Climate change is happening now, and it’s the most serious threat to life on our planet.Luckily, there are plenty of solutions to climate change and they are well-understood.
In 2015, world leaders signed a major treaty called the Paris agreementto put these solutions into practice.
Core to all climate change solutions is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which must get to zero as soon as possible.
Because both forests and oceans play vitally important roles in regulating our climate, increasing the natural ability of forests and oceans to absorb carbon dioxide can also help stop global warming.
The main ways to stop climate change are to pressure government and business to:
- Keep fossil fuels in the ground. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and gas – and the more that are extracted and burned, the worse climate change will get. All countries need to move their economies away from fossil fuels as soon as possible.
- Invest in renewable energy. Changing our main energy sources to clean and renewable energy is the best way to stop using fossil fuels. These include technologies like solar, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal power.
- Switch to sustainable transport. Petrol and diesel vehicles, planes and ships use fossil fuels. Reducing car use, switching to electric vehicles and minimising plane travel will not only help stop climate change, it will reduce air pollution too.
- Help us keep our homes cosy. Homes shouldn’t be draughty and cold – it’s a waste of money, and miserable in the winter. The government can help households heat our homes in a green way – such as by insulating walls and roofs and switching away from oil or gas boilers to heat pumps.
- Improve farming and encourage vegan diets. One of the best ways for individuals to help stop climate change is by reducing their meat and dairy consumption, or by going fully vegan. Businesses and food retailers can improve farming practices and provide more plant-based products to help people make the shift.
- Restore nature to absorb more carbon. The natural world is very good at cleaning up our emissions, but we need to look after it. Planting trees in the right places or giving land back to nature through ‘rewilding’ schemes is a good place to start. This is because photosynthesising plants draw down carbon dioxide as they grow, locking it away in soils.
- Protect forests like the Amazon. Forests are crucial in the fight against climate change, and protecting them is an important climate solution. Cutting down forests on an industrial scale destroys giant trees which could be sucking up huge amounts of carbon. Yet companies destroy forests to make way for animal farming, soya or palm oil plantations. Governments can stop them by making better laws.
- Protect the oceans. Oceans also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to keep our climate stable. But many are overfished, used for oil and gas drilling or threatened by deep sea mining. Protecting oceans and the life in them is ultimately a way to protect ourselves from climate change.
- Reduce how much people consume. Our transport, fashion, food and other lifestyle choices all have different impacts on the climate. This is often by design – fashion and technology companies, for example, will release far more products than are realistically needed. But while reducing consumption of these products might be hard, it’s most certainly worth it. Reducing overall consumption in more wealthy countries can help put less strain on the planet.
- Reduce plastic. Plastic is made from oil, and the process of extracting, refining and turning oil into plastic (or even polyester, for clothing) is surprisingly carbon-intense. It doesn’t break down quickly in nature so a lot of plastic is burned, which contributes to emissions. Demand for plastic is rising so quickly that creating and disposing of plastics will account for 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050 (this is the emissions count we need to stay within according to the Paris agreement).
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and to feel that climate change is too big to solve. But we already have the answers, now it’s a question of making them happen. To work, all of these solutions need strong international cooperation between governments and businesses, including the most polluting sectors.
Individuals can also play a part by making better choices about where they get their energy, how they travel, and what food they eat. But the best way for anyone to help stop climate change is to take collective action. This means pressuring governments and corporations to change their policies and business practices.
Governments want to be re-elected. And businesses can’t survive without customers. Demanding action from them is a powerful way to make change happen.
Take action
For seven years, a government ban has blocked new onshore wind farms in England – the cheapest, cleanest energy going. With a global energy crisis and sky-high energy bills, now's the time for change. Add your name to tell Rishi Sunak to end the ban on new onshore wind projects in England.
The fossil fuel industry is blocking climate change action
Major oil and gas companies including BP, Exxon and Shell have spent hundreds of millions of pounds trying to delay or stop government policies that would have helped tackle the climate crisis.
Despite the effects of climate change becoming more and more obvious, big polluting corporations – the ones responsible for the majority of carbon emissions – continue to carry on drilling for and burning fossil fuels.
Industries including banks, car and energy companies also make profits from fossil fuels. These industries are knowingly putting money over the future of our planet and the safety of its people.
What are world leaders doing to stop climate change?
With such a huge crisis facing the entire planet, the international response should be swift and decisive. Yet progress by world governments has been achingly slow. Many commitments to reduce carbon emissions have been set, but few are binding and targets are often missed.
In Paris in 2015, world leaders from 197 countries pledged to put people first and reduce their countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris agreement has the aim of limiting global warming to well below 2ºC and ideally to 1.5°C.
If governments act swiftly on the promises they made in the Paris climate agreement, and implement the solutions now, there’s still hope of avoiding the worst consequences of climate change.
