noun phrase · neutral

climate change

/ˈklaɪmət ˈtʃeɪndʒ/CLI·mate change

Band 4-5speakingtask2

Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation and weather patterns across the world

Examples

Many coastal communities are already feeling the effects of climate change.

Policies that reduce emissions are essential to slow climate change.

Farmers need to adapt their crops to climate change.

Band 8 sentence

Addressing climate change requires coordinated policy, technological innovation and behavioural shifts across societies.

Collocations

  • contribute to climate change
  • combat climate change
  • mitigate climate change

Word family

climatic adjectiveclimatologist noun

Common mistakes

the climate changeclimate change

weather changeclimate change

to change the climateclimate change

Say it for a higher band

5weather change6global warming7+climate change

Synonyms

global climate change

Easily confused

global warming

Global warming refers specifically to the long-term rise in Earth's average surface temperature.

weather change

A sudden thunderstorm is a short-term weather change, not climate change.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Nature & Animals

Learn it with its set