Climate change affects every corner of our planet – from the poles to the tropics; from the mountains to the oceans.
Because of extreme weather caused by climate change, polar bears are losing sea ice, their primary habitat. Weather disasters are also taking a heavy human toll – in terms of lives lost, well-being impacted and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic losses over the past few years. Food shocks, water security and human displacement are severe issues that are growing worse in 2022.
How bad could the impacts be of a rise of just 2°C?
- Severe storms and floods in many countries, particularly impacting coastal areas, with droughts also affecting many parts of the world.
- Seas become more acidic, coral and krill die, food chains are destroyed.
- Little arctic sea ice in the summer – which means less habitat for polar bears, and a faster-warming global climate, as there is less polar ice to reflect sunlight.
Climate change is caused by our actions
Human activities are changing the natural world. Over the last century, our actions – primarily the burning of fossil fuels for energy, but also excessive farming and forest destruction, have increased carbon emissions and intensified the greenhouse effect.
WORK TOGETHER TO TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISISHow we are tackling climate change?
WWF-Hong Kong is working on the climate crisis in numerous ways – engaging with corporates and investors about green finance, low-carbon offices, supply chains, and promoting renewable energy and the better management of waste plastics.
Effective wetland management is another vital conservation pillar through which we are tackling climate change. Wetlands can store up to 50 times more carbon than rainforests, keeping the heat-trapping CO2 gas that contributes to climate change out of the atmosphere. In Hong Kong, WWF manages Mai Po Nature Reserve, the most important and iconic wetland in Hong Kong and South China. Our goal is to ensure that Mai Po continues to provide important ecosystem services long into the future.