Youth Forum on Climate Change
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What is climate change?
The average temperature of the earth's surface has risen by 0.74°C since the late 1800s. It is expected to increase by another 1.8° C to 4° C by the year 2100. This is considered to be a rapid and profound change requiring urgent action.
The world is warming at an incredibly fast rate. Eleven of the last 12 years are the warmest on record, and 1998 was the warmest year ever recorded. The changes in climate which have already happened as a result - and the even greater changes which are likely to occur in the future - cause serious challenges for humans and all living beings on this planet.
The climate is changing because of activities associated with a century and a half of industrialisation: the burning of coal, oil and natural gas for energy, heat and transport, the cutting of forests, and the practice of certain farming methods. These activities have increased the amount of "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere, which are the main contributor to climate change.
Who is affected by climate change?
Everyone will be affected. However, the poorest communities who have contributed least to the problem are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, raising serious climate justice issues. Some of the most at-risk people include subsistence farmers and pastoralists, indigenous peoples and coastal populations.