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 11 - 20 of 429 results
NDC Ambition and Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in a Just, Orderly and Equitable Manner
With the February 2025 deadline for “third generation” Nationally Determined Contributions approaching, a side event tackled turning COP 28’s Global Stocktake decision on phasing out fossil fuels into reality, focusing on overcoming obstacles while ensuring a just transition.
Making Climate Finance Work for Climate Action in Agriculture and Food Security
Assessing the need for fundamental changes in agrifood systems, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), along with government, and World Bank leaders stressed the mere 4.3% of total mitigation and adaptation finance going to the sector along with the potential of finance to deliver improvements in food and agriculture practices and security.
Accelerating climate finance for resilient agrifood systems in fragile and conflict-affected countries
In the face of a massive gap in finance for countries impacted by fragility and conflict, a side event explored investment projects to scale up delivery of climate-resilient agriculture and water management systems, ecosystem restoration, and climate information services in Somalia, Iraq, and Burundi.
UN Climate Change Conference Baku - November 2024
Key expected outcomes of COP 29 include a new collective quantified goal on climate finance to replace the current USD 100 billion per year goal and guidance on operationalization of the new loss and damage fund, including eligibility criteria. (Français, español, 日本語)
UN Climate Change Conference Baku
2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45°C above the pre-industrial baseline, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It marked the warmest ten-year period on record, though 2024 is well on its way to breaking that record. Heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused misery and mayhem, upending every-day life for millions and inflicting many billions of dollars in economic losses, according to the WMO State of the Global Climate 2023 report.
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
When scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica in 1985, the world was struck with fear. Reaction was swift. Public health experts immediately warned that rising intensity of ultraviolet (UV) radiation may greatly increase the incidence of skin cancer and cataracts as well as significantly damage global crops and the marine food chain.
2024 CCICED Annual General Meeting
Concluding three days of considering a broad range of recommendations from the Special Policy Studies, CCICED members and other participants were ready to tackle the 2024/25 period and the new set of eight agreed research themes.
5th Global Conference on Climate & SDG Synergies
Speakers noted that evidence indicates pursuing the goals of the Paris Agreement in conjunction with the SDGs will lead to greater co-benefits than trade-offs, while unlocking barriers to synergistic solutions should be a primary focus.
61st Session of the IPCC (IPCC-61)
Delegates agreed on some of the critical building blocks for the seventh assessment cycle, including the outlines for a Special Report on Cities and Climate Change and a methodological report on short-lived climate forcers. They could not agree on the Strategic Planning Schedule for the cycle.
67th Meeting of the GEF Council
Council concluded deliberations on a heavy agenda, confirming key decisions taken throughout the four days of meetings including the first ever work program for the newly established GBFF, and the largest ever LDCF work program.