To the climate change refer to long-term changes in patterns of temperature and climate, caused by exploitation and pollution generated by man. This is one of the biggest risks that humanity faces in this century. There is no longer any doubt: we need to take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we want to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
If before the symbol of this crisis was the polar bear on a melting glacier, today we have images much closer to our reality: historic droughts in the Northeast, devastating floods in southern Brazil, record heat waves in Europe, and fires that consume entire biomes. climate crisis It has ceased to be a future threat and has become a present reality.
Understand some concepts throughout this article.
Global warming and greenhouse effectWhat's the difference?
Two concepts are frequently confused in this discussion, and understanding them precisely is essential to grasping the problem.
The greenhouse effect It is a natural and necessary mechanism: gases in the atmosphere retain some of the sun's heat, keeping Earth's temperature at habitable levels. Without it, the planet would be too cold to support life as we know it.
The global warming, Global warming, in turn, is the increase in the planet's average temperature caused by the accelerated and uncontrolled emission of these gases by human activity. The main greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor—with CO₂ being the most significant in terms of volume and longevity in the atmosphere.
In 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, declared that the planet had left the "warming" phase and entered a new level: that of global boiling — a sign that the window for effective action is closing.
Causes of climate change
Although they can occur through natural processes, since the 19th century, human activities have been the main driver of these changes, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.
Thus, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution – when humans began burning large amounts of fossil fuels – the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increased by about 50%. The burning of these fuels releases gases greenhouse effect, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), which trap extra energy in the atmosphere near the Earth's surface, warming the planet.
Other relevant causes include:
- Logging: Forests are carbon sinks. When felled or burned, they release stored CO₂ and eliminate the capacity for future absorption. In Brazil, deforestation of the Amazon and Cerrado biomes has a direct impact on both national emissions and regional climate patterns.;
- Intensive agriculture: Cattle farming is one of the main sources of methane, a gas with a much higher warming potential than CO₂ in the short term;
- Industrial production and accelerated consumption: The dominant production model increases the exploitation of natural resources and air pollution, while simultaneously putting pressure on ecosystems that function as climate regulators.
Consequences of climate change
In recent times, news of extreme droughts, floods or strong heat waves have become common in Brazil and around the world. climate change are already causing a series of serious environmental consequences, which tend to get worse if we don't act. Some of these consequences include:
Global temperature rise:
Excessive global warming results in higher average temperatures, which can cause more frequent and intense heat waves. In 2022, more than 61 thousand people died of heat in Europe;
Extreme weather events:
The intensification of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, cyclones, storms, droughts and floods, can result in natural disasters more frequent and severe. In addition to affecting agriculture, drought is related to the increase in fire outbreaks and with the water shortage. While some areas will experience extreme drought, some regions may experience excessive rainfall. This could cause problems such as flooding and landslides in areas with large populations;
Changes in ecosystems and biodiversity:
Climate change can lead to habitat loss, affecting flora and fauna and increasing the risk of extinction of species. Second estimates, of the 8 million animal and plant species estimated to live on Earth, around 1 million could disappear completely in the coming decades.
Impact on agriculture and food security:
Changes in weather patterns can affect the agricultural productivity, resulting in smaller harvests, food shortages and price increase. This scenario directly affects the world economy and the food safety.
Human Health:
In addition to air pollution worsening in various parts of the world, causing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, some diseases, such as dengue and malaria, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, could spread to more places around the world.
Socioeconomic Impacts:
Vulnerable communities and developing countries are often the most affected, exacerbating social and economic inequalities. In addition, extreme weather events and environmental degradation can force populations to migrate, resulting in crises of climate refugees.
What has been done to curb climate change?
As we can see, the climate change have already been causing several impacts around the world. And we need to act now to prevent this situation from worsening.
THE Conference of the Parties (COP) is the annual meeting of representatives of the signatory countries and territories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As the main deliberative body of the UNFCCC, the COP aims to implement, monitor and update measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to contain the global warming and the climate change.
At the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in 2015, the Paris Agreement, an ambitious global commitment on climate change, which sets targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to maintain the increase in the planet's temperature below 2ºC.
In 2025, Brazil hosted COP30 in Belém, marking a symbolic and strategic moment: the country that is home to the world's largest tropical rainforest taking a leading role in negotiations on climate finance, biodiversity protection, and a just transition for emerging economies.
What can we do to contribute to the solution?
Now that you know the main causes of climate change, you must be wondering what you can do to combat these effects. To contribute to actions aimed at adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, both governments, companies and civil society have extremely important roles.
Since consume consciously until fund a positive impact initiative, each individual can do their part to contribute to the environment.
Practical and individual actions
- Use public transport, bicycles or walk when possible;
- Reduce food waste;
- Recycle paper, plastic, glass and metals;
- Support clean energy policies and projects;
- Plant trees and support reforestation projects;
- Buy less and choose durable products from sustainable companies.
Going further
Impact Investment
The impact investing emerges as an alternative to promote businesses whose main objective is combat climate change. With lending rates typically lower than traditional banks, impact investing platforms enable individuals and businesses to allocate resources to environmentally positive initiatives.
Thus, it is possible to have financial return while contributing to the climate change mitigation.
Philanthropy
Many philanthropic initiatives aim to combat climate change. Today, it is possible to either start a project for this purpose or donate to one of these institutions.
A great opportunity for companies that want to join this cause is corporate philanthropy, which can be fully focused on the environment or not, it's the company's choice!
Furthermore, these initiatives can be focused on both the long term, with mitigation and adaptation strategies, as in the short term, focused on rebuild areas affected by extreme weather events. Learn how these initiatives can be structured to support affected communities.
Conservation and climate finance
The urgency and complexity of tackling this problem requires innovative financing processes, which make effective solutions possible for to conserve nature and to face climate challenges.
Therefore, organizations that align their financial strategies have become increasingly necessary. Together with organizations like Sitawi, it is possible to create and manage financial mechanisms that promote biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, which can go hand in hand with corporate growth. These organizations generally stand out for mobilizing and also unlocking financial resources for biodiversity conservation and tackling climate change. Discover financial solutions to conserve nature.
To the climate change represent a colossal challenge, but with coordinated and innovative actions, we can mitigate their effects and building a sustainable future. The Sitawi Finanças do Bem is an expert in impact investing, management of philanthropic resources and development of financial solutions for climate and environment.
Frequently asked questions about climate change
These are long-term changes in temperature and climate patterns, mainly caused by the emission of greenhouse gases resulting from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agriculture.
Global warming refers specifically to the increase in the planet's average temperature. Climate change is a broader concept, encompassing warming and all its consequences: altered rainfall patterns, extreme events, biodiversity loss, and socioeconomic impacts.
The burning of fossil fuels is the dominant cause, followed by deforestation, intensive agriculture, and the production and consumption patterns that have characterized the global economic model since the Industrial Revolution.
Yes, intensely. Brazil is among the most vulnerable countries, with events such as historic droughts in the Amazon, floods in the South, and extreme heat waves in urban centers. At the same time, it is a central player in the solutions—it is home to the world's largest tropical rainforest and hosted COP30 in 2025.
Through structured ESG strategies, reducing emissions in the production chain, financing conservation and climate initiatives, and partnerships with specialized organizations such as Sitawi to structure verifiable impact financial mechanisms.
