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World Wildlife Fund
Solar panels and wind turbines sit along the banks of a river

© Getty Images / pidjoe / WWF-US

Climate

Climate change is already here and it poses a fundamental threat to the places, species, and livelihoods that WWF works to protect.

Our climate is changing faster than ever. Sea levels are rising, oceans are heating up, and droughts are becoming more extreme—threatening crops, wildlife, and freshwater supplies. From polar bears in the Arctic to sea turtles off Africa’s coasts, life everywhere is feeling the impact. These changes threaten not only nature but also the communities and livelihoods that depend on it.

What’s at stake?

Arctic sea ice on the Bering Strait

© WWF-US / Elisabeth Kruger

The effects of climate change

Amazon river and surrounding forest from the air

© Brent Stirton / Getty Images

The Amazon

The Amazon’s vast forests and rivers keep soils healthy, crops growing, and wildlife thriving. But as climate change dries forests and disrupts rainfall, this delicate balance is unraveling—putting communities, biodiversity, and the future of the forest itself at risk. Urgent and immediate action is now needed to ensure its conservation.

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© Staffan Widstrand / WWF

The Arctic

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere else in the world, melting the ice that regulates our climate. What happens here threatens not only Arctic ecosystems, but will shape weather, seas, and communities around the world. This region must be protected to preserve its fragile ecosystems and limit dangerous global impacts.

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Trees bend in the tropical storm wind along North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

© Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News / Getty Images

Disaster preparedness

Climate change is fueling a record number of increasingly extreme weather events and disasters. From powerful storms to devastating floods and intense heatwaves, these events are putting people’s lives and livelihoods at growing risk. By preparing now, we can protect both communities and the environments they depend on.

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Cracked, drought-ridden soil makes up the bank of a portion of the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo

© Daniel A. Leifheit, Moment RF, Getty Images

Land health

There is no viable global solution to climate change without improving the ways we use land. Burning forests, draining wetlands, and plowing grasslands harms vital ecosystems and releases massive amounts of carbon that were once stored safely in the ground. Protecting and restoring these natural systems is one of our best defenses against dangerous warming.

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How WWF is taking climate action

WWF is working with governments, communities, and other stakeholders to build adaptation and resilience and drive whole-of-society climate action.

Featured projects

News and stories

Join us to act on climate

People march for climate justice carrying a sign that says save our planet.

Nature Needs Us Now

Nature gives us everything we need to survive, but it's under threat like never before. The crisis demands immediate action from all of us. Sign the pledge to protect nature.

© WWF-US / Keith Arnold

Experts