Dealing with reality

Abstract

The Kyoto Protocol was intended to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of developed countries to 5 per cent less than they were in 1990, and this was to be achieved by the end of 2012. As that deadline approaches it is time to take stock of what has actually happened. There is some good news and some bad news: The bad news is that political solutions to mitigate global warming lack the ambition to deliver what the scientists demand—a limit on the increase in temperature of 28C. The good news is that, 20 years after the Rio Earth Summit, the ‘Environment’ is firmly on the corporate agenda and as economies emerge from recession the green shoots of growth can be truly green. But we need more commitment from our politicians. This is difficult to achieve as international recession drags on because policies to boost growth at any price are better vote-winners than policies that increase environmental costs. 1.