Introduction: This module provides you with key information about the causes of climate change, the impact it is having globally, and the responses needed to address the climate crisis.
Climate change is one of the greatest threats and injustices of our time. It threatens the existence of all humans and living things. While climate change affects everyone, it does not affect everyone equally. There is so much to learn about climate change. This module provides you with key information about the causes of climate change, the impact it is having globally, and the responses needed to address the climate crisis. It sets the scene for the subsequent modules in this toolkit.
What will I learn in this module?
By the end of the module, you will:
Have gained an understanding of what causes climate change.
Understand and be able to explain the impacts of climate change globally.
Know what responses are needed to address the climate crisis.
The below infographic provides a summary of the key content in this module:
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Index
The difference between weather and climate
Earth is getting hotter, largely because of human activities like burning coal, oil and gas. As temperatures rise, the climate is changing. While many people think climate change mainly means warmer temperatures, it’s much more than that. The Earth is a system, where everything is connected. A warming planet has consequences that reach across the globe, including intense droughts, water scarcity, catastrophic storms and severe flooding.
To understand climate change, it’s important to distinguish between weather and climate.
Weather involves short-term changes. If it’s raining on Friday morning but the sun is out by lunchtime – that’s a change in the weather. In technical terms, weather is the atmospheric conditions experienced over short periods of time (such as hours or days) at a particular location.
Climate involves long-term changes. If an older person tells you that 40 years ago there was a lot more rain in a particular month where they live than today, they could be talking about a change in climate. Climate is how the atmosphere “behaves” over longer periods of time (an average of the past 30 years), which in turn affects how the rest of the climate system behaves.
Climate change refers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate. It causes weather patterns to be less predictable, affecting the balance of Earth’s precious ecosystems. These changes persist for long periods of time, typically decades or more.
Climate change can be due to natural processes, such as changes in how much energy the sun produces and volcanic eruptions. However, humans are changing the climate by pumping heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere. This is called human-induced or anthropogenic climate change. This impact has been so big, and the consequences so dire, that organizations like the United Nations say we are facing a “climate emergency.”
The greenhouse effect: making our planet a livable home
Life on Earth is an incredible thing. And it’s made possible by the interplay between two key elements: the Sun, which produces heat from 150 million kilometers away, and our atmosphere, the band of air around our planet.
The atmosphere contains several gases. Together, the oxygen we breath and nitrogen make up 99% of the atmosphere. A small portion (0.04%) of the atmosphere is made up of other gases, some of which are known as greenhouse gases (GHGs).
These GHGs allow the Sun’s energy to enter the atmosphere but prevent it from leaving, by trapping it close to the Earth’s surface. Think of them as a blanket wrapped around the Earth, keeping the planet warmer than it would be without the gases. This is called the greenhouse effect (explained in Figure 1).
Figure 1. The natural greenhouse effect. The Earth absorbs some of the energy it receives from the sun and radiates the rest back toward space. However, greenhouse gases absorb some of the energy radiated from the Earth and trap it in the atmosphere. These gases essentially act as a blanket, making the Earth’s surface warmer than it otherwise would be. Source: EPA, 2012
Earth’s temperature with and without the natural greenhouse gas effect
The greenhouse effect keeps the planet at a comfortable temperature for us to live. Without it, Earth would be too cold for humans to survive, with an estimated average temperature of –18 °C. Freezing! (Figure 2).
Figure 2: How the Earth’s temperature would be with and without the natural greenhouse effect. 15 °C is the Earth’s “normal” average temperature. Source: André, C. 2022.
Humans are changing the climate
The greenhouse effect occurs naturally. However, human activities are changing the Earth’s climate.As we burn fossil fuels, like coal and oil, we are putting more GHGs into the atmosphere. Too many of these gases cause Earth’s atmosphere to trap more and more heat. The Earth is warming up. Research shows that each of the last four decades has been warmer than any previous decade since 1850. The world is warming faster than at any time in at least the last two thousand years.
How the concentrations of key GHGs have been increasing
Since the Industrial Revolution, which saw the introduction of machinery for manufacturing in the 1800s, humans have been putting an increasing amount of GHGs into the atmosphere. Let’s look at how some of the main GHGs have been increasing.
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main GHG emitted by human activities. It is released by burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. It also comes from natural sources and is produced when vegetation decomposes and during wildfires. It can also be released from the oceans.
Since the Industrial Revolution, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been rising rapidly. As you can see in Figure 3, which shows the global average concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over the past 800,000 years, there has been a rapid rise in concentrations over the past few centuries, and in recent decades particularly.
