Climate change is set to cause major changes across the world: sea levels will rise, food production could fall and species may be driven to extinction. The UN has warned that the world needs to limit climate change to below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, but scientists say this will require 'rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes' in all aspects of society.
The world is now nearly one degree warmer than before widespread industrialisation, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The global average temperature for the first 10 months of 2018 was 0.98C above 1850-1900 levels. The 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years, with 2015-2018 making up the top four. If this trend continues, temperatures may rise by 3-5C by 2100.
Almost 400 all-time high temperatures were set in the northern hemisphere during summer 2019. Records were broken in 29 countries between 1 May and 30 August, with a third in Germany, followed by France and the Netherlands. More than 30 all-time records were broken in the US, and Japan saw 10 all-time highs, with 11 deaths from the summer heatwave.
The countries emitting the most greenhouse gases are China and the US, together accounting for over 40% of the global total. US environmental policy has shifted under the Trump administration, which has begun withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. Almost all (95%) of cities facing extreme climate risks are in Africa or Asia, including megacities like Lagos and Kinshasa.
Arctic sea ice has been reducing for decades, with melting accelerating since the early 2000s. The Arctic Ocean may be ice-free in summer as soon as the 2050s unless emissions are reduced. While governments need to make big changes, individuals can also play a role in reducing their carbon footprint.
