Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457): Topic: Climate change, energy and resources — Study Guide

This guide covers the topic “Climate change, energy and resources” from the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025). The topic is on the single topic list in section 3 (“Approaches to teaching and learning”), and the syllabus says that list is for all components: Component 1 Written Exam, Component 2 Individual Report and Component 3 Team Project. The skills you practise here are set out in section 2 (aims and assessment objectives) and section 4 (details of the assessment).

Topic knowledge is not assessed. The syllabus states plainly: “Knowledge of content is not assessed in this syllabus.” The topics are a context for building skills. So this page does not ask you to learn facts about climate science. It shows how to use this topic to practise the assessed skills: research, analysis, evaluation, reflection, communication and collaboration.

Use this guide with the revision notes for this topic and the practice questions for this topic. The Global Perspectives hub lists every resource, and the 0457 checklist lets you tick off each skill.

What the syllabus asks you to do

Syllabus reference	What you must be able to do (from the document)	Where assessed
Section 3, Topic list	Use a topic chosen from the list (this one is “Climate change, energy and resources”) to explore global issues and perspectives	All three components
Section 2, AO1 Research, analysis and evaluation	Research global issues, their causes and consequences and possible course(s) of action; analyse and evaluate evidence, reasoning and sources; develop a line of reasoning	Components 1, 2 and 3
Section 2, AO2 Reflection	Consider different perspectives objectively and with empathy; justify your personal perspective with evidence and reasoning	Components 2 and 3
Section 2, AO3 Communication and collaboration	Present arguments, evidence and perspectives clearly; include citations and references; contribute to the Team Project	Components 2 and 3
Section 4, Component 1	Understand bias, claim, fact, generalisation, opinion, prediction, value and vested interest; analyse and evaluate use of evidence and language	Component 1 Written Exam
Section 4, Component 2	Research a global issue that divides opinion, with local and/or national and global perspectives; propose a single course of action	Component 2 Individual Report
Section 4, Component 3	Identify a local issue, plan and carry out an action, and measure its success	Component 3 Team Project

The syllabus weights AO1 at 100% of Component 1. The Written Exam therefore tests only research, analysis and evaluation. It prints six command words: analyse, describe, evaluate, explain, identify and suggest.

Issues at global, national and local level

The syllabus defines an issue as “an important subject or problem for discussion”. This topic is broad, so your first skill is to narrow it into issues you can analyse. Look for a problem at each level.

• Global: how fast countries should cut greenhouse gas emissions, and who should pay for it. Under the Paris Agreement (adopted in 2015), countries agreed to hold warming well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
• National: how a country should produce its electricity. Choices include coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, solar and wind. Each has different costs, risks and emissions.
• Local: rising energy bills for families, a new mine or wind farm near a town, or how much electricity a school wastes.

Key terms

• Energy security: a country’s ability to get reliable, affordable energy without depending too much on others.
• Renewable resource: one that is replaced naturally, such as wind or sunlight. A non-renewable resource (coal, oil, gas) runs out once used.
• Mitigation: action to reduce the causes of climate change. Adaptation: action to cope with its effects, such as flood defences.

Worked example (Individual Report-style paragraph)

Rising energy costs are a global issue because most countries still burn fossil fuels for electricity, so a change in world fuel prices reaches households in many places at once [knowledge]. In the fictional town of Carrowmere, a class survey found that 40 of 50 households said their bills had risen in the last year [application]. This links the global price change to a local consequence: families on low incomes spend a larger share of their money on energy, so they are hit hardest [analysis]. However, a class survey of 50 households is too small to represent the whole town, so this finding needs support from official data [evaluation].

Perspectives on the issues

The syllabus defines a perspective as “a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning”. A perspective is not just an opinion. It has reasons behind it. In this topic, perspectives often differ because people face different costs and risks.

• Low-lying island states argue for strong, fast cuts. Rising seas threaten their land. Many work together in the Alliance of Small Island States.
• Countries that earn a lot from oil, gas or coal often stress the economic cost of a fast change, such as lost jobs and lost government income.
• Many developing countries point to the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992). They argue that countries which industrialised first, and emitted more, should do more and pay more.
• Within one country, people disagree too. Germany shut down its last three nuclear power stations on 15 April 2023. Supporters of the decision pointed to safety and waste risks. Critics argued nuclear is a low-carbon source and that closing it could mean burning more fossil fuel.

Evaluation of perspectives: ask what evidence each side uses, whether its reasoning holds, and whether it has a vested interest (something it gains or loses from the outcome). A perspective can come from a group with a vested interest and still be well supported. Judge the reasoning, not just the speaker.

Worked example (perspective paragraph)

A coal-mining region and a small island state may both accept that the climate is warming, yet reach different views on how fast to act [knowledge]. For the mining region, a fast closure means lost jobs now [application]. For the island state, slow action risks the loss of homes later [application]. The difference comes from who carries the cost and when, not from a dispute about the science [analysis]. You might judge the island state’s case more urgent because its losses could not be reversed, but the mining region’s concern about jobs is a real cost that any fair plan must address [evaluation].

Causes and consequences

The syllabus asks you to analyse causes and consequences in depth. Analysis means showing links, not listing points. Build chains.

• Cause chain: rising demand for electricity → more fossil fuel burned → more carbon dioxide released → stronger greenhouse effect.
• Consequence chain: hotter summers → more demand for air conditioning → higher electricity use → more emissions if the power comes from fossil fuels. This is a feedback loop, where a consequence becomes a cause.

