Living Planet

What would life on the planet look like under 3-degree warming? We travel to one location on each of the Earth's continents to explore the impacts of climate change – and find out what communities are doing in response. On part 1: Massive changes on Antarctica, bush fires in Australia, drought and water scarcity in Africa, and green living in Europe.

There's only so much CO2 we can release before we push the global temperature above 2 degrees – what scientists call our carbon budget. Do we stand a chance of weaning ourselves off fossil fuels in time?

As the 23rd annual UN climate conference kicked off in Bonn this week, the message from small island states was loud and clear: 1.5 to stay alive. At COP23, Living Planet spoke with Pacific Islanders, climate activists and indigenous peoples campaigning for urgent climate action:

Energy production and use account for about two-thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. And carbon dioxide makes up the majority of those emissions. That means energy is a major driver of global warming. So how can we drastically cut these emissions and at the same meet the world's growing energy demands? Luckily, there are plenty of options.

Transport is one of the major drivers of global warming. We hear about local initiatives to bring down emissions — from efforts to pedestrianize Paris, to the Kabul mayor's bold plan for eco-friendly travel. And, are e-scooters the answer to Mexico City's pollution problems?

One cow produces as much 600-800 liters of methane a day — a gas way more potent than carbon dioxide. India is the world's largest milk-producing country and the third biggest exporter of beef. Now, some Indian farmers are doing their part to get their cows to burp and fart less.

Agriculture is one of the major contributors to global warming - it accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. As the global population continues to grow, so too does our demand for food, and the need for land on which to grow it. So, how do we meet this demand and at the same time reduce our emissions?

Senegalese farmers have long used traditional techniques to read the weather and predict rainfall. Now, a new method has been developed: Sending science-based climate information by text message to help farmers boost yields.

After a summer of severe weather events, Europeans are asking: Is this the new normal and how do we prepare? Plus, the television show that's got Senegalese excited about farming.

What does it mean to live sustainably? Is it enough to simply recycle our waste, or do we need to do more? We head into the domestic sphere to find out what some eco-freaks are doing to reduce their own carbon footprint - and discover just how hard it is.