What Drives Climate Change - and How We Can Stop It

What Drives Climate Change?

Climate change is driven by global warming, primarily caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄). These gases contribute to the greenhouse effect by trapping heat on Earth, leading to a rise in global temperatures.

Carbon dioxide, mainly released through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, plays a central role in global warming. These fuels are used for everything from electricity production to transportation and industrial processes.

Methane, another significant greenhouse gas, originates from agricultural activities such as livestock farming and rice cultivation, as well as natural gas extraction, and has a considerable impact on the climate.

Nitrous oxide is a less well-known but extremely powerful greenhouse gas, approximately 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide. It forms naturally in the soil but has increased significantly due to the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.

How Does Global Warming Work?

The Earth's climate is affected by the balance between incoming and outgoing energy. The sun emits shortwave radiation (visible light) that reaches and warms the Earth's surface. The Earth then emits this energy as heat. In a world without greenhouse gases, this heat would escape into space, making the planet about 33 degrees colder—a climate too harsh to support life as we know it.

However, Earth's atmosphere contains natural greenhouse gases that trap some of this heat and send it back toward the surface. This is called the greenhouse effect and is crucial for life on Earth. The problem arises when human emissions of greenhouse gases enhance this effect, causing more heat to remain in the atmosphere, leading to an abnormal increase in Earth's temperature.

The process in short:

1. Solar radiation reaches the Earth – Shortwave radiation passes through the atmosphere and warms the surface.
2. The Earth emits heat – This heat radiates outward as longwave infrared radiation.
3. Greenhouse gases absorb the heat – Some of the heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
4. Heat is reflected back – Greenhouse gases send some of the heat back to the Earth's surface, increasing temperatures.

The more greenhouse gases we emit, the more heat is retained, driving global warming and altering the climate.

Greenhouse Gases

Different greenhouse gases have different properties and contribute to climate change in various ways. They vary in lifespan (how long they remain in the atmosphere) and global warming potential (GWP), which measures how much a gas contributes to warming compared to carbon dioxide (CO₂).

1. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) – The Biggest Culprit

Carbon dioxide accounts for the largest share of human-caused global warming and has a long atmospheric lifespan—up to several hundred years. Since CO₂ is a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion (coal, oil, gas) and deforestation, human activities have dramatically increased its levels since industrialization.

• Sources: Burning fossil fuels, cement production, deforestation.
• Lifespan: Hundreds of years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 1 (baseline value).

2. Methane (CH₄) – A Powerful but Short-Lived Gas

Methane is much more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term—about 28 times stronger over a 100-year period. It primarily comes from biological processes such as livestock digestion and the decomposition of organic material in rice paddies and landfills.

• Sources: Livestock, rice paddies, landfills, fossil gas extraction.
• Lifespan: About 12 years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 28*.

*28 times more potent according to IPCC AR5, 27 times more potent according to IPCC AR6.

3. Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) – The Hidden Climate Villain

Nitrous oxide is a lesser-known but extremely powerful greenhouse gas, about 265 times stronger than carbon dioxide. It forms naturally in the soil but has surged due to nitrogen fertilizer use in agriculture.

• Sources: Synthetic fertilizers, waste management, industrial processes.
• Lifespan: About 114 years.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 265.

*According to IPCC AR5: 265, according to IPCC AR6: 273.

4. Fluorinated Gases (F-gases) – Man-Made Super Gases

Fluorinated gases are a group of synthetic gases used in refrigeration systems, foam production, and certain industrial processes. They have extremely high warming potential—some are thousands of times stronger than CO₂.

• Sources: Refrigerants, electronics production, industrial processes.
• Lifespan: Decades to centuries.
• Global Warming Potential (GWP): 1,000–23,000.

Consequences of Climate Change

The consequences of climate change are severe. Extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and stronger hurricanes are becoming more frequent, causing damage to infrastructure, loss of human life, and major impacts on agriculture and water supply. Today, approximately 21.5 million people are displaced due to these changes. By 2050, UNHCR estimates that up to 1 billion people could become climate refugees.

Additionally, rising sea levels—due to melting glaciers and polar ice caps, as well as the warming of ocean water—pose an increasing threat to coastal communities and island nations. Biodiversity is also negatively affected, as many species are forced to find new habitats or face extinction due to changing climates. This disrupts ecosystem balance, impacting essential processes such as pollination and water purification.

What Can We Do to Slow Climate Change?

Addressing climate change requires global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, improving energy efficiency, and developing technologies for carbon capture and storage (read about our projects supporting the transition to renewable energy).

It is also crucial to preserve and restore forests and other natural carbon sinks that can absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere. International agreements like the Paris Agreement aim to limit global temperature increases to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition to stay within 1.5°C. Given current trends, we are not on track to meet this target. However, it remains vital to do everything possible to reduce emissions, as every degree of additional warming has devastating consequences for our planet.

To reduce emissions and stay as close as possible to the 1.5-degree goal, broad cooperation and commitment are required from governments, businesses, and individuals. Climate change is a serious and complex challenge that demands coordinated global efforts. It is not only about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about adapting societies and ecosystems to handle the inevitable changes already underway. The future well-being of our planet depends on the actions we take today.

Climate Justice

Climate justice plays a key role in the fight against climate change. It involves recognizing and addressing how different communities are affected in different ways, especially those most vulnerable but least responsible for the problem.

Although Sweden is a small country, the actions taken here impact global climate efforts. Sweden has the opportunity to be a role model, pioneering sustainability and innovative solutions, and inspiring other nations to follow.

In our interconnected world, every country’s efforts matter. Through Sweden’s commitments and actions, we contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate justice—essential for effectively addressing climate change on a global scale.