Variation in attitudes to climate change (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Geography B): Revision Note

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The notes on this page cover part 2.4.4 of the WJEC Eduqas GCSE B Geography.

2.4.4 How and why do attitudes to climate change vary?

• Differing views, values and attitudes which are held on the issue of climate change and the ways in which its effects could be addressed.

• Global initiatives to reduce the impact of climate change

Attitudes to climate change

• There are three main ways in which climate change can be halted or even reversed

  • New technologies to reduce the use of fossil fuels

  • Energy conservation and improvements in efficiency

  • Removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

• Governments, businesses and individuals all have different attitudes regarding climate change and how its impacts can be addressed

New technologies and energy sources

Carbon capture

• Improvements in systems such as carbon capture technology

  • The gas is then turned to liquid and pumped into the ground to be stored in sedimentary rock

• This technology is expensive

  • Energy companies may be made to pay for this to reduce their emissions

  • The energy companies may be reluctant to pay and want to pass the cost onto the consumer

  • The cost of this per person would vary depending on the size of the projects

Renewable energy

• Renewable energy technologies are continually improving

  • Solar and wind are increasingly used in the UK producing approximately 35% of the country's electricity

• Once in place, except for biomass/waste, renewable energies do not produce any greenhouse gas emissions

• Greenhouse gases may be emitted in the production, construction and transport of the equipment

• In 2024, the UK government announced £1.5 billion investment in renewable energies

• People living near to the solar and wind farms may be opposed to their development due to:

  • Use of agricultural land

  • Concerns about wildlife such as migrating birds

  • Noise of wind turbines

• Organisations such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace are in favour of increased use of renewable energies

Other energy sources

• Biofuels are crops which can be used to create fuel

  • The growth of biofuels increases incomes for farmers

  • There are concerns that biofuels are being grown instead of food crops

    • This leads to food shortages which cause price increases

• Nuclear energy technology can be used to create large amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel

  • People have concerns regarding the disposal of the waste and potential leakages

Energy conservation and efficiency

• There are many ways individual people can reduce energy waste and conserve energy, including:

  • Double glazing

  • Insulation

  • Not leaving electrical items on standby

• Many of these things cost money, which may be difficult for people to afford

Removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

• Afforestation is the planting of trees

• Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis

  • The trees act as a carbon sink, storing the carbon

• Many governments, companies and individuals offset their carbon emissions by paying for afforestation

• Some organisations argue that companies and governments use carbon offsetting to avoid making changes to reduce carbon emissions

Global initiatives to reduce climate change

• Global warming and climate change require an international response because they affect the entire globe

• Responses can involve either adaptation or mitigation

• In 1988 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was set up to assess the 'risks of human-induced climate change

• This was followed by several international agreements

Earth Summit, Rio 1992

• Set out aims to stabilise greenhouse gas levels 

Kyoto Protocol, 1997

• Delegates from 150 countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

• It stated that industrialised countries would reduce emissions to below the levels in 1990

• Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs), including China and India were exempt from the agreement so that they could focus on development to reduce poverty

• The USA did not sign up for the treaty

• Canada withdrew in 2011 stating that without China and USA, the treaty would not work

Doha Amendment, 2012

• The Doha Amendment extended the Kyoto commitments until 2020

• It was the first agreement which aimed to limit global temperature increase to below 2^oC

Paris Agreement, 2015

• Global agreement to limit global warming to 2^°C (preferably 1.5^°C) above pre-industrial levels

• The agreement also includes reducing CO_₂ emissions by at least 60% by 2050

• Signed by 196 countries including the USA and China (the USA withdrew in 2020 and rejoined in 2021) 

Conference of the Parties (COP)

• The United Nations (UN) holds an annual (every year) meeting to discuss climate change.

• COP29 in 2024 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan

• All nations agreed to:

  • Agreed to provide at least $300 billion per year to Low Income Countries (LICs) by 2035

  • Take actions to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions