UN Causes and Effects Reference Guide
UN Climate Science Briefing
CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Official Reference Guide — Source: United Nations Climate Action
Authority:United Nations
Subject:Emissions Drivers
Layout:Clean Print Guide
Earth’s climate is driven by the greenhouse effect. However, human-induced emissions are drastically intensifying this natural baseline. As greenhouse gases wrap around the Earth like a blanket, they trap the sun's heat, forcing global temperatures to rise. Below are the seven primary causes identified by climate scientists.
01. Generating Power
Electricity & Heat Production
Burning fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—for electricity and heating releases massive, global quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O).
02. Manufacturing Goods
Heavy Industry & Processing
Industry and manufacturing produce emissions from burning fuels to make cement, iron, steel, chemicals, plastics, synthetic fibers, and consumer electronics.
03. Cutting Down Forests
Deforestation
Felling forests to create farms, pastures, or developments releases stored carbon into the air. Trees absorb carbon; destroying them limits nature's ability to reduce emissions.
04. Using Transportation
Fossil-Fueled Vehicles
Most road vehicles, commercial airplanes, and ships burn petroleum products (gasoline and diesel), contributing nearly a quarter of global energy-related CO₂ emissions.
05. Producing Food
Agriculture & Livestock
Raising livestock, rice farming, using chemical fertilizers, clearing fields, and transporting food systems worldwide require fossil energy, producing significant methane and nitrous oxide.
06. Powering Buildings
Commercial & Residential Energy
Globally, residential and commercial buildings consume over half of all electricity. Their reliance on fossil fuel heating, cooling, and lighting drives substantial emissions.
07
Consuming Too Much (Lifestyle & Wealth)
Our lifestyle has a profound impact. Power consumption, diets, clothing, travel, and material waste significantly accelerate global warming. Research shows that the wealthiest 1% of the global population produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the poorest 50% combined.
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UN Climate Science Briefing Official Reference Guide
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Because temperature rise alters global wind and ocean currents, climate change disrupts weather patterns across every continent. These changes compound, driving a sequence of critical consequences:
🌡️ Hotter Temperatures
As greenhouse gas concentrations rise, global surface temperatures increase. Nearly all land areas are seeing more hot days and intense heatwaves, elevating heat-related illnesses.
⛈️ More Severe Storms
Warm air holds more moisture, leading to extremely heavy rainfall and intensifying storms. This causes severe flooding, landslide risks, and catastrophic coastal damage.
🏜️ Increased Drought
Water availability is shrinking in many water-stressed regions. Severe droughts damage agriculture, disrupt ecosystems, dry out forests, and trigger destructive wildfires.
🌊 A Warming, Rising Ocean
The ocean absorbs most global heat, melting glaciers and ice sheets. This thermal expansion, along with freshwater input, drives sea-level rise and threatens coastal communities.
🦋 Loss of Species
Unprecedented thermal shifts threaten ecosystems. Invasive pests, extreme heat, forest fires, and desertification force species to migrate or face rapid extinction.
🌾 Not Enough Food
Extreme weather disrupts crop yields, livestock health, and fisheries. Persistent droughts limit freshwater irrigation, driving hunger and malnutrition in low-income populations.
🏥 More Health Risks
Climate change expands the range of vector-borne diseases (such as malaria), worsens air pollution, and intensifies extreme heat-stress fatalities and mental health challenges.
🏚️ Poverty and Displacement
Floods, wildfires, and crop failures destroy homes and agricultural incomes. Many people in developing nations are forced to migrate, becoming climate refugees.
Analysis and Reflection
How do the specific causes of global greenhouse emissions create a direct cascading sequence of effects on food security and human displacement?
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