The world of international politics can never be described as fast moving. The Kyoto Protocol, which legally binds nations into reducing carbon emissions, was adopted in 1997, yet didn’t come into force until 2005, and the targets will not have to met until 2012.
Now the world leaders are gathering once again for the latest Climate Change Conference, this time in Bali, Indonesia, a country which has first-hand experience of the extreme weather events caused by climate change. One of the major topics at the conference, which takes place from 3 – 14 December, will be how the global community continues to tackle climate change after 2012.
Action will need to take place now for any new agreement to come into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 – and it is due to this timing that The Prince of Wales and the business leaders of 150 global companies are urging the politicians to come away from the conference with a ‘roadmap’ for the future.
Many of the companies encouraging stringent emissions cuts are major US businesses such as Coca-Cola, Dupont, Gap, GE, Johnson and Johnson and Nike. They argue that “the shift to a low-carbon economy will create significant business opportunities” – a stark contrast to the claim by the Bush admistration that enforcing emissions cuts will harm businesses – one of the reasons they have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol.
Environmental groups are also calling for action. Tony Juniper, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, said: “The shift to a low carbon economy is not only an environmental imperative but also an unprecedented economic and social opportunity. Time is now short, however, and if we are to have a good chance of cutting emissions by a sufficient amount we need to act right away, and that is why we need a strong outcome from the Bali talks.”
