Climate Change

Analysis of ice cores and tree rings reveals that the world has not been as warm as it is now for a millennium or more. The three warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998, 19 of the warmest 20 since 1980.

The warming climate is having a real impact on our environment: Arctic ice and permafrost are disappearing, the world¡¦s glaciers are in retreat and coastal communities around the globe are increasingly threatened by flooding and extreme weather.

These temperature increases have been linked with higher levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Levels of the most prevalent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), are currently approaching 380 ppm, having risen from pre-industrial levels of around 280 ppm. Human activity is causing these increases as we burn coal, oil and natural gas, releasing billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

If current trends continue, we will raise atmospheric CO2 concentrations to double pre-industrial levels during this century. That will probably be enough to raise global temperatures by around 2¢XC to 5¢XC. As the earth warms, the potential for further, more rapid, temperature increases grows greater. For this reason, the world¡¦s scientific community is united in calling for dramatic reductions in the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the earth¡¦s atmosphere.

The Kyoto Protocol

At the Earth Summit in 1992, the United Nations created the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), beginning a process to mitigate ¡§dangerous¡¨ climate change.

In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC was negotiated, imposing legally binding reductions on greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries over the 2008-2012 period. Failure to meet emission reduction targets will result in significant financial penalties for developed nations and major emitters within these countries.

The Protocol does not set emission reduction targets for developing nations. However, it does provide economic incentives for investment in greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects in the developing world. These incentives take the form of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

A more detailed overview of the Kyoto Protocol can be found at: www.unfccc.int.