Show that the same cause has different consequences for different people. A drought may raise food prices for city families, cut the income of farmers and reduce output from hydro-power dams. That is analysis at more than one level.

Worked example (cause-and-consequence paragraph)

One cause of the shift to electric cars is the global aim to cut transport emissions [knowledge]. This raises demand for battery metals such as lithium, so new mines open in countries that hold the deposits [application]. A consequence is that a global solution can create a local problem: mines may compete with farmers for water [analysis]. The size of this problem depends on the mining method and the local climate, so you would need evidence from the specific place before judging it [evaluation].

Judging sources and evidence

Component 1 names eight terms you should understand. Apply each one to climate and energy statements.

Term	Meaning	Example statement (fictional)
Fact	Can be checked and shown true or false	“The plant opened in 2019.”
Opinion	A personal view that cannot be proved	“Wind turbines ruin the view.”
Claim	A statement put forward as true that needs support	“Solar power is now the cheapest option.”
Prediction	A statement about the future	“Bills will halve by 2035.”
Value	A belief about what matters or is right	“We owe it to future generations.”
Generalisation	A broad statement from limited cases	“Everyone wants electric cars.”
Bias	A one-sided view that leaves out other evidence	An advert listing only benefits
Vested interest	Something to gain or lose from the outcome	An oil firm writing on oil taxes

Reliability checklist: who wrote it and what expertise they have; when it was written (energy prices change fast); how the data were collected (sample size, who was asked); whether the writer has a vested interest; whether other sources agree.

A reliable source still has limits. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up in 1988, writes assessment reports that summarise published research. Its reports are a strong source because they draw on many studies and go through review. But its projections are given as ranges that depend on future emissions. Do not quote one figure as a certainty.

Worked example (evaluating a source)

A fictional energy company’s leaflet claims its new gas plant is “clean and green” [knowledge]. The company has a vested interest, because it profits if the plant is approved [application]. The phrase “clean and green” is emotive language rather than data, and the leaflet gives no emissions figures to compare with other sources [analysis]. So the claim is weakly supported. It would be stronger if it were backed by independent measurements [evaluation].

Courses of action

You must assess possible courses of action and explain your judgement. Use clear criteria:

• Effectiveness: will it reduce the problem, and by how much?
• Feasibility: cost, time and who must agree.
• Fairness: who gains and who loses?
• Sustainability: will it last, and does it create a new problem?

Actions work at different levels. Global: agreements such as the Paris Agreement, where each country sets its own target (a nationally determined contribution). Its strength is that almost every country takes part. Its limitation is that the targets are set nationally, so the agreement depends on countries keeping their own promises. At COP27 in 2022, countries agreed to set up a fund for “loss and damage” in vulnerable countries. National: carbon taxes, subsidies for renewables, building codes. Local: community solar, insulation schemes, school energy audits.

Worked example (judging an action)

A national subsidy for rooftop solar panels cuts emissions from homes that take it up [knowledge]. However, in a fictional city where wealthier districts install most panels, poorer families still pay the full price for grid power [application]. The subsidy may therefore widen the gap between rich and poor while still lowering total emissions [analysis]. A targeted subsidy for low-income households would be fairer, but it costs more per panel installed, so the best choice depends on whether the government values speed or fairness more [evaluation].

Using this topic in the Individual Report

The syllabus says the issue “should be one that divides opinion” and that you devise a global research question as your title. You need local and/or national and global perspectives, causes and consequences, several courses of action, and one chosen course of action described in detail.

Question ideas that build in disagreement:

• “Should countries that export coal be paid to leave it in the ground?”
• “Is nuclear power the best way for countries to cut emissions from electricity?”
• “Who should pay for flood protection in coastal cities: governments, polluters or residents?”

For each, plan your perspectives early. For the nuclear question: a local community near a proposed plant, a national government worried about energy security, and international views on low-carbon power. See the Individual Report study guide for structure and referencing.

Using this topic in the Team Project

The team project starts with a local issue. Energy is a strong choice because results can be measured. Possible issues include energy waste in your school, low use of public transport for the school run, or families not knowing how to lower their bills.

Possible actions: a switch-off campaign with a before-and-after audit, a leaflet on saving energy for families, or a presentation to the school leadership with costed proposals. The syllabus asks the team to state how they will evidence the action and how they will measure its success. Count something before and after, such as rooms with lights left on at lunch. Each team member researches a different aspect, such as a different perspective. See the Team Project study guide.

Common errors

• Writing what you know about the greenhouse effect instead of analysing the source in front of you. Component 1 does not credit prior knowledge.
• Calling any number a fact. A figure from an unnamed survey is a claim until you know how it was collected.
• Treating “vested interest” as proof that a source is wrong. It is a reason to check, not a verdict.
• Listing causes and consequences without linking them into a chain.
• Choosing an Individual Report title such as “Climate change”, which is a topic, not a question that divides opinion.
• Proposing a Team Project action you cannot measure, such as “raise awareness” with no before-and-after count.
• Presenting one IPCC projection as a certain outcome.

Where to go next

• Exam skills: Written Exam study guide, Written Exam revision notes and Written Exam practice
• Coursework: Individual Report practice and Team Project revision notes
• A related topic: Environment, pollution and conservation study guide
• This topic: revision notes and practice questions

Official syllabus

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025). Topic list in section 3; assessment objectives in section 2; component details and command words in section 4.