10 climate change facts you can’t afford to ignore
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Global warming is showing no sign of slowing down. Human activity is pushing temperatures higher than ever before, with the risk of a tipping point from which we can never recover getting closer by the minute. We’re also continuing to pollute the planet with plastic and forever chemicals.
The good news is that we can still avoid a climate disaster. Our customers are doing their part by joining us in our mission to end fossil fuels but more action and awareness is still needed.
This year’s World Environment Day is focusing on ending plastic pollution, to protect our seas and oceans as well as the global food chain. Held annually on 5 June since 1972, World Environment Day sees tens of millions of people participate in action and learning around the globe.
Taking action now is vital. Here are 10 frightening facts about climate change that explain why:
The Earth just keeps getting hotter
Last year, 2024, was the warmest on record and the first to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the annual global average temperature.
Climate scientists believe this was partly influenced by the warming El Niño climate event, which should have meant that things started to cool off as it subsided at the end of the year. However, January 2025 was unexpectedly the hottest January on record, showing that the warming is continuing to increase.
Plastic pollution is getting worse
The reason that World Environment Day 2025 is focusing on plastic pollution is a staggering statistic: today, the world produces twice as much plastic as two decades ago, with only 9 per cent of it being recycled.
Humans create 460 million tonnes of plastic annually, a lot of which is entering the environment, including soil, rivers and oceans. Plastics are also contributing to climate warming – throughout their lifecycle, they are responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Plastic also works its way into food chains, so much so that scientists have recently found microplastics in food crops entering through the soil, water and even the air, while levels of micro and nanoplastics in human livers, kidneys and brains are on the rise.
Greenhouse gas levels are higher than ever
The amount of carbon dioxide and methane in our atmosphere reached record levels in 2024. The rise in greenhouse gases has been caused by humans from activities like burning fossil fuels, emissions from transport and the environmental impact of intensive farming – and this is what’s continuing to cause the Earth’s temperature to rise.
Greenhouse gas levels need to drop by 43 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2019) to keep the world’s temperature increase under 1.5C. However, unless the countries of the world amend their current plans, we’re on track for a rise of up to 2.9C.
Extreme weather is getting more extreme
Each year, billions of people are suffering in heatwaves and extreme weather, from deadly floods in Europe and unprecedented hurricanes in the USA to severe drought in the Amazon rainforest.
A study of the 10 deadliest weather events since 2004, which killed over 570 million people, shows that climate change makes extreme weather more intense and more likely. In 2024, there were an extra 41 days of dangerous heat globally owing to climate change.
Sea ice is vanishing
Sea ice is a vital environment for many animals, including seals and walrus, polar bears, arctic foxes, whales and caribou. The rapid decline in sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctica is drastically shrinking their habitats and pushing species to the edge of extinction.
Climate change is the reason we’re seeing historically low amounts of sea ice, which in turn is speeding up global warming. Sea ice is nearly white, reflecting 50-70 percent of the sun’s energy back into space. As the ice disappears, the darker ocean surface that replaces it only reflects 6 percent of the sun’s energy, creating more warming and a feedback loop that speeds up the destruction of even more sea ice.
Record-breaking downpours
Around the globe, unprecedented rainfall is leading to devastating floods. The cause is the warming atmosphere, which is able to hold more moisture than cooler air.
Water vapour in the atmosphere also has a feedback effect, increasing the warming effect on the Earth. It also ramps up the amount of energy in the atmosphere, increasing the likelihood of more intense storms.
In 2024, the total amount of water in the atmosphere reached a record 4.9% above the 1991-2020 average, considerably higher than the previous record of 3.3%.
Biodiversity loss is at an all-time high
Across the planet, species are becoming extinct 1,000 times faster than at any other time in human history. On average, over the past 40 years, wildlife populations have declined by 69%, with predictions that one million species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades as global temperatures rise.
The reason is not hard to pin down. Rising temperatures are leading to loss of habitat, thanks to forest fires, extreme weather and changes in weather patterns that lead to desertification of once lush habitats.
The climate refugee crisis is worsening
The climate refugee crisis is showing no signs of abating. Since 2008, over 376 million people have been displaced by disasters related to climate change. Many have found refuge within their own countries but significant numbers have not.
Climate-related causes include extreme weather, shifting weather patterns leading to food and water insecurity and the demand for more grazing land for cattle (which is itself fuelling climate change owing to the emissions it produces).
Our oceans are dying
The world’s oceans absorb almost a third of our CO2 emissions, which is making them more acidic.
This combination of warming and acidification is disastrous for marine life. The acidified ocean water eats away at the minerals used by creatures such as lobsters and clams to build their shells. Coral bleaching is becoming ever more frequent.
Even more significantly, plankton, which underpin the marine food chain, are being increasingly affected, leading to dramatic decreases in fish numbers.
The UK could suddenly get dramatically colder
Britain and north-west Europe have a surprisingly mild climate, given how far away they are from the equator. The secret is a circulating Atlantic Ocean current, known as the Gulf Stream or Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc), which brings warm water up from the south.
Some scientists believe that Amoc has weakened by 15% since the 1800s and that a tipping point might soon be reached that stops the circulation of warm water in its tracks. The result? Temperatures in Britain and north-west Europe could plunge by as much as 10C, making the climate similar to northern parts of Norway today.
It’s not too late to take action. We can all make a difference in the fight against climate change, but we must act quickly.
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