Before the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide did not rise above 300 ppm. This changed when humans started burning fossil fuels.Today’s concentrations are the highest they have been for at least 800,000 years. (Note: while there are fluctuations over hundreds of thousands of years, these were caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun).
Figure 3: Concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the past 800,000 years. (BCE stands for Before the Common Era). Source: Ritchie et al., 2020.
Methane
Methane accounts for about 20 percent of global emissions and is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Human activities, such as agriculture, burning oil, gas and coal for energy, and increased production of waste from homes and businesses, put methane into the atmosphere. It also comes from natural sources, such as wetlands.
In Figure 4, we see how methane concentrations have more than doubled since the year 1900!
Figure 4: The change in methane concentrations in the atmosphere since 1750. Methane concentrations have been increasing rapidly in recent centuries. Source: Ritchie et al., 2020.
Nitrous oxide
Carbon dioxide and methane are the largest drivers of anthropogenic climate change. But nitrous oxide also plays a role. Commonly known as “laughing gas,” it is a potent GHG that is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Globally, about 40% of total nitrous oxide emissions come from human activities. Agriculture is the primary source.
Agriculture is the primary source of nitrous oxide emissions. Credit: Jean Beaufort/Public Domain Images
Like carbon dioxide and methane, nitrous oxide concentrations have increased significantly throughout the 20th century. Concentrations of nitrous oxide have risen by more than 20% from pre-industrial levels. This coincides with the rising use of fertilizers and large increases in global food production.
How do we know climate change is linked to rising emissions?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a United Nations body, made up of top scientists from 196 countries, that assesses the science related to climate change. It releases regular reports about climate change and its implications and future risks.
In its 2021 report on the physical science basis of climate change, the IPCC did not mince its words about the links between human activities and climate change. The report opens with these words: “It is unequivocal that human activities have heated our climate. Recent changes are rapid, intensifying, and unprecedented over centuries to thousands of years.”
To learn about past temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations, scientists have analyzed the chemistry of water molecules and air bubbles that have been trapped for centuries in ice layers in Antarctica and Greenland. They have found that carbon dioxide concentrations correlate positively with past temperatures, meaning that samples with higher carbon dioxide concentrations also date from periods when temperatures were higher.
Energy is the main source of GHG emissions
Humans produce GHGs in many ways. But the main culprit is burning fossil fuels to create energy. As you can see in Figure 5, almost 75% of emissions come from energy, while close to 20% come from agriculture and land use (this proportion increases when we consider the food system as a whole and include processing, packaging, transport and retail). The remainder come from industry and waste.
Figure 5: CARE (based on data from Our World in Dataxx and WRI).
Developed countries are responsible for most emissions
Countries in Europe, Asia and North America are responsible for the largest contribution of GHGs in the atmosphere. Regions with developing countries, such as Africa, Latin America and large parts of Asia, are only responsible for a small proportion of these emissions (Figure 6).
Since carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere can stay there for centuries, historical emissions are just as important as – or even more important than – current emissions. This means that although China is the biggest emitter today, historically the United States and Europe are responsible for half of the carbon dioxide emitted since pre-industrial times.
The richest 10% of the world’s population are responsible for more than half of global carbon emissions, according to Oxfam. And the richest 1% is responsible for twice the emissions of 3.1 billion people (measured between 1990 and 2015).
Figure 6: Cumulative carbon dioxide emissions by countries from 1751 to 2020. Source: CARE International (using data from Ritchie et al., 2022).
Increasing emissions are changing our climate
We are living in a changing climate. Already, the world is witnessing widespread changes as temperatures rise, glaciers melt, and droughts and floods intensify. The impacts of climate change are expected to worsen, which makes it crucial to take climate action now.
Flooding in Bangladesh. Credit: Moniruzzaman Sazal/Climate Visuals Countdown.
The severity of climate change impacts depends on how much and how quickly the world warms. For example, climate-related risks are higher if the world warms by another 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. However, they will be even worse if the temperature rises by 2 °C. Climate change also affects regions differently. For example, Africa is warming faster than the global average over both land and oceans.
The climate is changing, and more change is on the way
Scientists with the IPCC have studied how climate change is already affecting the world. They use sophisticated computer models to predict how climate change will impact the planet in future. Below, we look at some of the main changes.
The IPCC estimates that human activities have caused the Earth to warm by approximately 1.1 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2020. Figure 7 shows how the temperature has been rising since 1880.
