What’s happening & why it matters

What are the impacts of climate change?

Climate change is having, and will continue to have, a wide range of impacts on the climate system, ecosystems, and humans, with these impacts disproportionately impacting poorer nations and disadvantaged communities who have contributed the least to historic greenhouse gas emissions. The extent to which the very worst-case scenarios for each of these impacts is felt will depend on what we do to act now:

  • Increasing temperatures: 2024 was the warmest year on record and the top ten warmest years since 1884 have all occurred since 2002, with the trend set to continue. Higher temperatures increase the risk of heat stress, create favourable conditions for more extreme wildfires, and exacerbate food insecurity as conditions for growing crops as altered. For advice about how to stay safe and well during the summer season, especially in high temperatures, visit the Healthy Surrey website.
  • Changing weather patterns:  in the UK, it is expected that we will see warmer, wetter winters, and hotter, drier summers, with climate change making the extremes of these weathers more severe. Take a look at this tool from the BBC and Met Office to see the expected impacts of climate change on weather in your postcode. 
  • More frequent and extreme weather events: this includes heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms that are occurring more often and are of greater intensity. Find out more about different types of flooding, how to prepare for flood events, and who to contact if you are impacted on our flooding page.
  • Sea level rise: due to melting polar ice and glaciers and the expansion of our oceans as they warm, global sea level has risen by around 20 cm in the past century. This is likely faster than at any point in the last 3,000 years and will continue to accelerate in the future without action. Increased sea levels will lead to more localised flooding, flooding of coastal regions, and the potential loss of entire nations.
  • Biodiversity loss and ecosystem damage: the impacts of climate change, from warmer temperatures to ocean acidification, all have profound impacts for biodiversity and ecosystems. The UK’s State of Nature Report 2023 states climate change among the biggest drivers of biodiversity decline and notes an average 19% decline in studied species since 1970.

Ever heard someone say that the climate has always been changing, and what we are seeing now is no different? Or that climate change is a problem for the future? To challenge these views and many others, take a look at this climate change myth buster from the WWF.