What can be done about climate change?

In 2005 the Kyoto Protocol became an internationally binding agreement between 38 industrialized countries, although crucially, some of the world’s biggest polluters did not sign up to it. In December 2007 Australia became the 174th signatory to the agreement leaving only a handful of significant polluters outside the agreement.

Kyoto set targets for government and business to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and created mechanisms by which to do it. These mechanisms include action by industrial companies to reduce, trade and offset their emissions. At the UN Conference on Climate Change on Bali in 2007 the signatories renewed their commitment to developing a successor to the Kyoto Protocol by 2009.

But we as individuals must also take action. We need to keep pressure on our governments to make – and keep – real commitments to combat climate change, and we need to reduce and offset our personal contributions to the problem, for the sake of everyone who shares this planet with us. One way to do this is to show that we are prepared to pay the price in real money.

That’s what Climate Stewards is all about – acting today to safeguard the world for tomorrow.