouse gas concentrations drive global temperatures towards increasingly dangerous levels, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization.

The WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2018 , its 25th anniversary edition, highlights record sea level rise, as well as exceptionally high land and ocean temperatures over the past four years. This warming trend has lasted since the start of this century and is expected to continue.

WMO Report

IPCC | Special Report

8 October 2018

Limiting global warming to 1.5ºC would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society.

IPCC Report

WMO | Greenhouse Gas Bulletin

22 November 2018

The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reports on atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. The report found that levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached another new record high, according to the World Meteorological Organization. There is no sign of a reversal in this trend, which is driving long-term climate change, sea level rise, ocean acidification and more extreme weather.

WMO Report

IPCC | AR5 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2014

2 November 2014

The Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) provides an overview of the state of knowledge concerning the science of climate change. It shows that human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. Recent climate changes have had widespread impacts on h

THOUGHT LEADERS

The United Nations and broader multilateral system bring together some of the world's leading thinkers on climate change—scientists, diplomats, economists, business leaders, activists and more. Check this page regularly for thoughtful conversations with people on the vanguard of actions to solve the climate emergency.

Dr. Adelle Thomas: Loss and damage: a moral imperative to act

Ahead of COP27, we asked Dr. Adelle Thomas, a lead author of the IPCC’s 2022 report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, and the Special Report on 1.5°C to shed more light on the issue, what it means for vulnerable populations exposed to the worsening climate impacts, and the growing imperative to address what’s at stake.

Simon Stiell: The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of action

One month ahead of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the new Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Simon Stiell, discusses the urgent need for the world to invest in renewable energy, support lifesaving adaptation efforts and address the worsening plight of communities suffering losses and damages due to the growing impacts of climate change.

Catherine Mckenna: We need to get our act together

UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently appointed a diverse group of experts to help non-state actors - including businesses, investors and cities and regions - “to walk the talk on their net-zero promises.” Chair of the Group, Catherine McKenna, talks about why there is an urgent need for stronger and clearer standards, and criteria for assessing net-zero commitments from non-state entities such as businesses, banks, investors, cities, and regions.

Elizabeth Mrema: Protecting the world’s biodiversity

In December 2022, the world will convene in Montreal, Canada, to adopt a new framework for protecting the world’s biodiversity. The Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Mrema, speaks about the interlinkages between climate change and biodiversity loss.

Hindou Ibrahim: Living in harmony with nature

“Indigenous peoples are a solution, we are not only a victim of the climate change,” says SDG Advocate and Indigenous rights activists Hindou Ibrahim, talking about the indispensable role that indigenous communities play in protecting life on our planet.

Selwin Hart: Financing adaptation is an issue of justice and an economic imperative

As the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action, Selwin Hart spearheads a global drive to raise climate ambition now. In this interview, he talks about the critical need for developed countries to finance climate adaptation to save lives and protect livelihoods in countries facing the worst consequences from climate.

Damilola Ogunbiyi: Ending energy poverty saves lives and the planet

As the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Damilola Ogunbiyi is passionate about ending energy poverty. Progress demands collective commitment and clear plans, tools and finance, with the upcoming high-level dialogue on energy offering a chance to mobilize action.

Peter Thomson: Moving the needle on the sustainable blue economy

Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, mobilizes global action to conserve and sustainably use the ocean. He spoke recently about ocean-climate connections, perspectives from small island developing States and the far-reaching possibilities in developing a sustainable blue economy.

Mafalda Duarte: Climate finance catalyses change

Mafalda Duarte heads the Climate Investment Funds, which works with multilateral development banks, governments and communities in developing countries to finance climate solutions. In a recent interview, she spoke about how public climate finance catalyses change and why successful climate action depends fundamentally on social inclusion.

THE PARIS AGREEMENT

Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders. It is an issue that requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels.

To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris reached a breakthrough on 12 December 2015: the historic Paris Agreement.

The Agreement sets long-term goals to guide all nations:

• substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius while pursuing efforts to limit the increase even further to 1.5 degrees;

• review countries’ commitments every five years;

• provide financing to developing countries to mitigate climate change, strengthen resilience and enhance abilities to adapt to climate impacts.

The Agreement is a legally binding international treaty. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Today, 194 Parties (193 States plus the European Union) have joined the Paris Agreement.

The Agreement includes commitments from all countries to reduce their emissions and work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and calls on countries to strengthen their commitments over time. The Agreement provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts while creating a framework for the transparent monitoring and reporting of countries’ climate goals.

The Paris Agreement provides a durable framework guiding the global effort for decades to come. It marks the beginning of a shift towards a net-zero emissions world. Implementation of the Agreement is also essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

How does it work?

The Paris Agreement works on a five- year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries. Every five years, each country is expected to submit an updated national climate action plan - known as Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC. In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate in the NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.

