This presentation looks at why organizations like CARE are increasingly concerned about climate change and how development-oriented NGOs can adapt their programming in response. “Climate” typically refers to weather conditions averaged across 30 years (a period recommended by the World Meteorological Organization). Dissimilarities are always found when two 30-year periods are compared. Therefore, the intended meaning of “climate change” can be confusing. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) addresses this problem by defining climate change only as that which is induced by human activities (e.g. industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion and land use changes such as deforestation)