Climate Change
Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and weather patterns. Unexpected changes in weather patterns make it difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely on farming because expected temperature and rainfall levels can no longer be counted on. Climate change has also been connected with other damaging weather events, such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, typhoons, floods, downpours, and winter storms. Climate change is largely caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels, methane, and nitrous oxide, among others, are called “greenhouse gases.” When released into the Earth’s atmosphere, these gases trap heat from the sun’s rays causing Earth’s average temperature to rise. This rise in the planet's temperature is called global warming. While the climate has continually changed throughout the Earth's history, it has usually been a slow process over thousands of years. Climate change caused by human activity is occurring at a much faster and more dangerous rate.
Events and Articles
Showing 131 - 140 of 408 results
51st Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-51)
The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) has some alarming messages in its assessment of the latest scientific knowledge about the physical science basis for, and impacts of, climate change on ocean, coastal, polar, and mountain ecosystems, and the human communities that depend on them. It also evaluates their vulnerabilities and adaptation capacity, as well as options for achieving climate-resilient development pathways.
Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week 2019
Like other Climate Weeks held in various regions, the event is envisioned as a stepping stone to the UN 2019 Climate Summit where UN Secretary-General António Guterres has encouraged countries to announce new, more ambitious nationally determined contributions.
50th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-50)
The 50th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change adopted the Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) and accepted the underlying report. The SRCCL represents the first ever comprehensive look at the whole land-climate system, addressing land as a critical resource, desertification and land degradation, food security, and land and climate change responses. This is the first IPCC report in which most of the authors are from developing countries, with women accounting for 40% of Coordinating Lead Authors.
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2019
The meeting advanced work on several issues to facilitate implementation of the Paris Agreement, due for completion at the Santiago Climate Change Conference in December 2019, including Article 6, Terms of Reference for the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage, reporting tables and other issues related to the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement, and the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture.
49th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-49)
Key to determining the success (or failure) of efforts to combat global warming is a common methodology to assess greenhouse (GHG) emissions and removals, which was the main task of the IPCC in Kyoto: to adopt the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 Guidelines on National GHG Inventories prepared by scientists according to IPCC Principles and Procedures.
55th Meeting of the GEF Council
The GEF Council adopted the first Work Program since the approval of the seventh replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund (GEF-7). The Work Program comprised 18 projects in 25 recipient countries, and amounted to USD 157.8 million. In addition, the Council of the LDCF/SCCF adopted a Work Program comprising six project concepts, with resources amounting to USD 45.85 million.
Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018
Parties adopted the Katowice Climate Package at COP 24, which finalized nearly all of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, including decisions to facilitate common interpretation and implementation of the Paris Agreement on the mitigation section of NDCs, adaptation communications, transparency framework, Global Stocktake, and financial transparency. Work on Article 6 was not concluded. The COP was unable to agree on whether to “welcome” or “note” the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming.
48th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-48)
On Saturday, 6 October, the Panel adopted the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) and approved the Technical Summary and the underlying assessment report. Throughout the week and through the last night, the first Joint Session of Working Groups (WGs) I, II and III discussed the SPM line-by-line in order to reach agreement.
Bangkok Climate Change Conference - September 2018
UNFCCC parties had agreed to an additional meeting in the lead up to the Katowice Climate Change Conference COP 24 to ensure the "timely completion" of the Paris Agreement Work Programme.