This module addresses the question, “what are we adapting to?” It provides participants with a basic understanding of climate change science (drivers, changes and impacts) and an overview of how we are responding to climate change at the global level (policies, actions and prospects).

Content can be tailored based on participants’ existing levels of knowledge and the contexts in which they are most interested. For example, some audiences may require a grounding in the basics of climate science, whereas others may have a good grasp of these and be more interested in climate projections and impacts for a particular region or sector. This module can also include content on specific regional or local impacts, depending on the interests and priorities of participants.

Key questions addressed in this module include

• What do we mean by ‘climate change’ and how does it differ from climate variability?
• What are the main drivers of climate change on different timescales?
• How have humans influenced climate in the past, and how are we influencing it today?
• What changes have we already seen?
• What changes might we expect if we carry on with business-as-usual?
• What are the Paris targets, why are they important, what are our prospects of achieving them?
• What impacts should we be planning for?

This module consists of three sessions and one exercise, with around 60-90 minutes allocated for each, depending on the level of tailoring for specific audiences. It is the first module in our Adaptation Literacy and Adapting to Climate Change courses.