Figure 3: Concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the past 800,000 years. (BCE stands for Before the Common Era). Source: Ritchie et al., 2020.xi
Different parts of the world are warming at different rates. The polar regions have experienced the largest increase in temperature (in relation to the global average) while North Africa has experienced the greatest increase in Africa.
Different scenarios are expected to play out depending on how the world deals with emissions. These include situations where carbon dioxide emissions:
A
Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced to a level that allows global warming to be kept to 1.5 °C by 2050 (optimistic scenario).
B
Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced to a level that allows global warming to be kept to 1.5 °C by 2050 (optimistic scenario).
C
Carbon dioxide emissions remain the same as they are now but start to decrease after 2050 and net zero emissions are not reached until 2100. This results in global warming of 2.7 °C (middle-of-the-road scenario).
D
Carbon dioxide emissions reach double those of current levels in 2100. This results in a temperature increase of 3.6 °C above pre-industrial levels (dangerous scenario).
E
Carbon dioxide emissions double current levels by 2050. This results in global warming of 4.4 °C above pre-industrial levels (“taking the highway” scenario).
These different scenarios for temperature rise result in different levels of warming across different parts of the world. As you can see from Figure 8, warming by 1.5 °C keeps temperature rise low in most parts of the world, even though the polar regions experience the largest change in average temperature.
Figure 8: Annual mean temperature change (°C) relative to 1850–1900. Polar regions will experience an even higher increase in average temperature. Source: IPCC, 2021
If we do nothing to curb emissions, we are on a dangerous path. If the global community does not decrease emissions and follow current climate change policies, global warming is expected to reach 2.6 °C to 2.9 °C above pre-industrial temperature levels by the end of the century.
As it stands, the world needs stronger commitments to climate action. Current policy commitments are unlikely to keep emissions at a level required to limit warming to 1.5°C and will also make it harder after 2030 to limit warming to below 2°C (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Projected global GHG emissions over 2015-2050 based on current policies and commitments by countries. Source: Adapted from chart produced by Dr. Valérie Masson-Delmotte.
CHANGING RAINFALL PATTERNS
With changing rainfall patterns, dry areas are expected to become drier. In future, the Mediterranean, Southern Africa, Southwest Australia, Southern Chile, the West Coast of Mexico, and much of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean are likely to have less precipitation.
This drying will make droughts more severe. At the same time, models show that when rain does fall, it will become more intense nearly everywhere, increasing the risk of flooding.
Changes in precipitation also impact soil moisture, which affects farmers’ ability to grow crops. Parts of the world, such as Central Africa and East Africa, will experience increasing soil moisture levels under all warming scenarios.Others, such as Latin America, will experience drier soil.
RISING SEA LEVELS
Since 1990, the sea level has risen by about 80mm globally. The increase is not uniform across the world. The sea has risen higher in some areas than in others. This is mainly due to differences in thermal expansion and salinity (the levels of salt in ocean water) in different places.
A man salvages bricks from his house as the water encroaches. Shariatpur, Bangladesh. Credit: Moniruzzaman Sazal/Climate Visuals Countdown.
By 2100, sea levels could rise by up to 1.1 meters, according to the IPCC. If we fail to properly address climate change and cut emissions, this could trigger an irreversible sea level rise of several meters by 2300.
Sea level rise creates big problems for coastal areas, mainly through flooding. It has other impacts too. As the rising sea crawls farther and farther up the shore, in many places it will seep into the freshwater in the ground that many coastal areas rely on for drinking water, contaminating these.
Rising sea levels can negatively affect farmers. The intruding sea can make groundwater used for irrigation saltier and change the soil quality, making it harder to grow crops. Rising sea levels also negatively impact biodiversity in coastal areas and can make the damage from tropical cyclones worse.
In Africa, sea levels are rising faster than the global average. Sea level rise is likely to continue around Africa, resulting in more frequent and severe coastal flooding.
MELTING GLACIERS
Globally, glaciers are disappearing as temperatures rise. more than 600 glaciers have disappeared over the past decades, a staggering loss. Even if there is no further warming, many more glaciers will disappear. It is also likely that some mountain ranges will lose most, if not all, of their glaciers.
Africa’s glaciers are melting faster than the global average. The total glacial area on Mount Kenya decreased by approximately 44% between 2004 and 2016. Mount Kilimanjaro is also losing its glaciers.
Part of the rapidly receding glacier on the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 2011. Credit: Sarah Skiold-Hanlin
The loss of glaciers has profound impacts, mainly for the people and ecosystems that rely on the rivers fed by glaciers. When glaciers disappear, there is a tremendous impact on the availability of water across the seasons and, thus, for people living along riverbanks. Melting glaciers also contribute to sea level rise.
