Source: NASA GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

• Global Temperature Rise
  The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.4 Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with the six warmest years on record taking place since 2014. Not only was 2016 the warmest year on record, but eight of the 12 months that make up the year — from January through September, with the exception of June — were the warmest on record for those respective months. 5
• Warming Oceans
  The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of more than 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969.6
• Shrinking Ice Sheets
  The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. Data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment show Greenland lost an average of 286 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016, while Antarctica lost about 127 billion tons of ice per year during the same time period. The rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled in the last decade.7
• Glacial Retreat
  Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa.8
• Decreased Snow Cover
  Satellite observations reveal that the amount of spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has decreased over the past five decades and that the snow is melting earlier.9
• Sea Level Rise
  Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century. The rate in the last two decades, however, is nearly double that of the last century and is accelerating slightly every year.10
• Declining Arctic Sea Ice
  Both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly over the last several decades.11
• Extreme Events
  The number of record high temperature events in the United States has been increasing, while the number of record low temperature events has been decreasing, since 1950. The U.S. has also witnessed increasing numbers of intense rainfall events.12
• Ocean Acidification
  Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent.13,14 This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence more being absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year.15,16

References

Source: IPCC AR5 – Chapter 26

• North America’s climate has changed and some societally relevant changes have been attributed to anthropogenic causes.
• Many climate stresses that carry risk—particularly related to severe heat, heavy precipitation, and declining snowpack—will increase in frequency and/or severity in North America in the next decades.
• North American ecosystems are under increasing stress from rising temperatures, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, and sea levels, and are particularly vulnerable to climate extremes.
• Water resources are already stressed in many parts of North America due to non-climate change anthropogenic forces, and are expected to become further stressed due to climate change.
• Effects of temperature and climate variability on yields of major crops have been observed. Projected increases in temperature, reductions in precipitation in some regions, and increased frequency of extreme events would result in net productivity declines in major North American crops by the end of the 21st century without adaptation, although the rate of decline varies by model and scenario, and some regions, particularly in the north, may benefit.
• Most sectors of the North American economy have been affected by and have responded to extreme weather, including hurricanes,flooding, and intense rainfall.

Source: IPCC AR5 – Chapter 27

• Changes in weather and climatic patterns are negatively affecting human health in CA and SA, by increasing morbidity, mortality,and disabilities, and through the emergence of diseases in previously non-endemic areas.
  • With very high confidence,climate-related drivers are associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, vector- and water-borne diseases(malaria, dengue, yellow fever, leishmaniasis, cholera, and other diarrheal diseases), hantaviruses and rotaviruses, chronic kidney diseases, and psychological trauma. Air pollution is associated with pregnancy-related outcomes and diabetes, among others.
• Sea level rise (SLR) and human activities on coastal and marine ecosystems pose threats to fish stocks, corals, mangroves,recreation and tourism, and control of diseases.
• Socioeconomic conditions have improved since AR4; however, there is still a high and persistent level of poverty in most countries,resulting in high vulnerability and increasing risk to climate variability and change.
• Conversion of natural ecosystems is the main cause of biodiversity and ecosystem loss in the region, and is a driver of anthropogenic climate change.
• Land use change contributes significantly to environmental degradation, exacerbating the negative impacts of climate change.
• Changes in streamflow and water availability have been observed and projected to continue in the future in CA and SA, affecting already vulnerable regions.
•  

Source: European Environmental Agency (EEA)

EEA Global and European temperature Report

“Climate change is happening now and will get worse in the future, even if global efforts to reduce emissions prove effective. Extreme weather and climate-related events that result in hazards such as floods and droughts will become more frequent and intense in many regions. This leads to many adverse impacts on ecosystems, economic sectors, and human health and well-being. Therefore, actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change are paramount and should be tailored to the specific circumstances in different parts of Europe. “

• The average annual temperature for the European land area for the last decade (2009–2018) was between 1.6 °C and 1.7 °C above the pre-industrial level, which makes it the warmest decade on record. In Europe, 2018 was among three warmest years on record.
• Climate models project further increases in global average temperature over the 21st century (for the period 2081–2100 relative to 1986–2005) of between 0.3 °C and 1.7 °C for the lowest emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6) and between 2.6 °C and 4.8 °C for the highest emissions scenario (RCP8.5).
• Annual average land temperature over Europe is projected to increase by the end of this century (2071–2100 relative to 1971–2000) in the range of 1.0 °C to 4.5 °C under RCP4.5, and 2.5 °C to 5.5 °C under RCP8.5, which is more than the projected global average increase. The strongest warming is projected across north-eastern Europe and Scandinavia in winter and southern Europe in summer.
• The number of warm days (those exceeding the 90th percentile threshold of a baseline period) have doubled between 1960 and 2018 across the European land area.
• Europe has experienced several extreme heat waves since 2000 (2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018). Under a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5), extreme heat waves as strong as these or even stronger are projected to occur as often as every two years in the second half of the 21st century. In southern Europe, they are projected to be particularly strong.

