Overwhelmingly scientists agree that climate change is happening, with human activity as the main cause. Climate change is a result of rising levels of carbon dioxide, and other gases such as methane, trapping the sun’s energy in the atmosphere and causing the planet to heat up – resulting in the greenhouse effect.

The higher the amount of greenhouse gases, the warmer the Earth becomes. As the climate changes, the frequency of some extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods in the UK, is increasing.

Average temperatures at the Earth’s surface have risen by around 1 degree Celsius since 1850-1900. Get the facts about climate change.