The summit’s decisions will determine whether people live or die. The rich world must take responsibility and enable developing countries to implement 
the low-carbon solutions the world needs.

Most attention has been focused on a top-down solution for climate change but 
it will only be achieved through action at all levels, particularly at a community level

Endorsed by governments, each rigorously scrutinised IPCC report represents the current state of scientific evidence and knowledge on climate change

How have human-made carbon emissions altered the chemical balance of the atmosphere and oceans? Are we reaching a planetary tipping point?

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

The Intergovernmental Panel on Water was established by the Government of Mexico to ensure that water issues are properly addressed in international sustainable development fora

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

By sharing technology and know-how, KOICA is helping to develop an international model for green growth

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

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 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?

What can be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security, hunger and malnutrition?

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 reality of climate change demands that we generate our future energy in a clean, sustainable way. What are the technologies on offer, and can they meet the planet’s ever-growing energy needs?

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

To address the climate change challenge, we must prevent and reduce waste, from field to fork

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?

Early action on climate change has helped the EU to achieve substantial cuts in emissions while growing its economy. As the international community prepares to sign a new climate agreement, what lessons can it draw from Europe?

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?

Developing climate-resilient communities and infrastructure is a crucial element of any climate change solution. Agreeing how to finance this will be one of the year’s key decisions

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