Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Everyone, in every country on every continent will be affected in some way by climate change. There is a climate catastrophe looming and we are woefully unprepared for what it means.

Climate change is caused by human activity and threatens life on Earth as we know it. With increasing greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is happening much faster than predicted. Its impacts can be devastating and include extreme and changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

If left unchecked, climate change will undo much of the development progress made in recent years. It will also cause mass migrations, leading to instability and war.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, emissions must fall and be cut by almost half by 2030, just seven years away. But we are already seriously off target.

The urgency and transformation that goes beyond mere plans and promises is critical. It requires heightened ambition, inclusiveness across the economy and a drive for climate-resilient development, and a clear pathway to net zero emissions. Immediate action is needed to avoid catastrophic consequences and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Development

The climate crisis continues unabated as the global community shies away from the full commitment needed to reverse it. 2010–2019 was the warmest decade on record, bringing massive wildfires, storms, droughts, floods and other climate disasters across continents.

Climate change is disrupting national economies and affecting lives and livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable.

Between 2010 and 2020, highly vulnerable areas, home to an estimated 3.3–3.6 billion people, had human mortality rates from floods, droughts and storms 15 times higher than very low vulnerable areas.

What happens if you don't act?

If left unchecked, climate change will cause average global temperatures to rise by more than 3°C and will harm every ecosystem. Already, we are seeing how climate change can exacerbate storms and disasters, as well as threats such as food and water scarcity, which can lead to conflict. Doing nothing will ultimately cost us far more than acting now.

Problem Solving

To tackle climate change, we must raise our ambitions at every level. Much is happening around the world – investment in renewable energy has skyrocketed. But more needs to be done. The world must transform its energy, industry, transport, food, agriculture and forestry systems to ensure we can limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C, and perhaps even 1.5°C. In December 2015, the world took a major first step by adopting the Paris Agreement, in which all countries committed to action to tackle climate change. But much more is needed to achieve the goals.

Businesses and investors need to ensure they reduce emissions, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes economic and business sense.

Are we investing enough to combat climate change?

According to the UNFCCC, global climate finance flows averaged $803 billion annually in 2019-20, up 12% from previous years. However, this is still far from the level needed to limit warming, and fossil fuel-related flows exceeded climate finance for adaptation and mitigation in 2020.

In 2019, at least 120 of 153 developing countries undertook activities to develop and implement National Adaptation Plans to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience, an increase of 29 countries from the previous year. Furthermore, progress towards achieving the 2020 disaster risk reduction target has been slow.

What can I do to help?

There is so much that each of us can do as individuals. To find out what you can do, visit: www.un.org/en/actnow

To read more about the United Nations’ efforts on climate change: un.org/climatechange