About Climate Action
The science is clear – the threat is real
Climate change is a global emergency. The impact of human activity on greenhouse gas emissions and land use has compounded environmental harm and created an escalating crisis. A drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is needed if we are to stand a chance of staying below 1.5°C of warming relative to pre-industrial levels and prevent major climate instabilities. The scale of the problem calls for a transformation of our systems and markets and the creation of a net-zero society.
This is our chance to build a better future
Addressing climate change is a great opportunity for bold change towards a fairer, healthier and more sustainable society. The need for an urgent overhaul of our economy and way of life is setting into motion a global response to our biggest societal challenges. Creating long-term solutions to climate change requires the buy-in and participation of everybody in society. Cleaner and more efficient communities will raise the quality of life for all citizens. Greater access to clean energy will fuel new jobs and create a dynamic new economy. The benefits of a net-zero society can serve not only to avert disaster, but to create more peace and prosperity.
The benefits of climate action
Environmental
- The protection of ecosystems and biodiversity
- The preservation of forests, our natural allies in reducing CO2
- Reduced air pollution
- Improved water and soil quality
Societal
- More social justice and civic engagement
- Less social upheaval and a reduced need for migration
- Better public transport and services
- More resilient communities
Economic
- Reduced dependency on energy imports
- Highly efficient industries and infrastructure
- The creation of millions of new jobs
- Improved livelihoods for small farmers
Public health
- More available food and improved diets
- Fewer health complications due to air pollution
- Prevention of mosquito-borne illnesses
- More efficient public health services
The threats posed by climate change
Extreme weather
68% of all extreme weather events studied to date were made more likely or more severe by human-caused climate change
Biodiversity loss
The combined effects of global warming and land-use change could cause the world’s ecosystems to lose more than a third of their animal species by 2070
Health
Nearly one billion people could face their first exposure to a host of mosquito-borne diseases by 2080 under extreme global warming
Water
Global warming and land use change will drastically reduce the availability of groundwater
Crops
Rising CO2 levels could push hundreds of millions into malnutrition by 2050
Food
The warming of the world’s oceans has caused the total amount of fish that can be caught sustainably to fall by an average of 4% globally since the 1930s
Ocean acidification
The world’s oceans could become uninhabitable for cold-water corals by the end of the century as a result of ocean acidification
Sea level rise and ice
The rate of sea level rise resulting from the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet has tripled over the past five years
