What climate change is
Climate change means a shift in the earth’s weather patterns and average temperatures caused by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are naturally occurring and support life on earth, however, over the last 150 years human activity has greatly contributed to increased levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
Since the Industrial Revolution the balance of the carbon cycle has been changed due to human activity including burning huge amounts of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. The extra carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere traps more of the sun’s heat leading to a rise in global temperatures. In the last 100 years, we have already experienced a 1 degree celsius (°C) rise in average temperatures and scientists predict that the trend is set to continue at pace without considerable reductions in carbon emissions.
Watch video: Climate Change 101 with Bill Nye.
Why we all need to take action
In 2015, countries around the world signed the Paris Agreement (an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - UNFCCC) with the aim of cutting carbon emissions to keep global warming below 2 °C, while pursuing efforts to keep it below 1.5 °C.
In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a special report advising that global temperatures could increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels as soon as 2030 and would have a catastrophic impact on life on earth. The IPCC report found that for global warming to be limited to 1.5 °C, 'Global net human-caused emissions of CO2 would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050.'
In a year that saw the end of the warmest decade ever recorded, global climate protests gained momentum in 2019 calling for governments and decision makers to take more action. The UK government also became the first major global economy to set a net zero carbon target for 2050.
COP27 outcome
In November 2022, the 27th United Nations Conference of the Parties, (COP) - COP27 was held in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The United Nations (UN’s) COP climate summits take place every year. Over 100 Heads of State and governments came together to set out plans to mitigate climate change, by cutting emissions fast, ensuring that global temperatures do not rise above 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures.
The conference ended with a breakthrough agreement to provide 'loss and damage' funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters.
The outcomes are:
- a dedicated fund was established to assist developing countries in responding to loss and damage. Governments also agreed a committee at COP28 next year, on how to use the fund. The first meeting of the committee is expected to take place before the end of March 2023
- governments agreed to move forward on the Global Goal on Adaption, which will then conclude at COP28, and inform the first ‘Global Stocktake', which is the implementation of the Paris Agreement with the aim to assess the world’s collective progress towards achieving the agreements and goals and improving resilience amongst the most vulnerable
- COP27 President Sameh Shoukry announced the Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, the world’s first comprehensive global plan, to enhance resilience for people living in the most climate-vulnerable communities by 2030
- UN Climate Change’s Standing Committee on Finance was requested to prepare a report on doubling adaptation finance for consideration at COP28 next year
- The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan highlights that a global transformation to a low-carbon economy is expected to require investments of at least USD 4-6 trillion a year
- The first ever youth-led Climate Forum was held, young people were at the forefront of discussions this year.
Read more about the takeaways from COP27.
The impact of climate change
Globally we are already experiencing the effects of climate change such as:
- warmer temperatures
- increased rainfall and flooding
- an increase in storms.
More frequent and severe extreme weather is also predicted for the future, resulting in the following significant impacts:
- hotter summers will lead to health and wellbeing risks, particularly for vulnerable people such as the elderly
- an increase in storms and flood risks due to sea level rises and increasing intensity of rainfall
- risk of water supply shortages due to droughts
- high temperatures and flooding will also bring risks to transport infrastructure, and supplies and services. This in turn will affect property values and food prices, bring a risk of new and emerging pests and diseases, threaten species and natural habitats, increase infrastructure costs and place increasing demands on energy and healthcare.
Read more about the risks of climate change on the Climate Change Committee webpage.
Read more about climate change on GOV.UK.
Terms to know
Find out more about the terms used when we talk about climate change.
To understand how Medway Council is responding to climate change, please see our Climate Change Action Plan.
To find out what you could be doing, head to Your journey to net zero.
If you would like to organise a talk by the Climate Response Team to your School or organisation, please email climatechange@medway.gov.uk to enquire.