site

  1. myWWF Sign in
  2. Sign up
  3. Help
  1. Home
  2. Who We Are
  3. What We Do
  4. About Our Earth
  5. How You Can Help
  6. News
  7. Climate
  1. Home
    1. What We Do
      1. Reducing Impacts

We need a new climate deal in Copenhagen, December 2009

Carbon, energy & climate

Climate blog

WWF is working to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050, in order to prevent dangerous climate change resulting from an increase in average global temperatures above 2°C. We are also working on strategies to help people and nature adapt to inevitable climate change impacts.
The amount of greenhouse gases released by human activities – such as the burning of fossil fuels for energy and forest clearing – is called our "carbon footprint".

As a whole, people are currently releasing far more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than ecosystems can immediately reabsorb. In other words, our carbon footprint is outstripping nature's capacity to deal with it.

As a result, these gases are building up in the atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise – and, consequently, climate change.

Continued emissions of greenhouse gases could see the average global temperature rise by more than 4°C by the end of this century. The impacts of such a rise are the biggest threat to nature and humanity in the 21st century.
Our work to achieve a "climate-safe" future includes:
  • Advocating for a new climate treaty – to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires at the end of 2012  
  • Promoting energy efficiency – the most rapid and cost-effective way to reduce CO2 emissions
  • Promoting renewable energy sources – like wind, solar, and geothermal power
  • Preventing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation – currently responsible for 20% of all emissions
  • Developing and promoting climate change adaptation strategies – to safeguard the most vulnerable people and the most exposed ecosystems.
This work is guided by our Climate Solutions Vision – which defines practical solutions and clear imperatives for meeting global energy demand without damaging the global climate.

3 of WWF's Global Initiatives specifically focus our efforts on advocating for a climate-safe future  Our work with business & industry also includes efforts to help companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of their work on conserving ecosystems and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, WWF's forest, freshwater, marine, species and energy programmes are developing climate change adaptation strategies.

More information

Latest news

WWF Climate Witness

Declining glaciers, changing weather patterns, and dying corals are some of the well-known impacts of climate change – but people around the world are also witnessing many others, from reduced stock fertility and misplaced penguins to tidal surges and increased heat-induced illnesses.

Experience their climate change stories – what is changing and how this affects their life and livelihoods – through WWF Climate Witness.

Photos and graphics © WWF or used with permission. Text available under a Creative Commons licence. RSS/Web Feeds

@import url('http://s3.amazonaws.com/getsatisfaction.com/feedback/feedback.css');