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
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65th Meeting of the GEF Council
The 65th meeting of the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) took place in a virtual setting, focusing on the GEF Strategy for Knowledge Management and Learning; enhancing policy coherence; and relations with Conventions and international institutions. Council Members further decided on the dates for the 66th to 68th Council meetings in 2024.
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week
Opening comments on ensuring climate action is achieved without sacrificing economic development or just transitions for energy security set the tone for the entire week. Participants discussed just and equitable energy transitions, economic diversification, and inclusive finance to meet climate goals.
UN Summits Week 2023
Marking the halfway point to the 2030 Agenda, the SDG Summit and the Climate Ambition Summit aim to provide renewed impetus for accelerating the pace of change in the fields of sustainable development and climate action, respectively.
2023 CCICED Annual General Meeting
“A new paradigm of high-quality green development is well underway,” and China’s central role in driving this paradigm shift—and the lessons it offers for developing countries—was a key theme of the in-person meeting.
7th GEF Assembly
In a watershed moment for biodiversity, GEF Assembly members unanimously agreed to ratify the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund—a new source of funding for protecting endangered species and their ecosystems globally. The meeting also featured the first-ever Partnership Forum, which brought together Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, and representatives of civil society organizations to discuss ways the GEF can support their empowerment and recognition.
59th Session of the IPCC (IPCC-59)
As the world contends with raging wildfires, floods, droughts and record-breaking temperatures, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) initiated its seventh assessment cycle by electing the leaders who will guide the Panel’s work in providing timely information to support policymakers as they confront a rapidly changing environment.
Fourth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda
Since 2019, a series of climate and SDG synergies conferences have sought to identify ways to maximize action on the links between these two ambitious frameworks—breaking down barriers between policymakers and the scientific community to leverage synergies.
64th Meeting of the GEF Council
Council Members focused on supporting new, key environmental agreements and frameworks, reaching consensus on the establishment of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, including its programming directions, and on preparing the GEF to serve as part of the financial mechanism for the Agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2023
With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report underscoring once more the urgent need for enhanced climate action, and less than six months to go before the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties convenes in Dubai, delegates had their work cut out for themselves in Bonn.
58th Session of the IPCC (IPCC-58)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report is a clarion call to the world: the time for serious action on climate change is now, before it’s too late. The adoption of the Synthesis Report and its Summary for Policymakers marks the end of the sixth assessment cycle and raises questions about how the next assessment cycle should proceed.