WORSENING EXTREME EVENTS
Climate change is impacting extreme events, unusually severe weather or climate conditions that can have devastating effects.
Heat waves
Climate change is affecting the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves. It is likely that human influence has more than doubled the probability of the occurrence of heat waves in some places.
Cyclones
In the 21st century, it is likely that the global frequency of tropical cyclones will either decrease or remain essentially unchanged. However, cyclones will likely have higher maximum wind speeds and rainfall rates, making them more destructive.
Droughts
While changes in future precipitation are uncertain, the drying associated with warmer temperatures will become much more widespread. This means droughts are likely to happen more often. The frequency of droughts is expected to double in southern Africa, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.
We need to act now
The science shows that climate change is happening and is expected to get worse. This means we need to take action to limit climate change and deal with its consequences. The two main courses of action are called mitigation and adaptation.
Mitigation
Mitigation involves cutting anthropogenic emissions, through actions such as switching from coal-powered energy to renewables. It also includes actions that help natural systems absorb emissions, such as protecting forests, which naturally remove carbon dioxide from the air.
Adaptation
Adaptation involves managing the current and future impacts of climate change. Because emissions are still rising, and climate change is expected to get worse, we need to adapt to protect people and their livelihoods. Adaptation involves actions such as planting drought-resistant crops or implementing early warning systems to communicate about extreme weather with vulnerable communities.
Unfortunately, people in vulnerable communities do not always have the resources to adapt to climate impacts. In the face of flooding, drought and other extreme events, people may lose their homes, livelihoods and loved ones. This is called loss and damage.
In the face of the climate crisis, innovative adaptation actions are urgently needed to limit loss and damage and protect the most vulnerable in society. In the following modules in this toolkit, you will learn about ways that you can take the lead on driving adaptation action in your community and beyond.
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Heat Wave
Heat Wave
Deepen your understanding. Find links to supporting scientific research, important publications, and tools
Index
The climate system
READ more about the climate system in this IPCC overview where you will find detailed technical explanations and deepen your scientific knowledge about the climate system.
WATCH this video, Earth’s Energy Budget (3:06) to learn more about how the Earth’s climate system works.
EXPLORE the Our World in Data website to learn more about current and historical emissions. You can also explore consumption-based emissions on this site.
WATCH the video What is Climate Change? (6:03). The video defines climate change and explains the greenhouse effect and the role of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. While it explores the consequences of climate change for our environment – such as rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather, and damage to our ecosystems – it also suggests big and small changes we can make to protect our Earth.
WATCH this short video from National Geographic, Causes and Effects of Climate Change (3:04), to understand more about the causes of climate change and its main impacts. The video describes the greenhouse effect, how it works (such as causing melting of ice caps in the Arctic regions) and the effects of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere and life on the planet.
WATCHthe videoWhat Is the Greenhouse Effect? from NASA (2:30), which further explains the greenhouse effect. It shows how energy from the Sun is integrated into the Earth’s system and the role of greenhouse gases in raising the planet’s average temperature. The video highlights the different sources of greenhouse gases and how researchers monitor these gases to understand how they affect the planet.
WATCHGlobal temperature anomalies from 1880 to 2017 (0:36). In the video, you can see how temperatures across different parts of the world have increased over a period of 137 years, with some places warming faster than others. You will notice that the Arctic regions are warming faster, which means that ice in these regions is melting, resulting in sea level rise.
READ more about the causes and impacts of climate change and learn about key concepts with NASA’s Global Climate Change website.
EXPLORE temperature graphs on the Climate Action Tracker. The IPCC’s sixth assessment report says, “Global surface temperature was 1.09 [0.95 to 1.20] °C higher in 2011–2020 than 1850–1900, with larger increases over land (1.59 [1.34 to 1.83] °C) than over the ocean (0.88 [0.68 to 1.01] °C).” But this starts at relatively late values (1850–1900) and over the last 10-year average, so 1.2 °C is a more appropriate description of where we are now.
EXPLORE the UNDP Climate Box toolkit, an illustrated textbook which provides information on climate change science and impacts, as well as solutions, best practices and case studies on how to reduce your personal carbon footprint and adapt to inevitable impacts.
LEARN about current and historical emissions with the Our World in Data website. Here you will see information such as the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that have come from different sectors and changes in emissions.
EXPLORE: Did you know that there are consumption-based as well as production-based emissions? Consumption-based emissions that are generated through consumption of goods or products. In some instances, these goods or products are not made in the locations where they are consumed. Have a look atOur World in Data to learn more about consumption-based emissions.
