Understanding and Measuring the Earth’s Energy Imbalance

Energy imbalance is the difference in the amount of energy arriving on Earth from the sun and the amount returning to space. For decades, our escalating use of greenhouse gases has been pushing the Earth out of balance.

On this four-week course from the University of Glasgow, you’ll learn what energy imbalance is, how we could tackle it, and why it has become a vital metric for monitoring progress towards net zero.

Researchers have shown that the Earth’s energy imbalance has almost doubled in recent years. If this trend continues, we can expect to see an even higher rise in global temperatures than previously predicted.

You’ll start by delving into the science behind energy imbalance, exploring how it connects to global climate change.

Once you’ve understood the causes of energy imbalance, you can begin to examine solutions.

In the second week of the course, you’ll think critically about what is needed to bring the Earth back to balance, and discover ways that the planet could get there naturally.

In the final week of the course, you’ll investigate why the Earth’s energy imbalance has become an important metric for monitoring our progress towards net zero.

You’ll be challenged to reflect on the best indicators for measuring success in our fight to beat the climate crisis.