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A windmill park on the outskirts of Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania is aimed at giving more people access to renewable energy sources.
UNDP Mauritania/Freya Morales

COP25: UN climate change conference, 5 things you need to know

Climate change is happening—the world is already 1.1°C warmer than it was at the onset of the industrial revolution, and it is already having a significant impact on the world, and on people’s lives. And if current trends persist, then global temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.2 to 3.9°C this century, which would bring wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts.

Coal mines outside of Samaca, Colombia.
World Bank

Is the world ready to end the coal era and embrace clean energy?

Access to electricity has transformed the world, helping countries to develop their economies, and lifting millions out of poverty. However, this success has come at a great cost: the energy sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is responsible for some 40 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions – one of the so-called greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the Earth – and almost two-thirds of these emissions come from coal.