Aerial shot of Haiti flooded after a major storm

Tackling climate change will be a defining challenge for the next decade and beyond. It will take extensive planning and far reaching-change; but it also presents a new opportunity to create exactly the kind of future we want to see, as we transform our society to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by the middle of this century at the latest.

Creating our shared, sustainable future starts with access to clear, accurate information that describes what we know about the causes and impacts of climate change, how we know it and what actions we can take in response. This resource is developed jointly by the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and the Grantham Research Institute at London School of Economics and Political Sciences. It covers evidence and information on climate science, the economics of climate change, international climate action and the meaning of a just transition.

For more content on climate-related topics explore our background briefings.

FAQ categories

What is climate change? How does it impact people and planet? What can we do to tackle the climate crisis? This animation from the UK Universities Climate Network explains the science behind climate change, the impact that climate change is having on the

Climate Change: why it matters & what to do


What is climate change? How does it impact people and planet? What can we do to tackle the climate crisis?

This animation from the UK Universities Climate Network (UUCN) explains the science behind climate change, the impact that climate change is having on the natural world and societies, and what can be done about it.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and the Grantham Research Institute at London School of Economics and Political Sciences would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this resource.

Note that each individual contributor has written and reviewed only some of the questions within the FAQ. As such, no individual contributor should be taken to endorse the FAQ in its entirety. 

  • Dr Ed Atkins, University of Bristol
  • Dr Alina Averchenkova, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dr Alex Bowen, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dr Paulo Ceppi, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Patrick Curran, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Professor Sam Fankhauser, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dr Robert Falkner, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dr Ajay Gambhir, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Alyssa Gilbert, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Fergus Green, London School of Economics and Political Sciences
  • Professor Joanna Haigh CBE FRS, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Isabella Neuweg, formerly at Grantham Research Institute at LSE (contribution made in this capacity)
  • Katrine Petersen, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Dr Joana Portugal Pereira, Imperial College London
  • Professor Iain Colin Prentice FRS, Imperial College London
  • Dr James Rising, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dr Joeri Rogelj, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Dr James Rydge, formerly at Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Professor Martin Siegert FRSE, Grantham Institute at Imperial College London
  • Dr Swenja Surminski, Grantham Research Institute at LSE
  • Dimitri Zenghelis, Grantham Research Institute at LSE

This FAQ is a joint project between the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London and the Grantham Research Institute at London School of Economics.

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[Image by UN Photo/Marco Dormino is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]

Find more FAQs

To read more explainers on climate change economics and finance, energy policy and international climate action, see the FAQs published by the Grantham Research Institute at LSE.