Slide2

What is climate change?

Climate is usually defined as the "average weather" in a place. It includes patterns of temperature,
precipitation (rain or snow), humidity, wind and seasons. Climate patterns play a fundamental role in
shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. But the climate
weve come to expect is not what it used to be, because the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the
future. Our climate is rapidly changing with disruptive impacts, and that change is progressing faster than
any seen in the last 2,000 years.
According to the report, Preparing for a Changing Climate, rising levels of carbon dioxide and other heattrapping gases in the atmosphere have warmed the Earth and are causing wide-ranging impacts, including
rising sea levels; melting snow and ice; more extreme heat events, fires and drought; and more extreme
storms, rainfall and floods. Scientists project that these trends will continue and in some cases accelerate,
posing significant risks to human health, our forests, agriculture, freshwater supplies, coastlines, and other
natural resources that are vital to Washington states economy, environment, and our quality of life.
Because so many systems are tied to climate, a change in climate can affect many related aspects of where
and how people, plants and animals live, such as food production, availability and use of water, and health
risks. For example, a change in the usual timing of rains or temperatures can affect when plants bloom and
set fruit, when insects hatch or when streams are their fullest. This can affect historically synchronized

pollination of crops, food for migrating birds, spawning of fish, water supplies for drinking and irrigation,
forest health, and more.
Some short-term climate variation is normal, but longer-term trends now indicate a changing climate.
Our state and societies around the globe need to reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to avoid
worsening climate impacts and reduce the risk of creating changes beyond our ability to respond and adapt.
Washington state is addressing this challenge and has adopted policies to reduce energy use, limit
greenhouse gas emissions, and build a clean energy economy. Some changes in climate and impacts on
our state are unavoidable, even if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions today. But we can take more
actions to reduce progressively worsening impacts.

Earths atmosphere is made up of oxygen, a large amount of nitrogen and a

small percentage of greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases act like a blanket around the Earth. They trap warmth from
the sun and make life on Earth possible. Without them, too much heat would
escape and the surface of the planet would freeze. However, increasing the
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes the Earth to
heat more and the climate to change.
This process is often called global warming but it is better to think of it as
climate change because it is likely to change other aspects of climate as well
as temperature, and also bring about more extreme climate events such as
floods, storms, cyclones and droughts.
Slide3

It is extremely likely that humans are the cause of

recent warming
It is true that climate change has been driven by natural causes in the past.
Our climate has undergone many changes over millions of years from ice
ages to tropical heat and back again. Natural changes over the past 10,000
years have generally been gradual which has enabled people, plants and

animals to adapt or migrate, although some prehistoric climate changes may

have been abrupt and are likely to have led to mass extinction of species.
However, over the past 150 years there has been a marked and growing
increase in greenhouse gas producing activities such as industry, agriculture
and transportation. These human-induced activities are increasing the level of
greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and causing the Earth not only to heat
up, but to heat up at an unprecedented rate. This recent warming can only be
explained by the influence of humans.

The levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the

atmosphere are increasing
The levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere have increased
as the result of human activities and are now higher than they have been in at
least 800,000 years.
We know this from a number of ice core studies. Snow traps tiny bubbles of air
as it falls and is compressed into ice. Over the years, more and more ice
layers stack up on top of each other. Drilling into ice sheets in Antarctica and
Greenland provides a record of what the atmosphere was like back in time.
Direct measurements of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases
show how our global greenhouse gas emissions have grown in past decades.
These analyses provide very clear and consistent results that today's
greenhouse gas concentrations are far higher than they were at any time
during the past 800,000 years

There are lots and lots of factors responding to climate

change such as Air Pollution, excessive use of
H2O,Deforestation, sewage, undegredable substance like
polythene and so on:(1) Air Pollution- There are so many pollution harming our
environment due to silly mistaken done by us. For detail
smoke produce by factories, industries, burning of
polythene led harmful gases that harms our environment
directly or indirectly. - Direct is the time when harmful
gases produce from such condition enters our body and
effects it directly and indirectly is the time when the
harmful gases deposits in the ozone layer causing the
depletion to it called global warming. This global warming
is one of the major problem in our current situation
because its causing one of the dangerous diseases i.e
skin cancer.

