The predicted effects for the environment and for human life are numerous and varied. The main effect is an increasing global average temperature. From this flow a variety of effects results, namely, rising sea levels, altered patterns of agriculture, increased extreme weather events, and the expansion of the range of tropical diseases. In some cases, the effects may already be occurring, although it is generally difficult to attribute specific natural phenomena to long-term global warming.

A summary of possible effects and our current understanding can be found in the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Scientific and business groups in individual countries are producing reports on the effects of climate change on their nation, such as in Australia.

Proposed responses to the effects of climate change include adaptation, mitigation and elimination.

Sea level rise • Glacier retreat • Global warming and agriculture • National Assessment on Climate Change • Economics of global warming • Shutdown of thermohaline circulation