Skip to content

About climate change

Young people with carbon letters spelling out the word carbon on their feet

Climate change is the way the world's climate is changing as a result of the level of gases in the atmosphere.

Heat from the sun hits the surface of the earth: some is absorbed, and some is reflected back into space. Some of the reflected heat is reflected back to earth again, by the gases in the atmosphere. Certain gases help to retain heat within the atmosphere, in the way that glass helps to keep heat in a greenhouse – they are known as ‘greenhouse gases’. Water also reflects heat back, as vapour, which can be visible as clouds.

The climate we enjoy now is the result of a certain level of greenhouse gases. The balance of these gases has changed many times because of natural causes. However since the 1900s there have been measurable changes as a result of greenhouse gases that we have released through the way our society has developed.

We release greenhouse gases when we burn fossil fuels – for example through burning coal in power stations to provide electricity or burning petrol or diesel in vehicles.

For more information, visit the Met Office pages on climate change.

Visit: Met Office (external link)