Endorsed by governments, each rigorously scrutinised IPCC report represents the current state of scientific evidence and knowledge on climate change
Scientific measurements provide hard data about key climate change indicators such as global temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations and sea levels. But what do they reveal about the causes of climate change, and how reliably can they help us predict the planet’s climate in the future?
Confronting climate change will require a new economic model. Countries’ right to develop can provide the moral compass and technical framework needed to achieve this
Vulnerable communities are the most exposed to the effects of climate change. How can they be empowered to overcome the challenges posed and what more can the wider international community do to help?
Climate change impacts women more than men, yet the issues women face and their potential contribution to community response often go ignored. The new climate agreement must redress the balance and place gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights at its core
In our increasingly globalised world, no nation is exempt from the impacts of climate change. Small-island and least-developed states may bear the brunt, but developed and emerging economies will also be affected. We must all seize the opportunities that 2015 presents
Asia and the Pacific has much to gain from combating climate change, having endured some of the worst climate-related disasters of recent years. But with the region producing an ever-greater share of global carbon emissions, what can it do to protect its people – and the world – from the effects of climate change?
In the world’s poorest inhabited continent, climate change poses a potentially devastating threat. The specific climate issues facing Africa will demand focused solutions if the continent is to provide a prosperous future for its people
Water scarcity is a daily fact of life for more than a third of Africans. With climate change threatening to further limit availability, the continent needs an urgent integrated solution if it is to safeguard the future of its communities and economies
Reducing the risk of climate-related and other disasters and better equipping communities to deal with them are key elements of the post-2015 development agenda
Through the ClimateXChange initiative set up by the Scottish government in 2011, the James Hutton Institute has been providing information to policy teams on mitigation and adaptation strategies
Covering seven-tenths of the Earth’s surface, the oceans have played a major role in mopping up greenhouse gas emissions. What effect is this having on them and the ecosystems they support – and what does this mean for the future of the planet?
The formation of Marine Protected Areas can play an important role in safeguarding valuable ecosystems and the transnational communities that depend on them in West Africa and the world
The Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean, faces the very real prospect of disappearing under rising sea levels by the end of the century. In this impassioned plea, its president calls for urgent action to avert disaster for this and other nations under climate threat
The effect of climate change on migration is complex, both forcing displacement and limiting people’s ability to move. Only by embedding action on migration into climate policy will the international community be able to prevent the issue blighting the lives of millions of people
A changing climate, and the associated threat of chronic resource scarcity, brings with it the risk of new conflicts erupting around the world, and of exacerbating current disputes. What can the international community do to prevent climate-related conflict taking root?
Zero net global greenhouse gas emissions must become a reality before the end of the century if humankind is to stave off the worst effects of climate change. How can this be achieved?
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage promises a unique bridging solution for developing countries, offering affordable and attainable clean energy that will enable development. Large-scale commercial demonstrations are now needed
The transport sector stands out in its lack of progress in reducing emissions. Radical new approaches are required if the sector is to achieve the necessary 60 per cent reduction by 2050
How can the development of cities become instrumental in achieving a zero-carbon economy?
Buildings and the building sector are one of the primary contributors to GHG emissions, but the solution shouldn’t just focus on new builds: upgrading existing buildings also offers huge potential
More governments see emissions trading as a powerful tool to help meet climate targets without choking economic growth. However, for this nascent market to succeed, it must become truly international and cooperative
Climate change mitigation efforts must recognise that tackling current carbon dioxide flows is not enough; what matters is total emissions to date
Setting finite carbon budgets has proved a useful environmental policy tool at national level, but to date has failed to gain traction on an international scale. Are concerns over fairness and cost justified, or could it offer the global community its best chance for tackling climate change?
China’s pursuit of economic growth has taken its environmental toll, with smog now a fact of city life. Can the world’s biggest carbon emitter keep growing without tipping the climate over the edge?
What mechanisms, on national and global levels, can be deployed to ensure that both private and public investment is directed towards green growth?
What is the scale of unburnable carbon and the carbon bubble in global financial markets? When and how might a correction take place and what impact might it have on the global economic system?
If managing risk in sustainable energy is a barrier to entry, partnership with an experienced investor can open the gate
Often seen as the villain of the piece, business has a vital role to play in helping to deal with climate change. But if business is to take the radical steps needed to avoid planetary catastrophe, it must treat climate change as an opportunity, not a threat
Linking public debt to carbon dioxide emissions could give governments a strong incentive to deliver on climate change action