What's happening?

This year, there is one new year's resolutionA goal you set for yourself at the start of a new year. we should all share: getting our planet back into shape. 2023 was the hottest year on record. And even though we talked a lot about stopping burning fossil fuelsFuels made from decomposing plants and animals, including coal, natural gas and oil. These fuels release carbon dioxide, causing global warming., the year saw a 1% increase in emissionsThings that are released, such as gases, as part of a process. E.g. greenhouse gases. from burning fossil fuels compared to 2022.

2024 could be different. Experts think that this could be the first year on record where we see a fall in greenhouse gasGases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat, contributing to global warming. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapour are all greenhouse gases. emissions.

There are a number of reasons for the change, including the rise of electric cars and renewableEnergy sources, such as wind and solar power. energy. Perhaps the worst is behind us.

Fossil fuels now make up less than half of ChinaA country in East Asia, home to 1.4 billion people.'s power, whilst renewable energy will generate more than a quarter of US energy this year.

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Reducing our carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas.  emissions is central to the fight against global warmingThe Earth is getting hotter due to climate change.. CO2 is a greenhouse gas which traps heat in our atmosphere to keep the planet warm.

But even if 2024 does go down in history, experts say it is only the first step. We need to keep lowering emissions in future years too.

Yes! We are going in the right direction. More and more countries are using renewable energy instead of burning fossil fuels. There is lots to be happy about.

No! Everything we are doing is too little, too late. We are not doing enough to fight climate changeLong-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change..