The article is part of the SFG publication “Big Questions of Our time: The World Speaks”. To access the full publication please click here.

Without a doubt, the defining issue of the 21^st Century and centuries to come is climate change. The emission of greenhouse gases has already caused an increase of 0.8 C degrees since pre-industrial times, and future forecasts range from 2 to 6 degrees.

Even an increase of 2 degrees, which climate scientists consider inevitable, will have devastating consequences.  Forecasts regarding the rise of the sea level range from 1 to 6 meters; one meter would be devastating, 6 meters would be catastrophic.  

Hundreds of millions of people would be displaced (especially in China and India), at least four nations would disappear (Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu), tropical cyclones would increase in intensity, and climate-related events would cause trillions of dollars in losses and damage annually.

Given the magnitude of the problem, additional progress needs to be made, within and outside the UNFCCC negotiation process, to effectively address climate mitigation, adaptation and finance.