Climate change for lawyers: essential guide to international regimes, emissions targets and carbon budgets, corporate climate disclosures and transition plans, business risks, biodiversity, and professional duties including Law Society guidance

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

An introduction to climate change

What is climate change?

Climate change describes long-term alterations in temperature levels and weather patterns. Such changes can occur naturally, for instance due to fluctuations in the solar cycle. However, since the nineteenth century, human actions have been the principal driver, chiefly through the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Burning these fuels produces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that behave like an insulating blanket around the planet, trapping solar heat and lifting temperatures. Key GHGs causing warming include carbon dioxide and methane. They arise from many sources, for example petrol used to drive cars or coal burned to heat buildings. Clearing forests and other land also releases carbon dioxide that would otherwise remain stored in trees. Landfill sites are significant sources of methane. Energy, industrial activity, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the highest emitters.

Why does climate change matter?

The consequences of climate change include extreme weather events such as drought, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice and catastrophic storms, affecting people, biodiversity and global systems. Climate change can affect...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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