Climate Change and Environmental Pollution
Sena Gülşen tarafındanClimate change is far more than just an environmental problem; it is a striking test of societies, economies, and politics. While the problem itself is scientifically based, its solution requires political will, international cooperation, and long-term investment commitment. Below, I present this process in a chronological framework, along with past events, agreements, and current impacts.
The roots of climate change debates date back to the 19th century. In 1896, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius published the first study, quantitatively modeling how increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration would trap heat escaping from the Earth, thus increasing temperatures. This work forms one of the scientific foundations of the mechanism we now call the "greenhouse effect."
From the mid-century onward, with technological advances and widespread use of measurement tools, scientists began to develop systems capable of continuously monitoring atmospheric CO₂ levels. Measurements (Keeling Curve), which began at Mauna Loa in 1958, clearly revealed the steady increase in CO₂ over the years and graphically illustrated the human-induced rise following the industrial revolution.
In the 1970s and 1980s, warnings grew stronger with advances in climate science. In 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The IPCC produced scientific assessment reports, becoming an "information bridge" that fed into decision-making processes among governments.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, outlined national commitments to combat the climate crisis. However, rather than imposing coercive limits on countries, the UNFCCC aimed to establish a collaborative framework.
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol became the first internationally binding initiative to impose specific emission limits on industrialized countries. However, the agreement faced challenges such as the exclusion of developing countries, the non-participation of major emitters, and weak oversight mechanisms.
The COP15 summit in Copenhagen in 2009 began with high expectations but failed to produce a binding global agreement. Ultimately, the Copenhagen Accord, which contained political language, was adopted, but a strong common strategy for emissions reductions failed to emerge.
Following these challenges, the Paris Agreement emerged in 2015. Paris was founded on a system in which all parties submitted voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The goal was to “limit global temperature rise this century to well below 2°C, and if possible, closer to 1.5°C.” Paris was a turning point in climate diplomacy—but the inflexibility of commitments and the lack of implementation generated controversy.
In 2018, the IPCC’s special 1.5°C Report was released, strongly warning that exceeding the temperature threshold would be inevitable without swift action. It emphasized the necessity of sharp reductions by 2030. The 2021 Glasgow COP26 conference attracted attention by including terms like "phase down coal" in the official text. At COP27 in 2022, a decision was made to establish a Loss and Damage Fund to address the damages and losses already experienced by vulnerable countries. The 2023 COP28 conference in Dubai marked its historic significance by including the phrase "transition away from fossil fuels" in its comprehensive text.
Today, scientific institutions continue to demonstrate record temperatures, high CO₂ concentrations, and accumulated greenhouse gases. This data clearly demonstrates that the climate is still evolving in an uncontrolled direction.
The impacts of climate change are multifaceted and widespread, including:
Extreme heat waves and impacts on human health: The elderly, children, and those with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to heat stress and heat stroke. High temperatures increase energy use and strain infrastructure. Sea level rise: Melting glaciers and warming oceans pose risks of coastal erosion, salinization, and loss of coastal settlements and agricultural land. Low-lying islands and deltas are most exposed to this risk.
Excessive rainfall, floods, and drought: Climate instability increases the risk of more intense rainfall and floods (soil erosion, infrastructure damage, and population loss) in the region, while also exacerbating the risk of drought and water scarcity in some areas.
Ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss: Coral reef bleaching, species migration, habitat loss, and the risk of extinction for some species increase. Ecosystem services (e.g., pollination, water cycling, carbon storage) may be disrupted.
Economic and social costs, inequality: Climate change most severely impacts vulnerable and low-resource communities. The concept of loss and damage highlights this injustice: rebuilding damaged communities is costly, and financial support from developed countries is often inadequate.
Why Is Finding a Solution So Difficult?
Lack of Binding: The Paris Agreement's voluntary participation model offers flexibility but creates inadequate overall targets.
Implementation and Financing Gap: Setting targets is easy, but implementation is expensive. Securing sufficient resources is challenging; developing countries, in particular, are seeking financial support.
Political Resistance and Conflicting Interests: Countries dependent on fossil fuels can slow down the transition; short-term economic concerns overshadow long-term climate action.
Time Pressure: Greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for a long time; delay magnifies the risks of crossing irreversible thresholds.
Lack of Trust and Geographical Inequality: Differences persist between developed and developing countries on who will contribute how much and who will suffer how much.
Climate change is closely linked to other global problems (water scarcity, hunger, migration, inequality). For example, climate stresses undermine agriculture, impact water resources, and increase migration pressure. Therefore, monitoring, understanding, and actively participating in solution processes are critical.
https://www.rsc.org/images/arrhenius1896_tcm18-173546.pdf?
https://www.ipcc.ch/about/history/
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change?
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-glasgow-climate-pact-key-outcomes-from-cop26
https://unfccc.int/news/cop28-agreement-signals-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-fossil-fuel-era
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/10/world-temperature-hottest-year-noaa
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