(2) Deforestation- The major gas that needed by human

being is 02 which is mainly produce by trees and plants.
But nowadays we know there are lots of deforestation
going on which can lead to big issue like decreasing in o2
percentage and increasing in co2. Due to this our world is
facing a big problem which is also a greatfactor to climate
change.
(3) Sewage- Industries, factories produces lots of an
energy producing side products like sewage. Sewage
actually means a solution or suspension flown away from
factories. It contains some of the harmful bacteria and
chemicals that can infect human beings, animals and
environment too.
These all are the human activities responsing in the future.
But there are also some other factors affecting to climate

change naturally like: (1) Currents of ocean, sea.

(2) Distance from the sea or ocean.
(3) Winds.
(4) Proximity to the equator.

Slidefive:
The presence of Blue button at the coast in Bay of Bengal is the dangerous signal of climate
change. This will largely affect marine food chain, experts say.
Blue button is the species of jelly fish (Porpita porpita). It lives on the surface and are not
real jellyfish but are Chondrophores. It is the float which is like a round disc and is a goldenbrown colour. It is typically 1.5 inches wide or less, and has a single mouth underneath
which is used for both the intake of nutrients and the dispersal of wastes.
Blue button is found before one and a half years ago at the ST Martin's coast. Rise in sea
temperature is responsible for their presence, according to the experts.
Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, Ph.D, Professor of Environmental Science, Khulna University,
who involved in research work on 'Environmental threats on the biodiversity of St. Martin's
Island of Bangladesh' for ten years , told The New Nation on Thursday that Blue button was
found due to climate change and pollution.
There are huge wastes from oil that comes from tourist boats. For this reason, the water
temperature of the Island has risen to 1.5 degree Celsius in last ten years.
"The presence of Blue button is the sign of ecological imbalance in the sea. It may affect
Bangladesh's only coral reef St. Martin's and fisheries could be reduced. Overall, marine
sea food may be affected," he said.
M. Shah Nawaz Chowdhury, lecturer of Institute of Marine Science and Fisheries of
Chittagong University collected samples of the species and examines at its laboratory.
Professors of the institute Sayedur Rahman Chowdhury, Md Rashed-Un-Nabi, M Shahadat
Hossain and Associate Prof S M Sharifuzzaman assisted to it.
The research team of Chittagong University wrote an article on the species in German
based Ocean Science Journal 'Springer' Volume 51(2) published in June, 2016.
The article said that the occurrence of Porpita porpita is reported, for the first time, in the
coral island of St. Martin's located in the southeastern coastal region of Bangladesh.
P. porpita was found to occur in the lower littoral zone and beach rock pools, together with
molluscan species, and collected during the pre-monsoon season when both water
temperature (> 30C) and salinity (> 30) tend to reach a maximum, the article said.
M. Shah Nawaz Chowdhury said such animals have been found in the oceans like Pacific

Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean but the presence in the Bay of Bengal make the
scientists concern. It may affect marine food chain and biodiversity.

Multiple lines of evidence show climate change is

happening
There is lots of evidence that tells us the average temperatures of the world's
atmosphere and oceans have increased over the last 150 years.
Evidence includes:

direct temperature measurements on land

changes in the dates when lakes and rivers freeze and their ice
melts
a reduction in the extent of snow cover in the Northern
Hemisphere
a reduction in glaciers
extended growing seasons of plants
changes in the heat stored in the ocean
changes in rainfall patterns resulting in more floods, droughts
and intense rain.

A number of biological changes have also been observed.

These include:

shifts in the ranges of some plant and animal species

earlier timing of spring events such as leaf-unfolding, bird
migration and egg-laying for some species.