World leaders and climate negotiators meet at annual COPs – which stands for Conference of the Parties (the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC).
At COPs and other climate talks, nations take stock of their ability to meet their commitments to reduce emissions.
Recently, talks have focused on climate finance – money to help poorer countries adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. Rich countries have pledged $100 billion in annual funding to help developing countries reduce emissions and manage the impacts of climate change. This is yet to materialise, and much more money is needed.
As the impacts of climate change are increasing, important talks have also started on “loss and damage” funding. This is money needed by worst-impacted countries to deal with extreme weather and other climate change impacts.
Global climate change activism
Around the world, millions of us are taking steps to defend our climate.People of all ages and from all walks of life are desperately demanding solutions to the climate emergency.
Over the years, Greenpeace has challenged oil companies chasing new fossil fuels to extract and burn. We’ve also called out the governments for their failure to act fast enough on the climate emergency. Greenpeace activists are ordinary people taking extraordinary action, to push the solutions to climate change.
Indigenous Peoples are most severely affected by both the causes and effects of climate change. They are often on the front lines, facing down deforestation or kicking out fossil fuel industries polluting their water supplies.
Communities in the Pacific Islands are facing sea level rises and more extreme weather. But they are using their strength and resilience to demand world leaders take quicker climate action.
For many of these communities, the fight against climate change is a fight for life itself.
Even in the UK, climate change is impacting people more severely. As a country with the wealth and power to really tackle climate change, it’s never been more important to demand action.
Keep exploring
What can I do to stop climate change?
Individuals can make changes to their lives to reduce their personal carbon footprint. But it’s more important to persuade decision-makers in governments and businesses to drive emissions reductions on a much larger scale. This is the best way to stop climate change getting worse.
What is the UK doing about climate change?
All countries need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. So how’s the UK doing?
Renewable energy: a beginner's guide
Clean renewable energy is a vital tool for tackling climate change. Discover how it works and understand the advantages of wind, solar and water power.
Environmental justice, explained
The environmental crisis doesn't affect everyone equally. Often the worst impacts fall on those who are already most exploited by people in power. The fight for environmental justice is about addressing this unfairness, and making sure green solutions don't add to the problem.
More issues
As a climate change expert with a deep understanding of the subject, I would like to emphasize the urgency and gravity of the situation outlined in the provided article. Climate change is undeniably happening now and poses the most serious threat to life on our planet. The evidence supporting this claim is vast and comes from various scientific disciplines, including climatology, ecology, and environmental science.
Let's break down the key concepts and solutions mentioned in the article:
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Paris Agreement:
- In 2015, world leaders signed the Paris Agreement, a significant treaty aimed at implementing solutions to climate change. The agreement's primary goal is to limit global warming to well below 2ºC and ideally to 1.5°C.
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Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
- Core to all climate change solutions is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The article stresses the importance of reaching zero emissions as soon as possible to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
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Role of Forests and Oceans:
- Forests and oceans play vital roles in regulating the climate. Increasing the natural ability of these ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide can contribute to combating global warming.
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Key Solutions:
- The article outlines several key solutions to climate change, including:
- Keeping fossil fuels in the ground.
- Investing in renewable energy (solar, wind, wave, tidal, and geothermal power).
- Switching to sustainable transport.
- Making homes energy-efficient.
- Improving farming practices and promoting vegan diets.
- Restoring nature to absorb more carbon.
- Protecting forests and oceans.
- The article outlines several key solutions to climate change, including:
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Individual and Collective Action:
- Individuals are encouraged to make sustainable choices in energy, transportation, and food consumption. However, the emphasis is on collective action, urging governments and corporations to change policies and practices.
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Challenges and Industries' Role:
- The fossil fuel industry, including major companies like BP, Exxon, and Shell, is highlighted as a barrier to climate change action. These companies have reportedly spent large sums to impede policies addressing the climate crisis.
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Government and Business Response:
- The article criticizes the slow progress of world governments in responding to the climate crisis. It mentions commitments made in the Paris Agreement and the need for swift implementation of solutions.
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Global Climate Change Activism:
- Millions worldwide are actively advocating for climate solutions. Greenpeace is mentioned as an organization challenging oil companies and governments for faster action. Indigenous Peoples and communities in vulnerable regions are acknowledged for their resilience in demanding climate action.
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International Cooperation and COPs:
- The article stresses the importance of international cooperation at annual COPs (Conference of the Parties) to assess nations' commitments to emission reductions. Financial pledges to aid developing countries in climate adaptation are discussed.
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Environmental Justice:
- The article briefly touches on environmental justice, highlighting that the impacts of the environmental crisis disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of climate change, its solutions, and the need for global cooperation and individual actions to address this critical issue.
