Fiducia TogetherClimate change
Long-term change in global climate, its causes, effects and the two responses.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Climate change is a long-term shift in temperature and weather patterns. The enhanced greenhouse effect from human emissions is the dominant cause of recent warming.
Where it applies
GCSE geography, and it appears in science and citizenship.
How it works
Evidence comes from ice cores, tree rings, temperature records and sea level measurement. Natural causes — orbital changes, volcanic activity, solar output — explain past variation but not the recent rate.
Responses split into mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation (living with the changes). Both are examined, and the distinction is frequently tested.
How to use it in your work
Keep mitigation and adaptation separate and label which you are describing. Mixing them is a standard error.
Use specific examples with figures. "Sea levels are rising" is weaker than a named place, a rate and a consequence.
For evaluation questions, weigh cost, feasibility and who benefits.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification — options differ enormously between centres, and yours is the one that counts. Bitesize covers the skills; the subject song runs the topics.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Geography Song The GCSE geography topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.