Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural but are also influenced by humans through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas which generates greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat, raising global temperatures, and changing weather patterns.

More frequent and severe weather events such as intense storms are damaging infrastructure, contributing to issues like power outages or transportation stoppages, and disrupting supply chains. Gradual changes in temperatures and rainfall over time are impacting people’s health and safety, and causing changes in water availability that particularly impact sectors like agriculture and livestock production. While climate change affects everyone, its impacts are often felt most acutely by vulnerable populations, and especially women.