Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing our planet today. It affects weather patterns, the natural environment, and the way we live our lives. Understanding what climate change is and what's causing it is an important first step towards tackling its effects—and protecting the futures of children everywhere.
Updated in December 2025 with latest climate impact data
What does 'climate change' mean?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns across the planet. While Earth's climate has changed naturally over millennia, the current changes we're witnessing are happening at an unprecedented speed—and they're largely driven by human activities.
Since the late 1800s, the planet has warmed by approximately 1.3°C. This might sound small, but even slight temperature increases can trigger dramatic shifts in weather systems, sea levels, and ecosystems worldwide.
What's causing climate change?
The main driver of current climate change is the increase of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere—particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂). These gases trap heat from the sun, creating a "greenhouse effect" that warms the planet. While some greenhouse gases occur naturally, human activities have significantly increased their concentration since the Industrial Revolution.
Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) for energy, transport and heating
Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—power much of modern life, from electricity generation to transport. When burned, they release large amounts of CO₂. Burning fossil fuels is one of the main causes of climate change.
Industrial processes
Manufacturing cement, steel, chemicals, and other materials requires enormous amounts of energy and often involves chemical reactions that directly release greenhouse gases. Industry accounts for over 50% of global CO₂ emissions.
Farming and agriculture
Agriculture produces methane and nitrous oxide—both potent greenhouse gases. Livestock, particularly cattle, produce methane through digestion, while fertilizers release nitrous oxide. Agriculture, forestry, and land use account for roughly 20% of global emissions.
Waste and landfill
When organic waste decomposes in landfills without oxygen, it produces methane. Waste contributes approximately 5% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
Deforestation
Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere. When trees are cut down for agriculture, development, or timber, not only is this carbon-absorbing capacity lost, but the carbon stored in trees is released back into the atmosphere. Tropical deforestation alone contributes nearly 10% of global emissions annually.
Climate Crisis: The Numbers
766 million children exposed to extreme heatwaves in 2023–2024
2024 was the hottest year on record
582 million people projected to face chronic hunger by 2030
Children in low-income countries are 4x more likely to face climate disasters
183 million children face the triple threat of poverty, climate risk, and conflict
Fiona, 18, next to her home in a community affected by rising sea levels in Malaita Province, the Solomon Islands.
(L - R) Audrey, eight, Rosie, nine, Diekololaoluwa, eight, Andres, seven, Lenny, nine, and Poppy, eight, taking part in a beach clean-up with their school, Margate
How is the climate changing?
The effects of these greenhouse gas emissions are visible worldwide. According to the Met Office, we're experiencing:
More frequent and intense heatwaves
Heavier rainfall events leading to flooding
Rising sea levels threatening coastal communities
More severe droughts in some regions
Changes to seasonal patterns affecting agriculture
In the UK, the ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 2003. Globally, extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe.
What are the impacts of climate change?
Climate change touches every aspect of life, but its effects fall hardest on the world's most vulnerable communities—including children. According to Save the Children's latest analysis, approximately 136,000 children each day are affected by climate-related disasters, from floods and droughts to extreme heat and storms.
The impacts include:
Health: Increased risk of diseases, malnutrition from crop failures, and respiratory problems from air pollution and wildfires. The World Health Organization estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change could cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, and heat stress.
Food security: Changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather disrupt farming, threatening food supplies. Climate change is already affecting crop yields in many regions.
Water scarcity: Droughts and changing precipitation patterns leave communities without reliable access to clean water for drinking, washing, and farming.
Displacement: Rising sea levels and extreme weather force families to leave their homes. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre recorded 26.4 million new disaster-related displacements in 2023, the majority linked to weather-related events.
Education disruption: When disasters strike, schools close, children miss learning, and families struggle to meet basic needs—making education a lower priority.
What's being done about climate change?
Governments, organizations, and communities worldwide are taking action to reduce emissions and adapt to changes already underway.
Using cleaner energy
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy—solar, wind, and hydroelectric power—is accelerating. Global renewable capacity is set to grow faster than initially projected, with renewables expected to account for about 45% of global electricity generation by 2030.
Improving energy efficiency
Making buildings, vehicles, and industrial processes more energy-efficient reduces emissions while saving money. The UK government's Net Zero Strategy outlines targets for improving energy efficiency across homes, transport, and industry.
Protecting and restoring nature
Planting trees, protecting existing forests, and restoring wetlands and peatlands helps absorb CO₂ while supporting biodiversity. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation worldwide.
