Mainly due to human burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, greenhouse gasses (Co2, methane etc.) have been getting released into earth's atmosphere at unprecedented rates since the industrial revolution. These gasses trap heat in the earth's atmosphere, meaning the earth is heating up faster now than it has at any point in recorded history. Warmer temperatures are melting ice caps, raising sea levels, disrupting weather patterns leading to more severe storms and increasingly pose a more severe threat to life on earth. Environmental events already take the life of 13 million people every year and displace an average on 23 million.

Climate change will bring with it hotter temperatures causing more wildfires, more severe storms caused by higher moisture evaporation due to hotter temperatures, increased droughts making water more scarce, a warming rising ocean threatening coastal communities and marine life, not enough food due to fisheries, crops and livestock being destroyed, more health risks due to air pollution, disease, extreme weather and pressure on mental health, and poverty and displacement of an estimated more than 3 billion people by 2070 if current trends continue.