Effects of Climate Change Stories

The world is already 1° C hotter than it was between 1850 and 1900. There’s no question that limiting warming to 1.5° F will be difficult, but we have the technology needed to succeed.

The United Nations climate talks are the most important round of negotiations since the Paris Agreement was reached three years ago. There is still time for us to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and create a safer future, but that window is closing fast.

Kruger leads WWF’s efforts to help polar bears and other Arctic marine mammals coexist alongside people in an increasingly warmer and ice-free Arctic.

Last winter, a WWF census found a total of 61 snow leopards in Russia’s Altai-Sayan Ecoregion, a remote landscape where high, snowy mountain ranges offer a last refuge for this rare feline. Snow leopard numbers have been relatively steady in Russia since WWF and partners first began monitoring them three years ago. But with fewer than 7,000 estimated to live in the wild, they remain endangered.

They may not be household names, but these ecosystems are vital to the health of our planet. They support an incredible range of plants and animals, as well as millions of people and their communities, and play a critical role in fighting climate change.

Covering more than 70% of our planet’s surface, the ocean contains the largest diversity of life on Earth and affects everything from global weather patterns to food systems. Learn what steps you can take help protect the ocean. 

While residents of Sikkim honor the endangered red panda, they also understand the species is under a growing threat. Climate change is impacting species across the globe and red pandas—with less than 10,000 left in the wild—are not immune.

At WWF, we’re engaging with millions of Americans, leading businesses, and government leaders to tackle climate change. Here are nine reasons why we’re hopeful in the face of this threat.

Up to half of plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas—including the Amazon and the Galápagos—could face extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change if carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked.

January 2018 brought record-low sea ice cover to the Arctic, according to new data released by the US government. That’s bad news for the ocean, wildlife, and local communities that rely on both for survival.

Dozens of fluffy shy albatross chicks sitting on artificial nests are a promising sign for scientists behind an innovative plan to give the vulnerable species a boost to help counteract the negative impacts of climate change.

The Green Climate Fund, a multilateral fund dedicated to helping developing countries respond to climate change, continues this tradition of cooperation for the common good.

Our “At the Top of the World” feature introduced a rural herding community in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan as they worked to protect snow leopards and adapt to climate change. Here's where we are now.

Because incubation temperature of turtle eggs determines the animal’s sex, a warmer nest results in more females. Increasing temperatures in Queensland’s north, linked to climate change, have led to virtually no male northern green sea turtles being born.

After a year of extremes in the US—from floods to hurricanes to wildfires—2017 is officially the third-hottest year on record. Much of the warming is attributed to human-caused changes in climate.

Climate change impacts all parts of the world, and finding solutions to the challenges posed by such an immense threat will require action from every country. Annual international climate talks are key to effectively addressing the problem.

A tight-knit ranching community in Muenster, Texas is home to something pretty special: a clean energy revolution.

Remeza, Kingeline, Yollande and Hanitra are all part of WWF’s access to sustainable energy program managed in collaboration with India’s Barefoot College. The four women joined women from several other countries for a six-month training in India in applied solar technology. Most women joining the program leave their country, sometimes their native regions or villages, for the first time in their lives.

The We Are Still In declaration demonstrated to world leaders that America’s cities, states, tribes, businesses, colleges, and universities will work to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement.

Leaders across the US economy reaffirmed their commitment to climate action despite the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of an unprecedented and essential international agreement to curb climate change.

The United States has announced its intent to withdraw from the historic Paris Agreement, the world’s first truly global plan to address climate change.

Flooding is currently the most common natural disaster worldwide, and rising global temperatures will only make it more frequent and severe. WWF has developed an integrated framework for managing floods, giving managers more flexible and effective solutions to prevent or respond to such natural disasters. 

While current efforts in Washington stand to undo climate change policies, nearly half America’s largest companies are emerging as leaders in setting clean energy targets that will reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases released into the atmosphere and help to curb climate change.

WWF and Walmart are working together to cut carbon pollution and curb some of the worst impacts of climate change to protect people and wildlife at risk with Project Gigaton.