How will this affect us in Australia?

The effects of climate change could have a devastating impact on the environment around us, and on our health and lifestyles too.

• More heat waves are likely to cause more heat stress and heat-related deaths in people, animals, plants and crops. The risk of bushfires will increase in some areas too.
• While fewer cold and frosty days would reduce cold stress, cold-related deaths and frost damage to crops, the warmer temperatures could support a wider range of pests and diseases. Crops that thrive in chilly weather - like stone fruit - could suffer too.
• More frequent droughts could mean serious losses of crops, livestock, fish and wildlife. River flows and water quality could suffer too.
• Water supplies in some areas could be affected by changes in rainfall patterns and reduced soil moisture. This, in turn, would affect households, industry, energy generation and agriculture, as well as our native flora and fauna.
• Australia's forests may thrive if high CO2 levels increase plant productivity. But this could be negated as higher temperatures and lower rainfall could decrease plant growth. 
• Even slightly warmer average temperatures are likely to do significant damage to high altitude rainforest flora and fauna. In woodland ecosystems in south-western Australia, modest warming may harm most frog and mammal species.
• Australia's World Heritage-listed coral reefs will be put under more pressure from warmer ocean temperatures, causing coral bleaching. More destructive tropical cyclones, higher sea-levels and increased concentrations of carbon dioxide may also reduce coral growth rates.

Find out more about climate change.  Visit the Australian Greenhouse Office website.