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Writer's pictureGeni Energi

Global Challenges and Urgent Actions: Understanding the Consequences of Climate Change


Climate change is a global concern in the twenty-first century. Climate change can be observed by variations in four elements: air temperature, rainfall, air humidity, and air pressure. Climate change has had far-reaching consequences in many areas of human life. We frequently hear about the Earth's surface temperature rising. The Asian continent is currently experiencing a heat wave with the highest temperature ever recorded. Thailand recorded temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius, while Bangladesh recorded the highest temperature of 51 degrees Celsius. The heat wave hit Europe first, with temperatures hitting a record 40 degrees Celsius. Not only in the summer, but also in the winter, Europe endures "hottest" temperatures of more than 20 degrees Celsius. Recently, we have experienced high heat followed by rain in a short period of time in Indonesia. Although most of the world is in a dry season, the severity of rain is becoming increasingly unpredictable. An increase in the earth's temperature causes an increase in atmospheric water reserves, which limits the availability of water in the soil. Heavy rain can fall when the temperature of the atmosphere lowers. This has the potential to enhance the frequency and intensity of tropical storms and other extreme weather occurrences. During extreme dry seasons, more water evaporates into the atmosphere from plants, animals, and humans, resulting in higher water demand and insufficient availability.

The growing sense of urgency caused by climate change motivates people to take action to save the planet. According to NASA Global Climate Change, the Earth's surface temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1984, or preindustrial periods. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide (CO2) content has increased to 421 ppm from 365 ppm in 2002. It has also resulted in Arctic ice melting at a pace of 12.6% each decade. Various international forums, like the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement, have been organized to discuss solutions to this problem. The Paris accord is a legally enforceable international climate change accord. The agreement was adopted by 196 Parties on December 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France. Its goal is to keep "the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels" and to pursue initiatives "to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels."

However, international leaders have recently emphasized the importance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century. Because, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, beyond the 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change effects, such as more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves, and rainfall. To keep global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak no later than 2025 and then fall by 43% by 2030.The Paris Agreement's implementation necessitates economic and societal transformations based on the best available knowledge. Countries have started submitting national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), since 2020.


To achieve the Paris agreement, actions that can be performed are classified into two categories: lowering emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change. Emissions can be reduced by switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy. To attain net emissions by 2050, the consumption of coal, oil, and gas must be reduced. Adapting to climate change entails taking steps to prepare for and respond to both the existing and expected effects of climate change. The goal is to lessen our vulnerability to the negative effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise, more intense extreme weather events, and food poverty. It also includes taking use of any potential benefits connected with climate change (for example, longer growing seasons or higher yields in particular places). Because the effects of climate change are not the same everywhere, how communities adapt to climate change will depend on how climate change affects the region where that community is located.

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