The importance of climate data
Using up-to-date climate data is key to implementing relevant adaptation projects and programs. It can also help with your advocacy efforts. The list below offers sources to find data on climate change, including current and expected impacts for different regions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It gathers hundreds of experts from all over the world. The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. The last assessment is available here (click on the cover to open the summary for policymakers):
The IPCC also developed a helpful tool for visualizing climate data.
World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal
The World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal provides global data on historical and future climate vulnerabilities and impacts. You can explore the data via country, region and watershed views. You can also access country profiles to gain deeper insights into climate risks and adaptation actions.
USAID Climate Risk Profiles
USAID provides regional and country climate risk profiles. These include the following information by country: an overview, its climate, projected changes and information on sector impacts, vulnerabilities to climate change, the policy context, and information regarding ongoing climate change projects. Access USAID’s climate website where you can find your country’s climate risk profile.
Forecast information
Climate research and meteorological institutions may also have more precise and local data for your region. You can access weather-related forecasts at the links below:
NOAA – Climate Prediction Center (CPC). This website from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is used to issue information on the El Niño phenomenon every 15 days.
EXPLORE the WWF’s Love it or lose it campaign, featuring short videos focused on our interconnected relationship with nature and what is at stake if we lose it. This is an unusual approach to communicating climate change as we often encounter war metaphors associated with a “fight against climate change” and “combating climate change.” As young climate advocates it is important to think about how you communicate your messages to people to motivate them to act for the climate and remember that people are motivated by more than fear and anger. The WWF videos tap into what matters to people – good relationships with family, friends and places.
Podcasts
LISTEN to the podcast South of 2 Degrees to learn about the science of climate change and its impacts.
LISTEN to the Youth Climate Champions Podcast, which is part of the Climate Action to Accountability Project. The shows feature youth climate activists from South Africa, and discussions on issues like climate policy.
Games
Games are a fun but serious way of helping humanity tackle the complexities and uncertainties of climate change. Check out the Games for a New Climate from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre. You can use these to learn, and teach others, about climate change while having some fun.
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Cool Down
Cool Down
Your last stop. Here, you have space to test your knowledge (with a short quiz) and consider how you can apply what you have learned to your own climate action.
Test your understanding
You have learnt a lot and have many red hot ideas. Test your knowledge with a quiz and give yourself space to cool down and reflect on what you have learnt. Use this section to take stock of how you will put your skills into action.
1/6
Climate change refers to:
Correct answer:b) a change in the state of the climate with these changes persisting for longer periods of time (e.g., decades, or longer)
Explanation: Climate change refers to the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate. It causes weather patterns to be less predictable, affecting the balance of Earth’s precious ecosystems.These changes persist for long periods of time, typically decades or more.Climate change can be due to natural processes, such as changes in how much energy the sun produces and volcanic eruptions. However, humans are changing the climate by pumping heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere.This is called human-induced or anthropogenic climate change.
2/6
True or false: The greenhouse effect is the way through which greenhouse gases allow the sun’s energy to enter the Earth’s atmosphere but prevent it from leaving.
Correct answer:a) True
Explanation: The greenhouse effect is the way through which heat is trapped close to Earth’s surface by greenhouse gases. These heat-trapping gases allow the sun’s energy to enter the atmosphere but prevent it from leaving. These gases can be thought of as a blanket wrapped around Earth, keeping the planet warmer than it would be without the gases.
3/6
How much has the global temperature increased since 1850?
Correct answer:c) By over 1°C
Explanation:The IPCC estimates that human activities have caused the Earth to warm by approximately 1.1 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2020.
4/6
By the year 2100, sea level could rise by up to:
Correct answer:b) 1.1 meters
Explanation: According to the IPCC, by 2100 sea levels could rise by up to 1.1 meters.
5/6
Which characteristics of cyclones will change because of climate change?
Correct answer:a) wind speed and rainfall rates
Explanation: In the 21st century, it is likely that the global frequency of tropical cyclones will either decrease or remain essentially unchanged. However, cyclones will likely have higher maximum wind speeds and rainfall rates, making them more destructive.
6/6
What is mitigation?
Correct answer:c) actions that help reduce emissions or help natural systems absorb emissions
Explanation: Mitigation involves cutting anthropogenic emissions, through actions such as switching from coal-powered energy to renewables. It also includes actions that help natural systems absorb emissions, such as protecting forests, which naturally remove carbon dioxide from the air
Congratulations You have now completed this module
Your quiz score is 0 correct answers out of 6 questions.