In 2023, the first “global stocktake” will assess progress on Paris Agreement goals. This process will further encourage countries to take ambitious climate actions that keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. To better frame the efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit long-term strategies. Unlike NDCs, they are not mandatory.The operational details for the practical implementation of the Paris Agreement were agreed on at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018, in what is colloquially called the Paris Rulebook, and finalized at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November, 2021.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT

• To keep global temperatures well below 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times while pursuing means to limit the increase to 1.5C.

• To review countries’ contribution to cutting emissions every five years

• To help poorer nations by providing climate finance to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy

Aidan Gallagher: The Paris Agreement Works

TRANSFORMING CLIMATE ISSUES INTO ACTION

Can renewable energy power a safer future? Does what we eat matter for climate action? Can our ocean be our greatest ally against climate change? Learn more about how climate change impacts are felt across different sectors and ecosystems, and why we must nurture rather than exploit nature’s resources to advance climate action.

ENERGY

Learn more about why the shift to renewables is our only hope for a brighter and safer world.

FOOD

What we eat, and how that food is produced, affects our health but also the environment.

OCEAN

Here are a few reasons we need to safeguard the ocean as our best ally for climate solutions.

BIODIVERSITY

Find out how protecting the world’s biodiversity is essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to climate impacts.

LAND

Learn how land plays a key role in the climate system as an essential carbon sink, regulating the planet’s temperature.

WATER

Water and climate change are inextricably linked. Learn more about how climate change affects the world’s water.

INITIATIVES FOR ACTION

Governments, businesses and civil society members are connecting in climate initiatives to speed the pace of climate action. Initiated at the 2019 Climate Action Summit held at the United Nations, the initiatives are reducing emissions, tackling critical concerns such as jobs and gender equality, unlocking finance, building sustainable infrastructure, using nature-based solutions, and advancing adaptation and climate resilience. The United Nations’ role as a convener is needed more than ever to encourage people to collaborate, be ambitious and take actions required to limit global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The United Nations also stands behind a transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy that is just and beneficial for all people.

ENERGY

Accelerating Renewable Energy Transition in SIDS: Thirty-six small island developing States and their partners have come together to share strategies and galvanize momentum in the transition to renewable and resilient energy systems. Climate Action for Jobs: This initiative has developed a roadmap and regional strategies for climate action that puts people’s jobs and well-being at the heart of the transition to a green economy. Cool Coalition: See how the world is coming together to deliver efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all, including through enhanced national climate plans. The coalition highlights promising innovations such as “cooling paper” that keeps temperatures down in buildings. The Energy Efficiency Alliance: Three Percent Club: A coalition of government, corporate and non-governmental leaders, the alliance champions accelerated energy efficiency, helping individual countries prepare roadmaps to boost efficiency. The Three Percent Club sets a target of an annual 3 per cent improvement in energy efficiency. Powering Past Coal Alliance: Countries, investors, utilities and cities are among those working on early retirement – from coal as an energy source. The alliance helps drive new political and industry consensus on phasing out finance for coal and the use of coal as a power source.

INDUSTRY AND TRANSPORT

Action towards Climate-Friendly Transport: Over 100 organizations have forged the largest coalition ever dedicated to shifting all forms of transport to zero emissions. It researches issues like rural access and making the economics of decarburization work. An online course helps urban leaders develop sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Decarbonizing Shipping: Getting to Zero Coalition: A powerful alliance of more than 150 maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance companies, the coalition has a moonshot ambition: commercially viable, deep sea zero-emission vessels operating by 2030. The Sea Cargo Charter defines benchmarks to decarbonize the transport of bulk shipping containers. Under the Poseidon Principles, 15 banks have disclosed how well shipping industry loan portfolios align with climate goals.

Leadership Group for Industry Transition: Aimed at net-zero carbon emissions from industry by 2050, the initiative has established industry groups and developed road maps for heavy industries where carbon emissions are difficult to abate. A transition tracker profiles industries in various countries.

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Business Ambition for 1.5°C: This coalition of business and industry leaders calls on companies to set ambitious and science-based emissions reduction targets, aiming for net zero in line with a 1.5°C future. Over 700 companies with more than $13 trillion in market capitalization have signed on so far.

Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action: Fiscal and economic policymakers from over 60 countries generating around 40 per cent of global emissions are calling for urgent climate action and investment, and a just transition built on the creation of millions of new jobs. Six Helsinki Principles guide measures such as effective carbon pricing and the integration of climate change into macroeconomic and fiscal policy, among other issues.Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance: An international group of over 40 institutional investors with over $6.6 trillion in assets has made a bold commitment to transition investment portfolios to net-zero emissions by 2050. Members aim to align portfolios with a global temperature rise of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The alliance has set targets for as soon as 2025 and called for ambitious national climate plans.

