Politics and good intentions

25

The mayors of 350 cities, including 12 EU capitals, signed an agreement in early 2009 that commits to improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020, and specifies that 20% of the energy will come from renewable energy sources.

26

The UK National Health Service is reducing its sizeable emissions of CO2 by offering patients and staff vegetarian menus, meat being costlier in terms of CO2. It has also made surgical treatments available in local practices, which will reduce the number of longer journeys made to hospitals.

27

Australia and New Zealand are phasing out traditional incandescent light bulbs, and by 2012 only energy efficient CFL bulbs will be legal. In Europe, the ban against incandescent light bulbs comes into force from 2015.

28

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has committed the UK to reducing CO2 emissions by 60% before 2050 to help tackle global warming. The Climate Change Bill makes the UK the first country to put CO2 emissions reduction targets into law.

29

In Brazil, deforestation and fires account for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. An average of 19,000 m2 is deforested every year in the Brazilian Amazon. The Brazilian government wants to reduce this by 72% by 2017. This will amount to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere being reduced by 4.8 billion tons.

30

Carbon credits provide a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on an industrial scale by capping total annual emissions. The tradeable carbon credits are given a monetary value, set by the market, and can be bought and sold between groups in state, national and international markets.