Reflect and prepare for your climate adaptation action
Consider the following questions about climate change:
What are the current and forecasted impacts of climate change in your country or community?
Can you name any mitigation and adaptation activities that you have observed in your country or community?
Do you think current action by countries globally is enough to address climate change?
Bonus quiz: To further test your knowledge of climate change, do this online quiz developed by UNDP. It covers three topics:
The problem of climate change
The impacts of climate change
Mitigating the impacts of climate change
Glossary
Accredited Entities
Accredited Entities partner with GCF to implement projects. Accredited Entities can be private or public, non-governmental, sub-national, national, regional or international, as long as they meet the standards of the Fund. Accredited Entities carry out a range of activities that usually include the development of funding proposals and the management and monitoring of projects and programmes. Countries may access GCF resources through multiple entities simultaneously.
Adaptation finance gap refers to difference between the estimated costs of adaptation and the actual number of financial resources needed to support adaptation efforts. The estimated adaptation costs in developing countries are five to ten times greater than current public adaptation finance flows, and the adaptation finance gap is widening.
Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP)
ASAP was launched by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in 2012 to make climate and environmental finance work for smallholder farmers. A multi-year and multi-donor financing window, ASAP provides a new source of co-financing to scale up and integrate climate change adaptation across IFAD’s new investments.
The Adaptation Fund is a global fund established to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol and are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. It pioneered Direct Access, empowering countries to access funding and develop projects directly through accredited national implementing entities.
The Cancun Adaptation Framework is a set of guidelines and measures that were established during the UNCCC held in Cancun in 2010.
The CAF aims to strengthen action on adaptation in developing countries through international cooperation. It will support better planning and implementation of adaptation measures through increased financial and technical support, and through strengthening and/or establishing regional centres and networks. The framework will also boost research, assessments and technology cooperation on adaptation, as well as strengthen education and public awareness.
Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identified (e.g. using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties that persist for an extended period, typically decades or longer.
The term "climate change" often refers specifically to anthropogenic climate change (also known as global warming). Anthropogenic climate change is caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes.
In human systems, climate change adaptation refers to the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, it refers to the process of adjustment to actual climate and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.
In practical terms, adaptation refers to the changes people and institutions make to adjust to observed or projected changes in climate. It is an ongoing process that aims to reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Retrieved from: CARE (2019).
Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Handbook: careclimatechange.org/cvca/
Climate crisis is a term increasingly being used by UN agencies, scientists, media and civil society organizations to better reflect the urgency and the severity of the emergency we are facing. It reflects the fact that the climate is changing as a result of human behavior, and that it has and will have dramatic effects on women, men, girls and boys and their environment.
Climate Finance refers to local, national or transnational financing—drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing—that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.
Climate Funds Update is an independent website that provides information and data on the growing number of multilateral climate finance initiatives designed to help developing countries address the challenges of climate change.
Climate information refers to the collection and interpretation of observations of the actual weather and climate as well as simulations of climate in both past and future periods. Climate information is the collection and interpretation of weather and climate data that is credible, relevant and usable.
CIS involve the provision of climate information in a way that assists decision making by individuals and organizations. They are tools and processes that enable decision makers and user communities to assess, and prevent or prepare for, potential impactful weather and climate events.
Climate Justice is about a future in which the poorest and most marginalized people have significantly improved their wellbeing and can enjoy their human rights due to increased resilience to climate change, increased equality and a global temperature rise that is limited to 1.5°C.
Evidence-based analysis conducted to identify 1) the extent to which a human, social and/or ecological system has been or will likely be affected by climate variability and change, and 2) strategies to address these impacts.
Climate-Smart agriculture (CSA) is an integrated approach to managing landscapes—cropland, livestock, forests and fisheries — that address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.
Community-based adaptation is a set of climate change adaptation activities developed in partnership with at-risk communities to promote local awareness of, and appropriate and sustainable solutions to, current and future climatic conditions.
The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.
The Copenhagen Accord recognizes the scientific view that an increase in global temperature below 2 degrees is required to stave off the worst effects of climate change.
The Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) directed the EAC Secretariat to develop a Climate Change Policy and strategies to address the adverse impacts of Climate Change in the region and harness any potential opportunities posed by Climate Change in the context of the principle of sustainable development.
The overall objective of the EAC Climate Change Policy is to guide Partner States and other stakeholders on the preparation and implementation of collective measures to address Climate Change in the region while assuring sustainable social and economic development.
