Floodwaters surrounding houses in Dhaka, Bangladesh

International climate campaign for fair global action

The sea ice atop the Arctic Ocean looking more like Swiss cheese or a bright coastal wetland. July 12, 2011

Is climate breakdown a threat to people and the planet?

We're facing an international emergency.

Climate breakdown is already causing problems for people and nature around the world.

We've seen melting sea-ice at the poles, 50° heatwaves in India, floods in Bangladesh and drought in California. The UK hasn't escaped either with severe floods in almost every region in recent years.

The sea ice atop the Arctic Ocean looking more like Swiss cheese or a bright coastal wetland. July 12, 2011
A black and white photo of New York city. The Empire State Building is prominent in the photo.

Who is responsible for the global climate emergency?

The world has warmed by over 1°C since the mid-19th century.

During that period richer countries like the UK have been powering their economies on coal, oil and gas – fossil fuels – causing the global temperature rise. They are largely responsible for the backlog of climate-changing emissions lingering in the atmosphere. And they are still releasing more than their fair share of emissions.

We're running out of time to keep warming below 1.5°C and prevent dangerous levels of climate breakdown.

A black and white photo of New York city. The Empire State Building is prominent in the photo.
Infant girl blowing bubble with annotated globe inside it

What is fair global climate action?

Rich countries are more responsible for climate breakdown – and they're more equipped to do something about it.

Developing countries need serious financial and technological support to cut their emissions and cope with climate impacts like droughts, heatwaves and flooding.

But rich nations are under no obligation to provide funding for poorer nations. And they're not cutting their climate-changing emissions fast enough.

This needs to change.

Infant girl blowing bubble with annotated globe inside it

What you can do

Cyclists struggle to push their bikes through the floodwater in Hanoi, China

Who is affected by climate breakdown?

Let’s be clear – climate breakdown affects us all. But the world's poorest people are hardest hit.

As the planet warms the UK will experience more frequent, and deadlier, floods and heatwaves. And soaring food prices are likely to drive up our weekly bills.

All over the world millions of people will be driven from their homes because of extreme floods, droughts and super storms. We're already seeing it happen.

In 2012, every second, someone was displaced by climate or weather-related disasters. Unlike other refugees, these climate refugees have no international protection.

Climate refugees
Cyclists struggle to push their bikes through the floodwater in Hanoi, China
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Keep fossil fuels in the ground

Climate refugee Colitha Kasuana tells her story

In 2013 Colitha and her family had to flee their tiny island.

They were forced to move to the nearby mainland – not by war or persecution, but by the rising sea levels.

“The little piece of land where my family were growing their bananas was gone.”

“The future of my children depended on me and my husband, so we made that hard decision to leave home.”

Colitha's family was resettled. But for most people escaping the effects of climate change, there is no happy ending.

I am a climate refugee
A man rows his family to an unknown destination on a long narrow boat in the waters of Papa New Guinea

No new oil, coal and gas

To stop further climate breakdown we need to keep 80% of all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – in the ground.

People around the world are demanding an end to dirty energy. From the Dakota pipeline, to Shell oil spills in Nigeria and the successful campaign to stop oil and gas exploration in the Adriatic.

In the UK we have to stop using coal in the next few years – and get a permanent ban on fracking.