Translations:Information Booklet/44/en
Since people in rich countries started to burn fossil fuels around 200 years ago, global surface temperatures have risen by 1.2°C (34.2°F)[1]. Although it doesn’t sound like a lot, this small difference is already having far reaching impacts on the lives of many. Rising temperatures means people are now experiencing more frequent and intense heat waves, forest fires and crop failures. It also means big changes to rainfall, with much more rain in some places and less in others[2], leading to droughts and flooding.