This Framework is prepared to provide the effective delivery of adaptation services to the most climate vulnerable areas and people of Nepal. It supports the design of new and implementation of existing Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPAs) that have already been designed and piloted. It is expected to help integrate climate adaptation and resilience aspects in local and national plans.
Ecosystem-based adaptation is a nature-based solution that harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services to reduce vulnerability and build resilience to climate change.
The direct effects of climate change that can be observed by rising maximum and/or minimum temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean temperature, changing rainfall patterns, increase in (heavy) precipitation, glacier melting, heatwaves, cyclones, drought, etc. and that in return lead to more climate related hazards. The effects of these changes on humans and natural environment can be seen in e.g. increased hunger and poverty as a result from failed harvest due to droughts/extreme rain; Health risks as a result from heatwaves; Increased pests from change in temperature; Loss of biodiversity, as flora and fauna cannot adapt to a new climate reality; Reduction in fish from coral bleaching as a result from ocean acidification.
Exposure is “the presence of people, livelihoods, species or ecosystems, environmental functions, services, and resources, infrastructure, or economic, social, or cultural assets in places and settings that could be adversely affected”.
Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.
Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality.
Strategies applied in program planning, assessment, design, implementation and M&E to consider gender norms and to compensate for gender-based inequalities. For example, when a project conducts a gender analysis and incorporates the results into its objectives, work plan and M&E plan, it is undertaking a gender integration process.
Adaptation can be incremental (making step-changes in the way people act but maintaining the system) or transformative (serving to fundamentally change system attributes). Gender-transformative approaches create opportunities for individuals to actively challenge existing gender norms, promote positions of social and political influence for women, and address power inequalities between persons of different genders.
Goals are the specification of what an advocacy initiative should accomplish. Goals need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. They should clearly state what will change, who will make that change, by how much, and when. When goals are poorly articulated or ambiguous, it can be difficult to understand what the advocacy initiative is trying to achieve, to maintain focus and to evaluate efforts.
GCF is a unique global platform to respond to climate change by investing in low-emission and climate-resilient development. GCF was established by 194 governments to limit or reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in developing countries, and to help vulnerable societies adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Given the urgency and seriousness of this challenge, GCF is mandated to make an ambitious contribution to the united global response to climate change.
The atmospheric gases responsible for causing global warming and climate change. The major GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). Less prevalent --but very powerful -- greenhouse gases are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Hazard is a potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon and/or human activity, which may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.
Integrated risk management law and policy (IRM) checklist
This checklist can be used as a basis for advocacy strategies aiming to integrate Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Ecosystem Management and Restoration into laws, policies and their implementation on the ground.
IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options
The Joint Principles for Adaptation (JPA) is a statement by civil society organizations from across the world on what they consider to be a benchmark for good adaptation planning and implementation. It is a tool for ensuring that national policies and plans meet the needs and fulfil the rights of the most vulnerable people to adapt to climate change.
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that was adopted on 11 December 1997. Owing to a complex ratification process, it entered into force on 16 February 2005. Currently, there are 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
In short, the Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets.
The LDCF is enabling Least Developed Countries to prepare for a more resilient future. LDCF funding helps recipient countries address their short-, medium- and long-term resilience needs and reduce climate change vulnerability in priority sectors and ecosystems.
LDCF backing helps countries implement National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) – country-driven strategies for addressing their most urgent adaptation needs. It also supports the implementation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, and the Least Developed Country work program under the UNFCCC.
This Framework is prepared to provide the effective delivery of adaptation services to the most climate vulnerable areas and people of Nepal. It supports the design of new and implementation of existing Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPAs) that have already been designed and piloted. It is expected to help integrate climate adaptation and resilience aspects in local and national plans.
LLA allows an approach of empowerment of the different local stakeholders through the implementation of different tools for participatory planning, consensual decision making, accountability and integration of local and scientific knowledge, as well as capacity building by prioritizing local stakeholders. Thus, it is important to understand that local stakeholders better understand their problems and the actions to prioritize in order to solve them. In this sense, locally-led adaptation allows power to be shifted to local stakeholders while they are accompanied by external actors to alleviate the burden of responsibility for adaptation, in order to catalyze effective, equitable and transparent adaptation. Locally-led adaptation, unlike other more common participatory approaches, goes beyond the involvement of local stakeholders and only occurs when they have control over the development and adaptation processes. For CARE, this approach is equivalent to the CBA.
Loss and damage is a general term used in UN climate negotiations to refer to the consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to, or when options exist but a community doesn’t have the resources to access or make use of them.
Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practices have the purpose of applying knowledge gained from evidence and analysis to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and, ultimately, the outcomes and impact of their projects/initiatives and ensure accountability for the resources used to achieve them.
The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is a process that was established under the Cancun Adaptation Framework (CAF). It enables Parties to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs) as a means of identifying medium- and long-term adaptation needs and developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs. It is a continuous, progressive and iterative process that follows a country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory and fully transparent approach.
NAPAs provide a process for the least-developed countries (LDCs) to identify priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs with regard to adaptation to climate change - those needs for which further delay could increase vulnerability or lead to increased costs at a later stage. The rationale for NAPAs rests on the limited ability of the LDCs to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. In the NAPA process, prominence is given to community-level input as an important source of information, recognizing that grassroots communities are the main stakeholders.
National Communication is a report that each country that is a Party to the UNFCCC must submit. These reports highlight development priorities, objectives and national circumstances, including ongoing action and needs for meeting adaptation and mitigation goals and the
objectives of the Convention. Parties are required to submit their first NC within three years of entering the Convention, and every four years thereafter.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Each Party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC and update it every five years.
Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, to provide both human well-being and biodiversity benefits
Net zero means cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance.
Objectives are specific and measurable targets that must be achieved in order to realize the broader goals. These objectives are concrete and medium-term and provide a clear direction for the organization and individuals in achieving the goal.
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.
The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.
PESTLE stands for: Political, Economic, Social Technological, Legal and Environmental factors or trends.
It is helpful to break down the process of undertaking a context analysis into manageable chunks using a PESTLE analysis. This tool promotes a systematic understanding of the wider environment. It can also help to identify new issues and opportunities on the horizon; to create scenarios; and to develop a coherent vision.
Pilot Program for Climate Resilience is a program that supports developing countries and regions in building their adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change. First, the PPCR assists governments in integrating climate resilience into strategic development planning across sectors and stakeholder groups. Second, it provides concessional and grant funding to put the plans into action and pilot innovative public and private sector solutions.
Primary targets are the people who have the power to make the changes needed to achieve the advocacy objectives. They are often known as decision-makers. It is vital to know who makes the decisions so as not to waste time or resources targeting the wrong people.
Problem Trees are graphic tools that helps find solutions by mapping out the anatomy of cause and effect around an issue in a similar way to a Mind Map, but with more structure. The policy-related problem or issue is written in the centre of the flip chart and becomes the trunk of the tree. The causes and consequences of the focal problem become the roots. The question of ‘why’ an issue is a problem needs to be repeatedly asked to find the root cause.
Non-hazardous waste material that cannot be re-used or recycled and needs to be sent to energy recovery (incineration/biogas) or disposal (landfill)
Resilience
Resilience is the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management.
Resilience is the capacity to deal with shocks and stresses, manage risks and transform lives and systems in response to new hazards.
Results chains are a visual tool for showing what a project is doing and why. They explain all the links in the chain from project actions to market actor changes, through to impacts on target groups, in detail, for a particular intervention. They can be used to monitor change and adapt strategy on an ongoing basis.
Risk is “the potential for adverse consequences where something of value is at stake and where the occurrence and degree of an outcome is uncertain.” Risk is a function of vulnerability, exposure and the likelihood of a hazard occurring.
Secondary targets are individuals or groups who have the potential to influence or persuade the primary target, who may be difficult to reach or persuade directly.
Secondary targets could be people to whom the primary target is accountable, advisors, local government officials, media, public opinion, personal contacts, celebrities, or academics. By persuading these secondary targets, the hope is that they can then influence the primary target to change their stance or take a desired action.
Sex refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males and intersex persons, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs.
Shocks are short-term events or disruptions that have negative effects on people’s well-being, assets, livelihoods, safety or their ability to withstand future shocks.
The Special Climate Change Fund is a fund that is established under the Convention in 2001 to finance projects relating to: adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic diversification. It is managed by the GEF.
Sustainability is the practice of using natural resources responsibly, that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
SDGs are seventeen global goals, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future and are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The UNFCCC is an international treaty that entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The 198 countries that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. Preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the UNFCCC.
In the context of climate change, vulnerability refers to the potential for negative effects resulting from the impacts of climate change. Vulnerability to the same risks may differ based on gender, wealth, mobility and other factors. It is influenced by adaptive capacity; the higher the adaptive capacity, the lower the vulnerability.
Weather describes short term natural events - such as fog, rain, snow, blizzards, wind and thunder storms, tropical cyclones, etc. - in a specific place and time.
