Climate Change

Global – past, present and future Climate Change

Past-Present-Future

Definition • Climate change refers to a statistically significant variation in either

the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer)

• Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcings, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.

• Note that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its Article 1, defines “climate change” as: “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.” The UNFCCC thus makes a distinction between “climate change” attributable to human activities altering the atmospheric composition, and “climate variability” attributable to natural causes.

Who is affected

..\Readings\CCVI 2012.pdf

Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2012

Climate Change

IPCC • Global Legislation

About IPCC • It is an intergovernmental body open to all member countries of

the United Nations (UN) and WMO (World Meteorology Org). Currently 195 countries are members of the IPCC

• The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was shared, in two equal parts between the IPCC and Al Gore

• IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change formed in 1988. Its aim:

• to assess scientific information relevant to human-induced climate change, the impacts of this and options for adaptation and mitigation

Earth Summit

• UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – set up at a Rio de Janiero Conference in 1992 (Earth Summit) purpose, was to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

Rio Declaration

• The same Earth Summit delivered the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development delivering 27 principles including the Right to development, eradication of poverty, capacity building for sustainable development, women’s and indigenous peoples rights

• And – Agenda 21 an action agenda for the UN

Kyoto Protocol

• Finally the Earth Summit laid the ground work for the Kyoto Protocol – an international treaty setting binding obligations on industrialized countries to emissions of greenhouses gases

• “…developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions as a result of 150 years of industrial activity.

Kyoto Protocol

• There are 192 parties to the conventions all UN members except; Andorra, Canada, South Sudan, the United States and the European Union.

• The US joined but did not ratify and Canada withdrew in 2011. Current members agreed to limitations (2008-2012)/reductions (2013-2020) in their emissions

Why is this important to Tourism?

• Climate change legislation and environment and development initiatives (Agenda 21) will have a fundamental affect on the global travel and tourism industry. – Transportation to destinations – Destinations themselves

• There is now a general acceptance that global emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change

European Union

http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/index_en.htm - area covered by European Union

Not a signed up member of the Kyoto Protocol however

European Union

• Has the only working carbon market which relates to travel and tourism

• At present only works within European area following massive opposition from airlines and plane manufacturers in particular US and Chinese governments – until 2016

• Three future possibilities to address the issue in future: carbon offsetting, CO (with revenue) and a full, global Emission Trading system.