COP26

Our Climate, Our Future

 Starter

• Go to www.menti.com

• Enter code 6797 1571

 Learning Intentions

In today’s lesson we will be learning

about

• Climate change

• COP26
 Success Criteria

After today’s lesson I will be able to…

1. State what is meant by ‘climate change’

2. Understand how human actions relate to climate change

3. Explain actions we can take to reduce climate change

What Is Climate Change?
Climate change is a change in the average temperature and cycles of
weather over a long period of time.

Since 1880, have kept

a record of the global
temperature 1.5

Temperature Anomaly (°C)

Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for

1.0

The planet is 0.5

becoming warmer;

Space Studies (GISS)

the climate is 0

changing. -0.5
1880
1888
1896
1904
1912
1920
1928
1936
1944
1952
1960
1968
1976
1984
1992
2000
2008
2016
Year
 Climate Change is a Problem
• Extreme weather e.g. floods, drought, hurricanes, fires
 Climate Change is a Problem
• Some species don’t have enough time to adapt to the new
conditions so they may not survive
 Climate Change is a Problem
• Melting sea ice – animals affected e.g. polar bears depend on
this ice to live, hunt, sleep
 Climate Change is a Problem
• Rising sea levels
 What Causes Climate Change?
• ‘The Greenhouse Effect’

• Happens when gases in the Earth's atmosphere traps the Sun's heat.

• Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and water vapour (H2O) are
greenhouse gases

• This is what keeps our planet Earth

warm so we can live on it

Greenhouse effect video

 What Causes Climate Change?

Energy travels from the Sun

H 2O
CO2

CH4
to the Earth.
CH4
CO2

CH4
It does not interact strongly
CO2 with the greenhouse gas
H 2O
molecules so it reaches the
Earth’s surface.
CH4

CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
The Earth’s surface emits
(gives off) Energy
The greenhouse gas
H 2O
CO2 molecules absorb some of
CH4 the energy, trapping it in
CH4
CO2 the atmosphere.
CH4
CO2

H 2O

CH4

CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
The more
of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere, the more energy
CO2
H 2O is absorbed.
CO2 CO2
CO2

CH4
CO2
CH4 CO2
This causes the Earth’s
CH4
CO2 temperature to rise – this is
known as the greenhouse
CO2 CO2 CO2

CH4
effect.
CH4
CO2

This increase in temperature

CO2
CO2
H 2O
drives climate change.
CH4 CO2
CH4 CO2
CO2 CO2
 What Causes Climate Change?
Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)
Heating, cooking, electricity, cars – releases carbon dioxide (emissions)
 What Causes Climate Change?

Deforestation (cutting down trees)

Releases carbon dioxide. Less trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.
Who Does Climate Change Affect?
• In the long term - EVERYONE

• Some worse than others

• Countries who have added to climate change the most (wealthy countries e.g.
USA, the EU and China) are the least affected

• Poorer countries who have added to climate change the least are the ones
who suffer the worst effects

Is this fair?
 Who Can Fix It?
• GOVERNMENTS can make laws and policies (rules) that reduce the
amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

• BUSINESSES can change how they work to be more sustainable.

• WE CAN ALL make better choices in our own lives that lower our
carbon footprint (the impact our actions and purchases have on
climate change).

• We can also use OUR VOICES to let businesses and governments

know that we want them to act quickly to reduce their impact on
climate change.
 COP26 - Conference of the Parties
• Happening now in Glasgow

• Also known as ‘UN Climate Change Conference’

• 197 countries (parties) are meeting to discuss the current state of the climate and what actions they
will take to tackle climate change

• COP meetings happen every year – this is the 26 th meeting so is called ‘COP26’
 COP26 – Net Zero
• In 2015 the countries set out a plan (Paris Agreement) to tackle climate change – they agreed to act
together to limit global temperature increases to 2°C

• To do this, we need to achieve ‘net zero’ by 2050 – this means balancing carbon emissions by
removing CO2 from the air
 What Will Happen at COP26?
• Countries will renew their commitments (promises) to
lowering carbon emissions (how much carbon we release)
 What Can We Do?
Speak Up
• We can make sure that world leaders
know we are counting on them.
• You can write to your MP (the person
who represents your community in
Parliament) to tell them about the
actions you want the government to
take.
• We can also reach out to businesses
and our local council if we feel like
they need to do things differently too.
Act
• As a school community, we can help in
the fight against climate change by
improving the sustainability of all
aspects of our school life.
• The changes that we make as a
school are seen by lots of people
in our local community so we can
encourage everyone to join in.
• We can all make our own promise to
the Planet
 LET'S SEND A MESSAGE TO WORLD LEADERS!

• Step 1: Decide on a promise you can make to the planet

• Step 2: Pick a leaf design
• Step 2: On your leaf, write your PROMISE TO THE PLANET
• Step 3: Colour your leaf in and cut it out
• Step 4: Share your promise – leaves will be going on display

Promise Leaf Video

 Sustainable Development Goals
• In 2015, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were taken on by all United Nations
Member States
• The 17 goals set out all of the things that need to be done to protect the planet so
everyone can live a happy, peaceful life
• All the goals need to be achieved together to ensure a happy, healthy future for our planet
• We need to be able to continue each action forever without running out of resources or
causing damage that stops us from being able to carry on.