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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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).
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.
Bonn Climate Change Conference - June 2024
The June meetings of the Subsidiary Bodies are supposed to pave the way for the governing body meetings in November, where important decisions are actually made. Yet even by this relatively humble standard, it was difficult to pin down what progress—if any—was achieved.
Blue Leaders High-Level Event on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction
Discussions focused on kickstarting the implementation of the new BBNJ treaty, especially by identifying marine protected areas. Many also underscored ocean-climate linkages and highlighted the importance of global cooperation on ocean science.
UNEA-6 and OECPR-6
Under the theme “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” delegates adopted 15 resolutions, two decisions, and a Ministerial Declaration, covering topics including the highly hazardous pesticides, sustainable lifestyles, sand and dust storms, and environmental recovery in areas affected by armed conflict.
66th Meeting of the GEF Council
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council Members will consider a new work program of the GEF Trust Fund under GEF’s eighth replenishment cycle, how to streamline the GEF project cycle, and possible actions to support the new agreement on conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).