Climate change facts
What do you need to know about climate change?
We’re already seeing the effects of human-caused climate change — but nature can help. Protecting nature today ensures a more sustainable future.
SHARE THESE FACTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE:
Fact 1: 421 parts per million
The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, as of May 2022Jump to references1, is the highest it has been in human history. Tweet this fact
Fact 2: 2023 was the hottest year on record
Analysis by NOAA shows that average global temperatures in 2023 were 2.12 degrees F (1.18 degrees C) warmer than the 20th-century average — and higher than any other year since records began in 1850.Jump to references2 What's more, the 10 warmest years on record have all been in the past decade. Tweet this fact
Fact 3: 20% of emissions
As much as 20 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are due to deforestationJump to references3 — exceeding the emissions from all of the passenger vehicles on the planet.Jump to references4 Tweet this fact
Fact 4: Nature is an untapped solution
Tropical forests are incredibly effective at storing carbon, providing at least a third of the mitigation action neededJump to references5 to prevent the worst climate change scenarios. Yet nature-based solutions receive only 3 percent of all climate funding.Jump to references6 Tweet this fact
Fact 5: Fight climate change, improve livelihoods — naturally
Scaling up natural climate solutions, such as restoring degraded forests, could create as many as 20 million new jobs.Jump to references7 In total, ecosystem restoration creates 3.7 times as many jobs as oil and gas production per dollar.Jump to references8 Tweet this fact
Fact 6: A disturbing trend
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, average global temperatures in July 2023 were higher than any other month on recordJump to references — and beat the 1991-2020 average temperature for July by 0.72°C. Tweet this fact
Fact 7: 3.6 billion people
As many as 3.6 billion people live in areas of high vulnerability to climate change impactsJump to references10 such as droughts, floods, heat waves, extreme weather events and sea-level rise. Tweet this fact
Fact 8: Coastal ecosystems are critical
In a single square mile, mangroves hold as much carbon as the annual emissions of 90,000 cars. If they are destroyed, all that carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.Jump to references11 Tweet this fact
Fact 9: It’s cheaper to protect nature
Conserving ecosystems is often more cost-effective than human-made interventions. Mangrove trees, which thrive in salty, coastal areas around the world, provide flood protection benefits exceeding US$ 65 billion per year.Jump to references12 Tweet this fact
Fact 10: Nations are uniting
One hundred ninety-three countries and the European Union have ratified the 2015 Paris AgreementJump to references13, agreeing to limit global warming and adapt to climate change, partly by protecting nature. Tweet this fact
FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
Join the thousands who have stepped up to protect nature like mangroves, which trap carbon and safeguard coastal communities against sea-level rise and storms.
References
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2022, June). Carbon dioxide now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/carbon-dioxide-now-more-than-50-higher-than-pre-industrial-levels
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2024, January). 2023 was the world’s warmest year on record, by far U.S. Department of Commerce. https://www.noaa.gov/news/2023-was-worlds-warmest-year-on-record-by-far
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. (2023, February). What is the role of deforestation in climate change and how can 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation' (REDD+) help?. The London School of Economics and Political Science. https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/whats-redd-and-will-it-help-tackle-climate-change/
- DeCicco, J., Fung, F., An, F. (2006). Global Warming on the Road: The climate impact of America’s automobiles. Environmental Defense. https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/5301_Globalwarmingontheroad_0.pdf
- Correction to Supporting Information for Griscom et al., Natural climate solutions. (2019). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(7), 2776–2776. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1900868116
- Buchner, B., Clark, A., Falconer, A., Macquarie, R., Meattle, C., Wetherbee, C. (2019). Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2019. Climate Policy Initiative. https://climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/global-landscape-of-climate-finance-2019/
- United Nations Environment Programme. (2022, December 8). Nature-based Solutions can generate 20 million new jobs, but “just transition” policies needed [Press release]. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/nature-based-solutions-can-generate-20-million-new-jobs-just
- Jaeger, J. (2021, October 18). Climate-friendly Investments Can Create More Jobs Per Dollar than Polluting Alternatives. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/green-investments-create-more-jobs-polluting-alternatives #:~:text=Ecosystem%20restoration%20creates%203.7%20times,as%20fossil%20fuels%20per%20dollar
- Copernicus Climate Change Service. (2023, August 8). July 2023: Global air and ocean temperatures reach new record highs [Press release]. https://climate.copernicus.eu/july-2023-global-air-and-ocean-temperatures-reach-new-record-highs
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022). Key Findings of the AR6 Report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability [Report]. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2022/06/WGII_AR6_Presentation_SB56.pdf
- Conservation International. Protect Our Oceans. https://www.conservation.org/act/protect-our-oceans Accessed: 2023-03-10
- Menéndez, P., Losada, I.J., Torres-Ortega, S. et al. The Global Flood Protection Benefits of Mangroves. Sci Rep 10, 4404 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61136-6
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Paris Agreement - Status of Ratification. https://unfccc.int/process/the-paris-agreement/status-of-ratification. Accessed: 2020-06-09.