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Our global climate work

Storm clouds at sunset

Climate change is an urgent global problem - that’s why we need international cooperation and agreement on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve forests and help poorer countries adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. WWF is working in key countries around the world to promote solutions, and to secure a much more ambitious international response.

The most recent UN Climate Change Conference, which took place in Durban at the end of 2011, did not reach the fair ambitious and binding agreement that's needed. Progress is being hindered by failures of leadership from many key countries.

Durban did agree to keep the Kyoto Protocol as a key vehicle for addressing emissions from some developed countries. This is important, as the Protocol has good rules and a clear legal framework to hold countries to account over reducing their emissions.

Durban also paved the way to agree a more comprehensive legal framework by 2015, which will for the first time also include actions by developing countries. Many developing countries are already doing a lot to reduce emissions, but these actions are not reflected in the current international framework.

Despite these positive moves, we still face a huge challenge - the limited emissions pledges that countries have made so far put the world firmly on track for disastrous levels of warming of 3-4°C.

The world’s governments and business leaders urgently need to show leadership in the face of this impending crisis - by rapidly increasing efficiency of energy use, by promoting rapid uptake of clean, renewable energy technologies, and by acting to stop deforestation.

The good news is, our studies show it can be done - a future based on 100% renewable energy, and preserving our natural forests, is achievable if we start now.

Working in key countries
The UK’s Climate Change Act, while not perfect, is a good model to guide the transition to a sustainable, zero-carbon economy. WWF is working in countries all around the world to promote similar low-carbon frameworks, and to drive forward clean renewable energy and to stop deforestation.

Stronger action is needed now in the UK and EU to help achieve a peak in global emissions by 2015, and also to show that low-carbon development is possible and has social and economic benefits, as well as the obvious environmental ones.

This means urgently taking on more ambitious targets and policies to reduce the EU’s emissions in 2020 by at least 40% (below 1990 levels), including at least 30% reductions achieved as transformation towards a low-carbon economy within the EU itself.

The existing 20% target is very weak - it will leave us exposed to costly fossil fuels and will fail to encourage the development of new, clean industries and jobs in Europe.