According to the UK Green Party website the Green Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:

CC100 The Green Party’s primary objective is the safeguarding of the climate, as far as possible, for future decades and generations; or as the UNFCCC puts it, “The avoidance of dangerous anthropogenic change to the climate”.

CC110 The Green Party calls for the establishment of annual targets for global and national greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and for the establishment of effective enforcement mechanisms.

CC111 The primary aim of such targets is to significantly reduce the likelihood of catastrophic climate change by keeping atmospheric temperature rise below 2°C above preindustrial levels. Climate research at the Swiss ETH Institute has shown that this requires stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations at or below 450ppm CO2 equivalent.

Climate Change International Negotiations

CC120 The Green Party actively endorses the leading role played by the UN and its subsidiary bodies in striving for the necessary international agreement, global monitoring and implementation of the required policies; and will endeavour to support their ongoing activities.

CC200 The Green Party calls for the establishment of a number of targets for global and national greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and for the establishment of effective enforcement mechanisms. All targets herein relate to a baseline of emissions in 1990, as in the Kyoto Protocol.

CC201 On average, each person worldwide emitted about 5 tonnes of CO2 in 2000, of which 4 tonnes came from fossil-fuel burning. There were huge international variations, with the Americans averaging 20 tonnes, British 9, Chinese 2.5 and Africans 1 tonne. Climate research from the Potsdam Institute suggest that average global emissions will need to be reduced by at least 60% of the 1990 baseline by 2030. This equates on average to a 90% reduction in emissions by developed countries by 2030. Following the principle of convergence this requires UK emissions to be cut by 80-90%.

CC202 The UK’s commitment under the EU basket agreement reached in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol is a reduction in the 6-gas basket by 12.5% by 2008-2012 The Blair government has also committed the UK to a 20% reduction in CO2 by then.

CC203 UK emissions in 2005 were just below the 1990 baseline and rising. We should aim steadily to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to 10% of their 1990 levels by 2030. If this policy is adopted in 2007, the required annual rate is 9% per annum. If adoption is delayed, the required rate is significantly greater, rising for the next few years by about 0.5 percentage points for each year of delay in starting. _We will also establish effective mechanisms for getting back on track should an annual target be missed. New and persuasive scientific evidence may arise that shows a need for deeper cuts in emissions and Green party public announcements should reflect the current nature of climate change science.

CC204 Working towards a stringent target will make the UK well- placed to adapt to the tightening of global emissions limits which are likely to occur over the next few decades.

CC205 We oppose quantifying emissions due to land-use changes (mainly afforestation), as they are almost impossible to measure. In any case, adoption of Green Party forestry policy (see Forestry) should lead to net CO2 absorption from land-use changes for several decades.

CC206 Targets should also be set to cover the other Kyoto protocol gases (see CC010) as well as other gases and black soot that are found to directly or indirectly cause global warming. UK targets must include land-use emissions including peat and moorland burning

CC207 Parallel targets should also be set for NOx and water emissions by UK-based aircraft, which are more damaging than ground-based emissions. (see TR501)

CC208 The UN should modify the way the effects of different greenhouse gases are combined to focus on the impacts over a twentyyear time period. Currently 100 years is used and this makes a big difference to the calculated effects of methane, resulting in serious understressing of the importance of methane emissions reductions in the crucial next few decades.

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Green Party’s Climate Change Targets policies in the comments below?