What is climate change?

Climate change refers to lasting changes in Earth temperature and weather. Since the industrial era, burning fossil fuels has released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which trap heat and have warmed the planet by roughly 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The consequences include melting ice, rising seas, and more extreme heatwaves, storms, and droughts. Scientists overwhelmingly agree the recent warming is human-caused, and reducing emissions is the main way to limit further change.