What is climate change?

Climate change is the change in the state of the climate over periods of a decade or longer. The climate is usually defined as average weather patterns. In simple terms, climate change is the change in these average weather patterns. 

What causes climate change?

Since the industrial revolution has seen an increase in the amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) we release into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas which means it traps heat. As a result the earth's temperature is rising at a much faster rate than naturally occurs. This means the earth heats and this causes long terms changes to the climate. 

There is now more CO2 in the atmosphere than in the last two million years. Over the last two centuries it has risen by 40 per cent. This means earth temperature has increased by 1 degree centigrade since the mid-1800s.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change. Their most recent assessment shows that human activity is the cause of climate change. 

How will climate change affect us in Kent?

Kent County Council produced the Climate Change Risk and Impact Assessment for Kent and Medway (CCRIA) in 2019. It investigated the likely future impacts of climate change on Kent. They found that by 2080:

  • summers in Kent will likely be hotter by up to 6°C
  • winters are likely to be colder by up to 4°C
  • sea level rise will increase by up to 0.8m
  • summer rainfall will decrease by up to 50 per cent
  • winter rainfall will increase by up to 30 per cent

Because Kent has a large coastline, we are likely to feel the effects of climate change. The most likely impacts are: 

  • risk to health from high temperatures
  • flooding and coastal change, impacting coastal communities
  • storm and extreme weather events impacting infrastructure
  • public water supply shortages

See Climate change risk and impact assessment (Kent County Council)

What is being done?

World leaders at Paris Climate Agreement 2015 pledged to aim to keep global warming well below 2°c and ideally below 1.5°C. Of UNFCCC's 197 members, 193 have signed the agreement.

In 2021 at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Glasgow Climate Pact, was negotiated with the 197 parties. They agreed to commit to reducing the use of coal. Additionally, it encouraged an increased urgency in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

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