CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

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.