Climate Change

Climate change is driven by global warming primarily caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases, especially greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases contribute to a greenhouse effect by retaining heat on Earth, leading to a rise in global temperature. Carbon dioxide, which is mainly emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, plays a central role in global warming. These fuels are used for everything from electricity generation to transportation and industrial processes. Methane, another significant greenhouse gas, originates from agricultural activities such as livestock farming and rice cultivation, as well as from natural gas extraction, and has a major impact on the climate. Nitrous oxide is a less well-known but extremely powerful greenhouse gas, approximately 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide. It is formed naturally in the soil but has increased substantially through the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.

How Does Global Warming Work?

The Earth's climate is affected by the balance between incoming and outgoing energy. The sun emits short-wave radiation (visible light) that reaches the Earth's surface and warms it. The Earth then releases this energy as heat. In a world without greenhouse gases, this heat would radiate into space, and the planet would be about 33 degrees colder – a climate too cold to sustain life as we know it. However, the Earth's atmosphere contains natural greenhouse gases that capture some of this heat and send it back towards the Earth's surface. This is called the greenhouse effect and is crucial for life on Earth. The problem arises when human emissions of greenhouse gases amplify this effect, resulting in more heat remaining in the atmosphere and the Earth's temperature increasing abnormally. In short, the process is:

• Solar radiation hits the Earth – Short-wave radiation passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth's surface.
• The Earth emits heat – The heat is radiated out in the form of long-wave infrared radiation.
• Greenhouse gases absorb the heat – Some of the heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• The heat is reflected back – The greenhouse gases send some of the heat back to the Earth's surface, making the temperature warmer.

The more greenhouse gases we emit globally, the more heat is retained, driving global warming and causing the climate to change.

Greenhouse Gases

Different greenhouse gases have different characteristics and contribute to climate change in various ways. They vary in lifespan (how long they remain in the atmosphere) and global warming potential (GWP), which measures how much a gas contributes to warming compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂).

1. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) – The Biggest Culprit

Carbon dioxide accounts for the largest share of human-caused warming and has a long lifespan in the atmosphere – up to several hundred years. Since CO₂ is a byproduct of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and deforestation, human activities have dramatically increased carbon dioxide levels since the start of industrialization.

• Sources: Burning of fossil fuels, cement production, deforestation.
• Lifespan: Hundreds of years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 1 (baseline).

2. Methane (CH₄) – A Powerful but Short-Lived Gas

Methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide in the short term – about 28 times stronger over a 100-year period. It mainly originates from biological processes such as digestion in livestock and the decomposition of organic material in, for example, rice fields or landfills.

• Sources: Livestock, rice cultivation, landfills, natural gas extraction.
• Lifespan: Approximately 12 years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 28.

3. Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) – The Hidden Climate Villain

Nitrous oxide is a less well-known but extremely powerful greenhouse gas, about 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide. It is formed naturally in the soil but has increased significantly due to the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.

• Sources: Synthetic fertilizers, waste management, industrial processes.
• Lifespan: Approximately 114 years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 265.

4. Fluorinated Gases (F-gases) – Man-Made Super Gases

Fluorinated gases are a group of synthetic gases used in refrigeration systems, foam plastics, and certain industrial processes. They have a very high warming potential – some are thousands of times stronger than CO₂.

• Sources: Refrigerants, electronics manufacturing, industrial processes.
• Lifespan: Decades to centuries.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 1,000–23,000.

Consequences of Climate Change

The consequences of climate change are significant and serious. Extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and stronger hurricanes are becoming more frequent, leading to damage to infrastructure, loss of human life, and major impacts on agriculture and water supplies. Currently, about 21.5 million people are displaced due to these changes. By 2050, UNHCR estimates that up to 1 billion people could become climate refugees. Additionally, rising sea levels, caused by melting glaciers and polar ice as well as the warming of ocean water, pose a growing threat to coastal communities and island nations. Biodiversity is also negatively affected, as many species are forced to seek new habitats or risk extinction due to the changing climate. This increases the risk of disrupting ecosystem balance and affecting vital processes such as pollination and water purification.

What Can We Do to Slow Down Climate Change?

Addressing climate change requires global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. This includes a transition 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. At the international level, agreements such as the Paris Agreement aim to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, with a goal of striving toward a 1.5°C limit. Based on current conditions and trends, we will not be able to keep within that goal. However, it is crucial that we still do everything we can to reduce emissions, as every additional degree of warming has devastating consequences for our planet. To reduce emissions and stay as close to the 1.5-degree goal as possible requires broad cooperation and commitment from governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide. Climate change is a serious and complex challenge that demands coordinated global efforts. It’s not only about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about adapting societies and ecosystems to manage the changes that are already inevitable. The future well-being depends on the actions we take today to combat this global threat.

Climate Justice

Climate justice plays a key role in the fight against climate change. It involves recognizing and addressing how different communities are affected in different ways by climate change, especially those who are most vulnerable yet have contributed the least to the problem. Even though Sweden is a small country, the efforts made here influence global climate work. Sweden has the opportunity to serve as a role model, leading the way in sustainability and innovative societal solutions, and inspiring other countries to follow suit. In our global world, every country's efforts matter. Through Sweden's commitments and actions, we contribute to the global endeavor to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate justice, which is crucial to effectively addressing climate change on a worldwide scale.