Climate change

Climate change
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Climate change policy overview

Houses of Parliament, UK
It increasingly looks as though the government will miss its target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010 from 1990 levels

The RSPB works on policies both to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change (mitigation policy) and to allow wildlife to adapt to the degree of climate change that will inevitably occur (adaptation policy).

We also conduct research into the present and projected effects of climate change on birds and other wildlife, both at home and abroad.

UK

Activity on climate change has been hectic in the UK in 2005 and 2006. We actively participated in the G8 process in 2005, which focussed on climate change and on Africa, having several meetings with both Mr Blair and Mr Brown. 

With development groups, as well as environment groups, we formed a coalition to press for more action to combat climate change, called Stop Climate Chaos. With the same groups, we issued a series of publications, including one called ‘Africa: up in smoke’ with a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which we launched at the Gleneagles summit.

In 2006, we participated actively in the recent review of all UK climate change policy and the separate review of energy policy. We also provided input to the Stern Review on the economics of climate change.

In spite of much activity on climate change in the UK, it increasingly looks as though the government will miss its target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010 from 1990 levels.  

European Union (EU)

Much UK legislation on the environment now flows from EU legislation and so it is imperative to try to influence such law before it is made, by working with the EU Parliament, Commission and Council. For example, we worked with the Commission and Parliament on the Directive establishing the EU emissions trading scheme, which encompasses about half of all EU, and UK, carbon dioxide emissions.  

In 2005, we initiated discussion within the EU on adapting nature conservation policy to cope with climate change. In early 2006, we sat on two expert groups reviewing the EU Climate Change Programme: on emissions from aviation and from agriculture and forests. In summer 2006, we worked with the EU Parliament on a resolution concerning emissions from aviation.

International

Because climate change is caused by emissions from all around the world, we work on the international treaties that provide the framework for international action: the Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol.  

At present, the key issue is to conclude global agreement on country’s emission reduction commitments for the period after 2012, when the first ‘commitment period’ ends.  

We are also working with others on including commitments to allow developing countries with tropical forests to claim credit for maintaining them, rather than cutting them down. If this can be done, it would have huge benefits for both climate change and biodiversity.

What can I do?

Join us in asking the Government to take action to prevent climate change. Together we can make a difference.

Stop Climate Chaos

Last modified: 09 August 2006

Downloads

80% challenge - delivering a low-carbon UK (550Kb)
A report investigating whether a target of 80% can be achieved in the UK by domestic efforts alone and what the costs of doing so would be.
80% challenge - delivering a low-carbon UK summary (141Kb)
A report investigating whether a target of 80% can be achieved in the UK by domestic efforts alone and what the costs of doing so would be.