International agreements
Countries are working together through agreements like the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Nearly 200 countries have committed to reducing emissions and supporting climate adaptation.
What can individuals do to help?
While systemic change is essential, individual actions collectively make a significant difference.
Here are practical steps anyone can take:
Saving energy
Switch off lights and appliances when not in use, use energy-efficient bulbs and appliances, and consider insulating your home to reduce heating needs. Even small changes add up when millions of people make them.
Travelling sustainably
Walk, cycle, or use public transport when possible. Car-sharing reduces emissions, and if you need a vehicle, consider electric or hybrid options. For longer journeys, trains typically produce fewer emissions than planes or cars.
Reducing waste
Reuse items, repair rather than replace, recycle properly, and avoid single-use plastics. The less we consume and throw away, the fewer emissions from production and waste management.
Eating more plant-based meals and cutting food waste
Animal agriculture, particularly meat and dairy, produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. Adding more plant-based meals to your diet helps reduce your carbon footprint. Planning meals and storing food properly also prevents waste.
Supporting green initiatives and renewable energy providers
Consider switching to a renewable energy supplier, supporting organizations working on climate solutions, and encouraging your workplace or school to adopt sustainable practices. Collective action amplifies individual efforts.
Climate change is threatening children's futures
Climate change isn't an abstract future threat—it's affecting children's lives right now. From families displaced by floods to children facing hunger because crops have failed, the climate crisis creates immediate hardship while threatening the world children will inherit.
That's why Save the Children is working in communities worldwide to help families adapt to climate change, respond to disasters, and build resilience. We're supporting sustainable farming techniques that withstand droughts, helping communities prepare for extreme weather, and ensuring children can continue learning even when climate disasters strike.
We're also advocating for stronger climate action from governments and decision-makers, demanding they prioritize children's rights and wellbeing in climate policies. Because every child deserves a safe, stable environment in which to grow and thrive.
Learn more about how we're responding to the climate crisis and how you can help.
Sara, 15, at the climate march she attended organised by the child-led group Respect Our Rights (ROR) in Prishtina, Kosovo
Your questions answered
What's the difference between climate change and global warming?
"Global warming" refers specifically to the long-term increase in Earth's average temperature. "Climate change" is the broader term that includes warming plus all the related changes it causes—shifting rainfall patterns, melting ice, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather. Global warming is one aspect of climate change.
How do we know climate change is real?
Multiple lines of scientific evidence confirm climate change. The Met Office's climate monitoring shows consistent warming trends over decades. Ice cores reveal past atmospheric conditions, satellite data tracks shrinking glaciers and ice sheets, and ocean measurements show warming and rising sea levels. Thousands of peer-reviewed scientific studies from independent researchers worldwide reach the same conclusions.
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, creating a warming effect similar to a greenhouse. The main ones are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor. While these gases occur naturally and are essential for maintaining livable temperatures, human activities have increased their concentrations to levels that cause excessive warming.
How can climate change be stopped?
Completely stopping climate change isn't possible—some effects are already locked in. However, we can limit how severe it becomes by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This requires transitioning to clean energy, improving energy efficiency, protecting and restoring forests, changing agricultural practices, and redesigning how we live, travel, and consume. The faster and more comprehensively we act, the more manageable the impacts will be.
What is the impact of climate change on wildlife?
Climate change disrupts ecosystems and threatens species worldwide. Rising temperatures force animals to migrate to cooler areas or face extinction. Changing seasons affect breeding and migration patterns. Ocean warming and acidification harm marine life, while extreme weather destroys habitats.
What is anthropogenic climate change?
"Anthropogenic" means caused by human activity. Anthropogenic climate change refers to the changes in Earth's climate system that result from human actions—primarily burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. This distinguishes current climate change from natural climate variations that occurred throughout Earth's history before human influence became dominant.
Why is climate change important?
Climate change threatens the foundations of human society—food and water security, health, homes, and livelihoods. Its effects are already disrupting lives, particularly for vulnerable communities with the fewest resources to adapt. Left unchecked, climate change could displace hundreds of millions of people, cause widespread food and water shortages, increase disease, and trigger conflicts over scarce resources. Addressing it now is far less costly and disruptive than dealing with severe consequences later.
Which countries are most affected by climate change?
While climate change is a global issue, its impacts fall most heavily on countries least responsible for causing it. Many African and Asian nations are most at risk due to geographic exposure, limited resources for adaptation, and dependence on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture. Small island nations face particular threats from rising sea levels. Within all countries, low-income communities and children are disproportionately affected.
