What will happen?
The current process is already having many discernible impacts around the globe. Unless we take action, climate change will cause more and more costly damage and disrupt the functioning of our natural environment. Climate change will affect all countries, but developing countries are the most vulnerable.
Some on the impacts are:
• Rise in sea level as a result of melting polar ice caps. If the Earth's average temperature increases more of than 2 ºC (35.6 ºF) above pre-industrial levels, the risk of catastrophic, irreversible events, such as a rapid melting of the Greenland ice sheet increases. Millions of coastal dwellers will be are at risk. Rising sea water could also penetrate and contaminate agricultural soil and freshwater supplies.
• Extreme weather - storms, floods and droughts. In the 1990s, there were three times more weather-related natural catastrophes in the world than in the 1960s
• If the temperature rises by 2.5°C (36,5 ºF) billions of people worldwide are likely to suffer from water scarcity. 50 million people will be at risk of hunger, in addition to the 850 million people suffering from chronic hunger today
• Impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. Many animals and plants will not be able to cope with changed temperatures