Sustainable Development must ensure that the environment is protected and that there are sufficient resources for future generation.

Achieving sustainable development includes:

1. The use of renewable energy - our case study is WIND POWER.

2. International Directives on pollution control and carbon reducing initiatives -

3. Local actions (e.g. recycling rather than landfill) to global (carbon credits)

2. International Directives on pollution control and carbon reducing initiatives   - document and task

The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement signed by more than 100 countries in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 whose aim was to halt climate change. Countries made pledges to cut down their carbon emissions by agreed amounts by 2010. By 2006 it had been  accepted by 162 countries, but the USA was criticised for refusing to stick to it. This treaty was due to expire in 2012 and has now, after many more meetings on climate talks,  been extended to 2020.

The two biggest emitters of all – the United States and China – churned out more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Worldwide, emissions soared by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009.

In 2012’s International Summit countries finally agreed that rich nations should move towards compensating poor nations for losses due to climate change. and countries have agreed to work towards a new treaty from 2015. Getting all of the world's countries to agree is very difficult - WHY? (take a look at what  Donald Trump thinks!)

The latest set of Climate Talks were in Paris in Dec 2015   - They were hailed a success as 'The Paris agreement', in which 195 countries committed to limiting the temperature increase to well below 2C   WATCH THE NEWS REPORT

Key points from the summit that were agreed:

• To keep global temperature increase "well below" 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C

• To review progress every five years

• $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.

Listen to Leonardo DiCaprio  - his latest film

3. Ways of reducing the costs of globalisation from local to global... 

Ever heard the saying 'Act Local. Think Global'? ...

LOCAL

 - List as many examples as you can from PF's Eco Schools work (see our FROG pages)

-What do you and your family do?

-Explain how recycling can help reduce the costs of globalisation...

GLOBAL

- What are Carbon Credits? How can they help?

The European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS) is the world's biggest scheme for trading greenhouse gas emissions allowances. Launched in 2005, it covers some 11,000 power stations and industrial plants in 30 countries, whose carbon emissions make up almost 50% of Europe's total.
A cap on the total emissions allowed within the scheme is set, and allowances adding up to the cap are provided to the companies regulated by the scheme. The companies are required to measure and report their carbon emissions and to hand in one allowance for each tonne they release. Companies can trade their allowances, providing an incentive for them to reduce their emissions.

Carbon Offsetting explained here

Complete these tasks!