'Climate change' means the increase in the Earth’s average temperature since the beginning of the 20th century and its impacts now and in the future. There is very strong evidence that recent global warming can not be explained by natural causes alone. Humans are changing the climate by their actions, especially through emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, which artificially warm the Earth's atmosphere, know as the “greenhouse effect” (DEFRA, 2011).
 
The effects of climate change include rising temperatures, higher sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events like storms and heatwaves. These are expected to become more severe in coming decades and are directly related to the issue of global deforestation.