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What is climate change?

Climate change refers to any long-term trends or shifts in climate over many decades.

How has climate changed in the past?

There is a great deal of evidence that the Earth's climate has warmed over the past century, with recent years the warmest on record.

Why do sea levels change?

Sea levels can change for a variety of reasons over a range of different time scales.

How are large scale climate processes responding in a changing climate?

Large-scale climate processes, such as El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole, affect Australia’s climate. Climate change may make the impacts of these processes more extreme.

How is climate likely to change in the future?

The Earth's future climate will depend on whether the world manages to slow or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but warming is likely to continue.

How do greenhouse gases warm the planet?

The greenhouse effect keeps the Earth’s climate liveable, but human activities have increased the amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the air, warming the planet and changing our climate.

What are the sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

About 90 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions comes from the burning of fossil fuels, and most of Australia’s emissions also comes from energy production, followed by transport, agriculture, and industrial processes.

How are greenhouse gases measured, estimated, and reported?

The Australian Government uses a ‘bottom-up’ approach to estimate the country’s greenhouse emissions, which is complemented by CSIRO measurements to provide ‘top-down’ estimates.

How can we address the causes of climate change?

We need to address climate change through mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation addresses the cause of climate change, primarily through emissions reductions.

How can we adapt to climate change?

Adaption to climate change can prepare communities, industries and infrastructure for the future. Adaptation can build resilience and reduce the risks posed by climate change, but there are barriers and limits. Some risks are unavoidable.

How does CSIRO contribute to climate change knowledge?

Our climate researchers contribute significantly to the international effort of weather and climate understanding.

What are the impacts of extreme weather and climate events?

Increases in extreme climate events pose challenges for Australia now and in the future.

How will climate extremes change Australia?

Australia experiences many different climate types across its large area, including a range of climate extremes from freezing mountains to scorching deserts. As climate changes, Australia’s weather and climate extremes will also change.

How fast is the climate changing?

While our climate has always changed, it is now changing at a rate that is unprecedented for many thousands of years and is due to human activities that emit greenhouse gases into the air.

How confident are we about the science of climate change?

The main impacts and mechanisms of physical climate change are scientifically well-understood, but specific estimates of these impacts are uncertain.

Where can I find more information about climate change?

Check where information comes from to ensure it is based on reliable and quality-assured sources of climate change science, such as peer-reviewed papers.