Slide8

Exceptional catastrophes or continuous threats? The Global Climate Risk Index

19952014 is based on average values over a twenty year period. However, the list
of countries featured in the Bottom 10 can be divided into two groups: those that
only have a high ranking due to exceptional catastrophes and those that are
continuously affected by extreme events. Countries falling into the former category
include Myanmar, where Cyclone Nargis in 2008 caused more than 95% of the
damage and fatalities in the past two decades, and Honduras, where more than
80% of the damage in both categories was caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The
latest addition to this group is Thailand, where the floods of 2011 accounted for
87% of the total damage. With new superlatives like Hurricane Patricia in October
2015 being the strongest land-falling pacific hurricane on record, it seems to be just
a matter of time until the next exceptional catastrophe occurs.28 Cyclone Pam, that
severely hit Vanuatu in March 2015, once again showed the vulnerability of Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to climate
risks.29 Countries like the Philippines, Pakistan and India are threatened by extreme
weather events each year and remain in the Bottom 10. As a country that is struck
by eight to nine typhoons per year and the victim of exceptional catastrophes,
namely Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the Philippines suggests that a new and unique
classification of countries that fit both moulds may be emerging. Similarly, the
appearance of some European countries among the Bottom 30 countries can to a
large part be attributed to the extraordinary number of fatalities due to the 2003
heat wave, in which more than 70 000 people died across Europe. Although some of
these countries are often hit by extreme events, the relative economic losses and
the fatalities are usually relatively minor compared to the countries' populations and
economic power. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina lost almost 10% of its GDP due
to the 2014 flooding
The link between climate change and extreme weather events Climate changerelated risks stemming from extreme events such as heat waves, extreme
precipitation, and coastal flooding, can already be observed as the Fifth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) from 2014
stresses.30 The frequency of heat waves has increased in large parts of Europe,
Asia and Australia. Likewise the number of heavy precipitation events has increased
in most land regions. Especially in North America and Europe the frequency or
intensity of heavy precipitation events has increased.31 The IPCC has already
predicted that risks associated with extreme events will continue to increase as the
global mean temperature rises.32 However, the link between certain weather
events and climate change is still a frontier in science. A bundle of studies published
by the American Meteorological Society in 2015 researched the causes of weather
events in 2014 and their connection to climate change.33 The studies show that
anthropogenic climate change increased the likelihood of extreme weather events
in 2014, especially the likelihood of heat waves. But also tropical cyclones turned
out to be more likely due to climate change, as an analysis of storms in the Hawaii
region has shown. For other events such as flooding, it is more difficult to prove the

impact of climate change, however this does not mean that it is not there, the
researchers suggest. Furthermore, other human-driven factors increasing climate
risks were found, especially reduced drainage capacity due to land-use changes.
This emphasises the importance of integrative approaches to reduce climate risks.
The above-mentioned examples of the Bottom 10 countries in the CRI for 2014
show how destructive extreme precipitation can be, namely through floods and
landslides. Extreme precipitation is expected to increase as global warming
intensifies the global hydrological cycle. A new study by Lehmann et al. 2015
strengthens the scientific link between record breaking rainfall events since 1980
and rising temperatures. According to the scientists, the likelihood of a new extreme
rainfall event being caused by climate change reached 26% in 2010.34 An example
of such an extreme rainfall event in the Russian town Krymsk, in 2012, was studied
by Meredith et al. 2015. With simulation models, they showed that the current
warmer surface of the Black Sea changes the local atmospheric characteristics and
leads to a 300% increase in simulated precipitation compared to the temperature in
1980.35 As they found that less uniform patterns of precipitation are at higher
temperatures, Wasko and Sharma 2015 suggest that warmer temperatures due to
climate change could increase the magnitude and frequency of short-duration
floods.36 Also there is increasing evidence on the link between extreme El Nio
events and global warming, as a simulation by Cai et al. 2015 showed that the
occurrence of such events could double in the future due to climate change.37

Slide10
The aim of the convention is described in Article 2, "enhancing the implementation" of the UNFCCC
through:[9]
"(a) Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2C above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above preindustrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of
climate change;
(b) Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster
climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does
not threaten food production;
(c) Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions
and climate-resilient development."
Countries furthermore aim to reach "global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as
soon as possible". The agreement has been described as an incentive for and driver
of fossil fuel divestment.[10][11]
The Paris deal is the worlds first comprehensive climate agreement.[12]

More about the featured countries

Bangladesh is one of most vulnerable nations of the world. From 1999 to 2014 the nation has slowly
and consistently bettered its vulnerability standing, having an overall improvement of 0.0547 points.
The mean progress of all nations for the same period was 0.0232 points. With 1.481 standard
deviations above the mean, Bangladesh shows that a nation's vulnerability can indeed be bettered
with appropriate actions. In contrast to vulnerability, Bangladesh's readiness has only consistently
bettered since 2004. The nation's readiness had worsened from 1998 to 2004. In spite of that,
Bangladesh's overall readiness has improved, although not as the same rate as its vulnerability
measure.
Ghana, on the other hand, is an example of how vulnerability and readiness can both be
considerably bettered with appropriate actions. The nation's Vulnerability has had an overall
improvement of 0.0467 points in the 1995-2014 period. The mean progress of all nations for that
period was 0.0232, placing Ghana's progress 0.7937 standard deviations above the mean. In the
case of Readiness, the mean progress of all nations for the 1995-2014 period was 0.0897, which
places Ghana 0.141 standard deviations above the mean.
Know more about the sectors and indicators that have contributed to this progress by exploring
Bangladesh's and Ghana's profiles in our site. Our visualizations tools will also provide valuable
insights on their progress.
Paris Agreement (French: Accord de Paris) is an agreement within the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gases emissions
mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The language of the agreement was
negotiated by representatives of 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the
UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. [3][4] It was opened for signature
on 22 April 2016 (Earth Day) in a ceremony in New York City.[5] As of November 2016, 193 UNFCCC
members have signed the treaty, 105 of which have ratified it. After the European Union ratified the
agreement in October 2016, there were enough countries that had ratified the agreement that

produce enough of the world's greenhouse gases for the agreement to enter into force. [6] The
agreement went into effect on 4 November 2016.[2]
The head of the Paris Conference, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius, said this "ambitious and
balanced" plan is a "historic turning point" in the goal of reducing global warming.[7]
One year on, the ratification of the Paris agreement was celebrated by the Mayor of Paris Anne
Hidalgo by lightening in green the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, Paris' most iconic
monuments [8]

Signature and entry into force[edit]

Signing by John Kerry in United Nations General Assembly Hall for the United States

The Paris Agreement is open for signature by States and regional economic integration
organizations that are Parties to the UNFCCC (the Convention) from 22 April 2016 to 21 April 2017
at the UN Headquarters in New York.[32]
The agreement stated that it would enter into force (and thus become fully effective) only if 55
countries that produce at least 55% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions (according to a list
produced in 2015)[33] ratify, accept, approve or accede to the agreement.[34][35] On 1 April 2016, the
United States and China, which together represent almost 40% of global emissions, issued a joint
statement confirming that both countries would sign the Paris Climate Agreement. [36][37] 175 Parties
(174 states and the European Union) signed the treaty on the first date it was open for signature. [5]
[38]
On the same day, more than 20 countries issued a statement of their intent to join as soon as
possible with a view to joining in 2016. With ratification by the European Union, the Agreement
obtained enough parties to enter into effect as of 4 November 2016.

Green Climate Fund[edit]

Not part of the Paris Agreement (and not legally binding) [49] is a plan to provide US$100 billion a year
in aid to developing countries for implementing new procedures to minimize climate change with
additional amounts to be provided in subsequent years.[50]
In early March 2016, the Obama administration gave a $500 million grant to the "Green Climate
Fund" as "the first chunk of a $3 billion commitment made at the Paris climate talks."[51][52]

Limitations:

Critical reception[edit]

UNEP[edit]
According to UNEP the emission cut targets in November 2016 will result in temperature rise by 3C
above pre-industrial levels, far above the the 2C of the Paris climate agreement. Agreement came
into force in November 2016.[53]

