15.1        Statistics

• Greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and is more than 50% higher than their 1990 level⁶⁹.
• Average global temperature has risen by 0.85°C.

“To put this into perspective, for each 1 degree of temperature increase, grain yields decline by about 5 per cent. Maize, wheat and other major crops have experienced significant yield reductions at the global level of 40 megatonnes per year between 1981 and 2002 due to a warmer climate.”⁷⁰

• Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people around the world⁷¹
• This figure is likely to increase due to rising temperatures as a result of climate change
• It is estimated that at least one in four people are likely to be affected by recurring water shortages by 2050⁷²

15.2        The Challenge

People who contributed least to the causes of climate change are mostly living in developing countries. However, the impact of climate change hits them the hardest. Disasters such as floods, droughts and other extreme weather disasters are destroying homes and livelihoods, creating food shortages and claiming the lives of those living in the poorest countries⁷³.

15.3        The Opportunity

UN SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. With political will and various technological measures, there is a real possibility of limiting an increase in global mean temperature to 2°C above pre-industrial levels⁷⁴. Urgent collective action is imperative to address global warming.

Resources

⁶⁹Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sustainable Development Goals: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/

⁷⁰Ibid

⁷¹Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations Development Programme: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sdgoverview/post-2015-development-agenda/goal-6.html

⁷²Ibid

⁷³Climate Action. (n.d.). Retrieved from ONE: https://www.one.org/international/globalgoals/climate-action/

⁷⁴Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sustainable Development Goals: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change-2/

15.4        Resources

• Poverty, Climate Change & Sustainable Development
• Poverty No More (Season 2) – Additional Resources
• Poverty No More (Season 1) – Additional Resources

15.5        Past Projects

• Room to Grow