RESILIENCE AND ADAPTATION

A Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience: The call sets a higher bar for ambition on adaptation and resilience, with endorsement by 130 countries and 86 organizations. It urges reaching the vulnerable, rapidly scaling up finance and integrating climate risk into imagining our future. Learn more. Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment: This initiative mobilizes the global private financial industry, in partnership with key private and public institutions, to integrate climate risks in investment decision-making. It now has 65 members with nearly $10 trillion in assets and has helped develop tools for modelling risk-informed cash flow and infrastructure priorities. Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure: Governments, UN organizations, multilateral banks, businesses and knowledge institutions are collaborating to build resilience to climate and disaster risks into infrastructure systems. A fellowship programme promotes research and innovation. InsuResilience Group Partnership Vision 2025: The partnership helps strengthen the resilience of developing countries and protect the lives and livelihoods of poor and vulnerable people from disasters. In 2020, 218 projects in 101 countries provided financial protection against climate-related risks for more than 130 million people. It also tracks noteworthy gender-smart climate solutions through a centre of excellence. LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience: The group works for a climate-resilient future in the least developed countries. It has made strides in devising standards for climate adaptation in local communities along with a financing mechanism.

Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership: A coalition from the climate, humanitarian and development communities leverages knowledge, the exchange of solutions and new partnerships to reduce disaster risks, aiming to make 1 billion people safer by 2025.

NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

CAMPAIGN FOR NATURE: This growing coalition of more than 100 conservation organizations calls on policymakers to commit to a science-driven, ambitious new deal for nature. It hinges on protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, backed by sufficient financial resources and the full realization of indigenous leadership and rights.

OCEAN RISK AND RESILIENCE ACTION : ORRAA connects governments, financial institutions, the insurance industry, environmental organizations and actors from the Global South to build resilience to ocean risk. It pioneers finance and insurance products aimed at incentivizing $500 million in investment in nature-based solutions by 2030.

URBAN PLANNING:-

Leadership for Urban Climate Investment: A coalition of governments, financial institutions, climate funds, city networks and think tanks has developed the LUCI framework to help 2,000 cities prepare and finance climate projects, realizing 20 per cent of this target so far. A City Climate Finance Gap Fund supports the process, drawing on collaboration with multilateral development banks and bilateral donors.

CLIMATE EVENTS

From showcasing climate action to taking ambition to the next level, climate events provide space for knowledge exchange and discussions to strengthen the Paris Agreement’s implementation.

05 Jun 2023

Global Adaptation

World Environment Day

Our planet is choking on plastic. It’s time for change. This World Environment Day join the global effort to #Beat Plastic Pollution. Learn about what you can do and take action for the planet here.

03 Jun 2023

CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVES

World Bicycle Day

How we choose to get from one place to another can have a large impact on carbon emissions. Biking is one of the most eco-friendly ways to move around. Learn more about sustainable transport options here.

22 May 2023

International Day for Biological Diversity

Nature is in crisis. Climate change has altered ecosystems and the risk of species extinction increases with every degree of warming. Nature is our strongest ally against climate change. Learn more here.

22 Apr 2023

Climate action initiatives

International Mother Earth Day

Mother Earth is in danger. Systemic, broad-scale action is needed to tackle the climate crisis. But citizens can help drive change by shifting consumption patterns and demanding action from governments and industry. The more people act now and speak up for change, the bigger the pressure on leaders to act. On Earth Day, take action for the planet. 07 Apr 2023

World Health Day

Since the foundation of the World Health Organization 75 years ago, the world has experienced public health challenges that have required us all to come together with science, solutions and solidarity. Today, climate change is the single biggest threat facing humanity. Learn more here.

06 Apr 2023

CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVES

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

The climate crisis requires a global response and sport has a very unique role to play. On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, learn how sport can inspire climate action, expand global awareness, and provide powerful solution.

UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

The annual UN Climate Change Conference advances the global climate talks, mobilizes action, and can provide a significant opportunity to look at the impacts of climate change as well as innovation and solutions in Africa.

PRESS RELEASE

Temperatures in Europe increase more than twice global average

Temperatures in Europe have increased at more than twice the global average over the past 30 years – the highest of any continent in the world. As the warming trend continues, exceptional heat, wildfires, floods and other climate change impacts will affect society, economies and ecosystems, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization.

October 30, 2022

CONCLUSION

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security, and women's empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all”

SOME FAMOUS QUOTES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE:-

“This is not a partisan debate; it is a human one. Clean air and water, and a livable climate are inalienable human rights. And solving this crisis is not a question of politics. It is our moral obligation”.

(Leonardo DiCaprio)

“If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy, try holding your breath while you count your money”.

(Guy McPherson)

“We can’t take climate change and put it on the back burner. If we don’t address climate change, we won’t be around as humans”.

( Conrad Anker)

“We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation”.

(François Hollande)

“We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it”.

(Jay Inslee)

“We cannot burn our way to the future. We cannot pretend the danger does not exist — or dismiss it because it affects someone else”.

(Ban Ki-moon)

“The environment is where we all meet; where all of us have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share”.

( Lady Bird Johnson)

“Climate change is destroying our path to sustainability. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course”.

(Ban Ki-moon)