What can be done about climate change?
Actions to address climate change are of two kinds - those that
tackle the causes (i.e. emissions of greenhouse gases) and those
that enable the better withstanding of the effects of climate
change.
If global temperature rise is to be limited to 2'C, global
emissions of greenhouse gases should be halved by 2050. Achieving
such a target would probably require global emissions to peak
within the next decade. Governments and businesses are concerned
that such a reduction would have serious negative impacts on
economic prosperity - but so will the effects of climate change.
Transport and energy use are likely to be thorny issues for the UK
Government to grasp - in particular, reducing emissions from road
and air transport and increasing renewable energy generation whilst
improving energy efficiency. However, collective action at a high
level is imperative to achieve emission reductions of the magnitude
required.
The Kyoto Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for
developed countries, but has not been ratified by the US or
Australia and its term expires in 2012. Signatory countries agreed
to reduce their overall emissions of six greenhouse gases by 5.2%
below 1990 levels over the period 2008-2012. The UK's legal target
is 12.5%. The UK Government has recently abandoned an additional
voluntary target of 20% reduction in emissions (relative to 1990
levels) of carbon dioxide by 2010.
An international climate change task force was established in 2004
to find a way through the Kyoto impasse. In a recently-issued
report, the task force urges international collaboration on
low-carbon technologies, ambitious targets for renewable energy and
a framework to engage the US and developing countries in a future
emissions reduction framework.