Climate Change

The consequences of climate change are multifaceted and serious. Extreme weather phenomena such as droughts, floods, and more powerful hurricanes are becoming increasingly common, leading to damage to infrastructure, loss of human lives, and significant impacts on agriculture and water supply. Today, approximately 21.5 million people are displaced as a result of these changes. By 2050, UNHCR has estimated that up to 1 billion people could become climate refugees. Moreover, rising sea levels, due to melting glaciers and polar ice, as well as the warming of ocean waters, pose a growing threat to coastal communities and island states. Biodiversity is also negatively affected, as many species are forced to seek new habitats or risk extinction due to the changing climate. This can disrupt the balance of ecosystems and affect important processes such as pollination and water purification.

What drives climate change?

The change is primarily driven by human activity, especially the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases contribute to a greenhouse effect by trapping heat on Earth, leading to a global temperature increase. Carbon dioxide, primarily emitted through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, plays a central role in this. These fuels are used for everything from electricity production to transportation and industrial processes. Methane, another significant greenhouse gas, comes from agricultural activities such as livestock farming and rice cultivation, as well as from the extraction of natural gas.

What can we do to slow down climate change?

To address climate change, global efforts are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, improvements in energy efficiency, and the development of carbon capture and storage technologies (read about our projects that support the transition to renewable energy). It is also important to preserve and restore forests and other natural carbon sinks that can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. On an international level, agreements like the Paris Agreement aim to limit global temperature increase to well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, with a goal to strive towards a limit of 1.5°C. Given the current situation and trends, we will not be able to restrict ourselves to this goal. However, it is crucial that we still do everything we can to reduce emissions, as each degree of further warming has devastating consequences for our planet. To reduce emissions and stay as close to the 1.5-degree target as possible, broad cooperation and commitment from governments, businesses, and individuals are required. Climate change represents a serious and complex challenge that requires coordinated global efforts. It's not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also about adapting societies and ecosystems to cope with the changes that are already inevitable. The welfare of the future depends on the actions we take today to combat this global threat. Climate justice plays a key role in the fight against climate change. It's about recognizing and addressing how different communities are affected in various ways by climate change, especially those who are most vulnerable but have contributed the least to the problem. Even though Sweden is a small country, the efforts made here play a significant role in global climate work. Sweden has the opportunity to be a role model, show the way for sustainability and innovative solutions, and inspire other countries to follow suit. In our global world, the efforts of every country count, and through Sweden's commitments and actions, we contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate justice, which is crucial for effectively addressing climate change on a worldwide level.