The United Kingdom produces around 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While this may not be as much as other countries such as China (the world’s leading greenhouse gas producer, responsible for almost 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions) it is important that there is a unilateral change across all countries to ensure that climate change is halted as soon as possible.
The combined governments of the UK recognize climate change as one of the largest threats that future generations will face and so are committed to tackling the issue as efficiently as possible. To that end the Climate Change Act 2008 (CCA) was created, along with the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
The Climate Change Act
The purpose of the CCA is to provide a clearly defined set of goals and measures to accurately gauge what improvements are being made with regards to the UKs contribution to Climate Change.
The first statement made in the Climate Change Act states the ambitious goal of this piece of legislation:
The target for 2050
1.It is the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for the year 2050 is at least [100%] lower than the 1990 baseline.[1]
The act also discusses how the government should go about reducing emissions such as carbon budgeting and a limit on the number of carbon units that may be used up to the target year. It also discloses how the government will determine if objectives have been met.
The Committee on Climate Change The Committee on Climate change is an independent organisation formed under the Climate Change Act. Its goal is to advise the government on matters regarding climate change and provide objective, unbiased data about the UKs greenhouse gas emissions What’s happening globally? In 1992 a summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Named the “Rio Earth summit” it was attended by 117 heads of state and representatives of 178 nations in total[2]. During this conference two conventions were opened for signature, the most relevant of which being the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC became an enforced convention on the 21st of March 1994 and now has almost global membership with a total of 197 countries having formally signed it[3]. The UNFCCC The ultimate goal of the UNFCCC is to prevent what the UN considers to be “dangerous” human interference with the climate change system. There are seven aspects of this convention which work towards this goal.
1. Recognizing that there is a problem
“it bound member states to act in the interests of human safety even in the face of scientific uncertainty.” [3]
2. Setting a goal
The objective set by the convention is to stabilize levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas within a period of time that would allow ecosystems to adapt to climate change
3. Emphasizes that developed countries are responsible for leading the way
The logic being that as these developed countries are the source of most past and current greenhouse gas emissions and so should be held accountable for reducing emissions to acceptable levels.
4. Makes funding available for climate change activities in developing countries
Industrialized nations have agreed under the convention to provide financial support to developing countries (beyond any financial support they were already supplying) in the interest of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, these nations also agree to share technology that would benefit the convention with other less developed countries.
5. Monitors the issue and how it is being handled by members of the convention
Industrialized countries are required to report regularly on their climate change policiesThey must also submit an annual assessment of their greenhouse gas emissionsDeveloping countries report in more general terms about their actions to reduce climate change and its impacts. However this is reliant on them receiving funding to prepare the reports.
6. suggests a path to strike a delicate balance
The convention accepts that the share of greenhouse gas emissions produced by developing nations will increase in the near future. So, in order to fulfill its ultimate goal, it aims to assist such countries in limiting their emissions in ways that will not form a hinderance to their economic development.
7. Kicks off formal consideration of adapting to climate change
The convention understands the vulnerability of all nations to the effects of climate change and advises increased efforts to ease its consequences, especially in the case of developing countries lacking the resources to do so on their own.
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