Explainers

“Loss and damage” is a term used by the United Nations to describe the harms inflicted by climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to.

The electric grid is a network of power lines and other infrastructure that moves electricity from power plants to our homes and businesses—and its design affects our options for building a clean energy system.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, as forests in arid parts of the world become hotter and drier.

Energy storage is technology that holds energy at one time so it can be used at another time. Cheap and abundant energy storage is a key challenge for a low-carbon energy system.

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. It can be used as a fuel that does not produce greenhouse gases when burned.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a United Nations body widely considered the world’s top authority on climate science.

The Paris Climate Agreement is a treaty that brings all the world’s peoples into a common effort to combat climate change.