Perfectible accord?[edit]
Al Gore stated that "no agreement is perfect, and this one must be strengthened over time, but
groups across every sector of society will now begin to reduce dangerous carbon pollution through
the framework of this agreement."[54]
According to a study published in Nature on June 2016, current country pledges are too low to lead
to a temperature rise below the Paris Agreement temperature limit of "well below 2 C". [55][56]

Lack of binding enforcement mechanism[edit]

Although the agreement was lauded by many, including French President Francois Hollande and UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,[35] criticism has also surfaced. For example, James Hansen, a
former NASA scientist and a climate change expert, voiced anger about the fact that most of the
agreement consists of "promises" or aims and not firm commitments.[57]
Institutional asset owners associations and think-tanks such as the World Pensions Council
(WPC) have also observed that the stated objectives of the Paris Agreement are implicitly
"predicated upon an assumption that member states of the United Nations, including high polluters
such as China, the US, India, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Indonesia and Australia, which generate more
than half the worlds greenhouse gas emissions, will somehow drive down their carbon pollution
voluntarily and assiduously without any binding enforcement mechanism to measure and control
CO2 emissions at any level from factory to state, and without any specific penalty gradation or fiscal
pressure (for example a carbon tax) to discourage bad behaviour. A shining example of what Roman
lawyers called circular logic: an agreement (or argument) presupposing in advance what it wants to
achieve."[58]

Cheering envoys from 195 nations approved yesterday a historic accord in Paris to stop
global warming, offering hope that humanity can avert catastrophic climate change and
usher in an energy revolution.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius ended nearly a fortnight of gruelling UN
negotiations with the bang of a gavel, marking consensus among the ministers, who

stood for several minutes to clap and shout their joy, with some shedding tears of relief.
I see the room, I see the reaction is positive, I hear no objection.

The Paris climate accord is adopted,

declared Fabius, the president of the talks.
Turning to a little green hammer with which he formally gave life to the arduously
crafted pact, he quipped: It may be a small gavel but it can do big things.
The post-2020 Paris Agreement ends decades-long rows between rich and poor nations
over how to carry out what will be a multi-trillion-dollar campaign to cap global
warming and cope with the impacts of a shifting climate.
With 2015 forecast to be the hottest year on record, world leaders and scientists had said
the accord was vital for capping rising temperatures and averting the most calamitous
impacts from climate change.
Without urgent action, they warned, mankind faced increasingly severe droughts, floods
and storms, and rising seas that would engulf islands and coastal areas populated by
hundreds of millions of people.
It is a victory for all of the planet and for future generations, US Secretary of State
John Kerry told his fellow envoys in Le Bourget on the northern outskirts of Paris.
The crux of the fight entails slashing or eliminating the use of coal, oil and gas for
energy, which has largely powered prosperity since the Industrial Revolution began in
the 1700s.
The burning of those fossil fuels releases invisible greenhouse gases, which cause the
planet to warm and disrupt Earths delicate climate system.
Ending the vicious circle requires a switch to cleaner sources, such as solar and wind,
and improving energy efficiency.
Some nations are also aggressively pursuing nuclear power, which does not emit
greenhouse gases.

The Paris accord sets a target of limiting warming of the planet to well below 2.0
degrees Celsius compared with the Industrial Revolution, while aiming for an even more
ambitious goal of 1.5C.
To do so, emissions of greenhouse gases will need to peak as soon as possible, followed
by rapid reductions, the agreement states.
The world has already warmed by almost 1C, which has caused major problems in dry
developing countries, according to scientists.
Developing nations had insisted rich countries must shoulder the lions share of
responsibility for tackling climate change as they emitted most of the greenhouse gases
since the Industrial Revolution.
The United States and other rich nations countered that emerging giants must also do
more, arguing developing countries now account for most of current emissions and thus
will be largely responsible for future warming.
On the crucial financing issue, developed countries agreed to muster at least $100
billion a year from 2020 to help developing nations.
However, following US objections, it was not included in the legally-binding section of
the deal.

A version of this article appears in print on December 14, 2015 of The Himalayan Times.