Global warming

Global warming
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, Key and Title by uploader (Eric Fisk) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Global warming
Causes	Greenhouse gas emissions
Region	Worldwide

Global warming Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature observed since the late 19th century. It is linked to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activities and interacts with natural variability documented by scientific institutions and historical records. Major scientific bodies, international organizations, and national agencies have assessed evidence and projections to inform policy and practice.

Overview

The phenomenon is studied by institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Met Office, and Environmental Protection Agency and has been a focus for scholars at universities like University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Princeton University. Observational datasets are curated by organizations including European Space Agency, Japanese Meteorological Agency, CSIRO, Hadley Centre, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Conferences and assessments from bodies such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, World Meteorological Organization, World Bank, International Energy Agency, and United Nations Environment Programme synthesize findings. Prominent scientific awards and recognitions relevant to the field include the Nobel Prize, the Blue Planet Prize, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.

Causes

Anthropogenic drivers are traced to fossil fuel combustion in sectors overseen by entities like ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Chevron Corporation, and Saudi Aramco and to land-use change involving stakeholders such as Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and institutions like International Union for Conservation of Nature. Major greenhouse gases originate from industrial processes cataloged by the International Organization for Standardization, transport networks tied to International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization, and agricultural systems linked to World Trade Organization discussions. Carbon cycle perturbations involve carbon sinks studied at sites like Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, Boreal forests, Great Barrier Reef, and Sahara Desert research programs. Historical forcings are constrained using proxies from projects such as EPICA, GRIP, GISP2, and analyses by researchers affiliated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.

Evidence and Observed Impacts

Instrumental records from HadCRUT, GISS Surface Temperature Analysis, Berkeley Earth, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, and reconstructions used by IPCC show trends corroborated by remote sensing from Landsat, MODIS, Sentinel, ICESat, and GRACE. Cryosphere changes are documented at locations like Greenland Ice Sheet, Antarctic Peninsula, Himalayas, Alps, and Arctic Ocean by research teams from Alfred Wegener Institute, Scott Polar Research Institute, and National Snow and Ice Data Center. Oceanic impacts are observed by programs such as Argo, Global Drifter Program, NOAA Fisheries, and International Council for the Exploration of the Sea with effects on systems including Coral Reef sites like Great Barrier Reef and Belize Barrier Reef. Ecosystem responses have been studied in regions like Amazon Rainforest, California Floristic Province, Mediterranean Basin, Sahel, and Boreal Zone, with socioeconomic effects analyzed by organizations such as International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Projected Future Impacts

Climate model projections using frameworks developed at IPCC, Met Office Hadley Centre, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, and NCAR indicate a range of outcomes for scenarios influenced by pathways described by Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, Representative Concentration Pathways, and analyses used by the European Commission. Projected changes affect sectors managed or studied by World Bank, International Energy Agency, United Nations Development Programme, International Labour Organization, and regional institutions like African Union and European Central Bank. Risks to coastal systems involve infrastructure in cities such as New York City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Tokyo, and island states including Maldives and Kiribati. Health and migration implications are areas of focus for World Health Organization, International Organization for Migration, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Mitigation and Adaptation

Mitigation strategies are promoted by actors like International Renewable Energy Agency, Green Climate Fund, Rocky Mountain Institute, Tesla, Inc., and Siemens and include deployment of technologies such as wind farms analyzed by GE Renewable Energy, solar arrays from First Solar, and carbon capture studied at facilities linked to Chevron Corporation and Occidental Petroleum. Land-based measures involve programs run by UN-REDD Programme, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and national parks like Yellowstone National Park. Adaptation planning is implemented by municipal and national bodies including City of Copenhagen, Government of Bangladesh, Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and regional initiatives like Asian Development Bank projects. Financing mechanisms involve instruments from World Bank Green Bond, European Investment Bank, Green Climate Fund, and philanthropic entities such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

International Policy and Agreements

Negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have produced accords including the Paris Agreement and earlier outcomes like the Kyoto Protocol and meetings at conferences such as Conference of the Parties 21 and summits hosted by nations including France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and China. Implementation involves national commitments formulated in Nationally Determined Contributions submitted by countries such as India, Brazil, Germany, Australia, and South Africa. Multilateral financing, technology transfer, and capacity building are coordinated through institutions including Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and International Renewable Energy Agency. Legal and trade implications have been debated in forums like the World Trade Organization, International Court of Justice, and regional bodies such as the European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Category:Climate change