Climate Change

The Earth's climate is changing. Over the last century, the average surface air temperature has increased globally by about 0.6°C. This warming is even more apparent at the poles - where the Arctic has seen temperature rises of around 5°C.

It is now largely recognised that increasing levels of human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is the reason the globe is warming at this unprecedented rate.

The effects of climate change are already visible, and the changes ahead of us will be much larger and will happen more quickly than any recent natural climate variations.

If we do not take action to reduce global warming, the world is likely to experience a rise in temperature, increasing sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events and a change in rainfall patterns. These climatic changes will potentially impact on our ecosystems, industries, infrastructure, health, and our economy.

If greenhouse gas emissions are not being reduced significantly over the coming decades, the impacts of climate change would more than likely get steadily worse and the costs could be severe.

The Kyoto Protocol is the first important step of the international community towards achieving a world of lower emissions, better energy use and less reliance on fossil fuels. But there is a lot more we can all do to prepare for a future with climate change.

Across the whole of West Sussex, the Climate for Change project is working to raise awareness of climate change and how we can adapt to the influence it will have on our lives. The project works with schools, businesses, and local communities to show different ways of adapting to climate change. The 10percent Challenge is supported by the European project "ESPACE", which is looking at how we can all adapt to the impacts of climate change.