Source: IPCC AR5 – Chapter 24

• Warming trends and increasing temperature extremes have been observed across most of the Asian region over the past century.
• Terrestrial systems in many parts of Asia have responded to recent climate change with shifts in the phenologies, growth rates,and the distributions of plant species, and with permafrost degradation, and the projected changes in climate during the 21stcentury will increase these impacts.
• Coastal and marine systems in Asia are under increasing stress from both climatic and non-climatic drivers.
• Multiple stresses caused by rapid urbanization, industrialization, and economic development will be compounded by climate change.
• Extreme climate events will have an increasing impact on human health, security, livelihoods, and poverty, with the type and magnitude of impact varying across Asia.
• Water scarcity is expected to be a major challenge for most of the region as a result of increased water demand and lack of good management.

Source: Climate Institute Australia, Sydney, Australia

Infographic Australia: LINK

New Zealand

Source Ministry for the Environment

Our changing climate will affect our economy, environment and way of life.

Likely impacts of climate change

Higher temperatures

• There is likely to be an increase in demand for air-conditioning systems and therefore electricity in summer.
• People are likely to enjoy the benefits of warmer winters with fewer frosts. However hotter summers will bring increased risks of heat stress and subtropical diseases.
• There may be a reduction in demand for winter heating. This could lead to lower costs and reduced stress on those who cannot afford electricity. 

Flooding

• More frequent intense winter rainfalls. These are expected to increase the likelihood of rivers flooding, and flash flooding when urban drainage systems become overwhelmed.

Water resources

• Water demand will increase during hot, dry summers.
• Longer summers with higher temperatures and lower rainfall will reduce soil moisture and groundwater supplies.
• Drought intensity will likely increase over time. Drier conditions in some areas are likely to be coupled with more frequent droughts.
• River flows are likely to be lower in summer and higher in winter.
• Lower river flows in summer will raise water temperatures and aggravate water quality problems (eg, through increased algae growth).

Sea-level rise

• Rising sea levels will increase the risk of erosion, coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion, increasing the need for coastal protection.

Health

• Higher levels of human mortality related to summer heat are expected.
• Higher winter temperatures may lead to a reduction in winter related human mortality and illnesses such as colds and flu.

Biodiversity

• Warmer temperatures will alter habitats that are critical to some species, increasing the risk of localised extinction.
• Warmer temperatures will favour conditions for many exotic species. They will also favour conditions for the spread of disease and pests affecting both fauna and flora.
• Increased summer drought will put stress onto dry lowland forests.
• Earlier springs and longer frost-free seasons could affect the timing of bird egg-laying, first flowering and health of leafing or flowering plants.

Built environment

• Increased temperatures may reduce comfort of people in domestic, commercial and public buildings and could lead to disruptions to business.

Transport

• Hotter summers may damage elements of transport infrastructure, causing buckled railway lines and damaged roads, with disruption and repair costs.

Agriculture

• Agricultural productivity is expected to increase in some areas. However there are risks of drought and spreading of pests and diseases.
• There are likely to be costs associated with changing land-use activities to suit a new climate.

Business and finance

• Households may find it more difficult to access adequate insurance cover in the face of increased flood risk.
• Fruit and vegetable growers may find it more expensive to insure against weather related damage (eg, from hail).
• The risk management of potential climate change impacts may provide opportunities for businesses.

Source: IPCC-AR5-Chapter5

• Evidence of warming over land regions across Africa, consistent with anthropogenic climate change, has increased.
• Warming projections under medium scenarios indicate that extensive areas of Africa will exceed 2°C by the last 2 decades of this century relative to the late 20th century mean annual temperature and all of Africa under high emission scenarios.
• African ecosystems are already being affected by climate change, and future impacts are expected to be substantial.
• Climate change will amplify existing stress on water availability in Africa.
• Increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation are very likely to reduce cereal crop productivity.This will have strong adverse effects on food security.
• Progress has been achieved on managing risks to food production from current climate variability and near-term climate change but these will not be sufficient to address long-term impacts of climate change.
• Funding and technology transfer and support is needed to both address Africa’s current adaptation deficit and to protect rural and urban livelihoods, societies, and economies from climate change impacts at different local scales.
• Climate change and climate variability have the potential to exacerbate or multiply existing threats (note: violent conflicts) to human security including food, health, and economic insecurity, all being of particular concern for Africa. (
• Key regional risks relating to shifts in biome distribution, loss of coral reefs, reduced crop productivity, adverse effects on livestock, vector- and water-borne diseases, under nutrition, and migration are assessed as either medium or high for the present under current adaptation, reflecting Africa’s existing adaptation deficit.
• Funding and technology transfer and support is needed to both address Africa’s current adaptation deficit and to protect rural and urban livelihoods, societies, and economies from climate change impacts at different local scales.
• Climate change combined with other external changes (environmental, social, political,technological) may overwhelm the ability of people to cope and adapt, especially if the root causes of poverty and vulnerability are not addressed.