Climate Change Background

What is Climate Change?

It is probably worth explaining initially what exactly climate change is. As defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change in IPCC usage refers to, "Any change in climate over time whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity."

While it has not been conclusively proven that human activity has caused any change to the world's climate, there is a growing consensus that modern industrialisation has impacted on our climate and that we need to respond to these changes. The amounts of many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are increasing, most notably carbon dioxide which has increased by around 30% over the last 200 years. This change has been attributed to the burning of fossil fuels as well as deforestation. The current projection for a business as usual approach to the level of carbon dioxide in the environment will be between 2 and 3 times higher by the end of this century, than the "natural" level before humanity began the large-scale burning of coal, oil and gas.

The impacts of climate change may be far ranging, including rising temperatures and sea levels. Potential effects are dramatic and far reaching, they include more extreme weather events, increased rainfall, increased floods, pest infections, droughts, desertification and so on.

What has been done about Climate Change?

The first significant step taken by the international community was the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Government representatives from 178 countries agreed the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, as well as Agenda 21, a statement on Forest Principals and conventions on Climate and Biodiversity.

Following the Rio Earth Summit, the Montreal Summit in 1996 and subsequently the Kyoto Summit agreed more formal measures. In Kyoto in December 1997, world representatives met to sign a revised version. In the end the Kyoto accord agreed reductions in emissions of six gases, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and three halocarbons used as substitutes for CFCs. Targets agreed by 38 industrialised nations were on average 5% down from 1990 levels by between 2008 and 2012. The EU has committed itself to an 8% target. The UK government has gone beyond that and committed itself to a 20% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 levels by 2012.

The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is one of the UK government's initial responses to its commitments under Kyoto Protocol and it's own manifesto. The purpose of the CCL is to encourage industry to improve energy efficiency. If industry improves efficiency, less fossil fuels are used thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions.