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		Climate Change Climate Change and Global Warming What's New The Impacts of Climate Change Climate Change and Biodiversity: An Interactive Map What You Can Do:   Carbon Footprint Calculator   Voluntary Carbon   Offset Program   Climate-Saving Tips   Get the Facts   Take a Quiz   Get our e-Newsletter   Donate now What We Do:   Stop Deforestation   Adapt to Impacts   Support Policy Where We Work on Climate Change Contact Us Press Releases Tell us what you think about climate change

Our Policy by Issue Emissions reductions Forest carbon Adaptation Our Policy Engagement International Federal State and regional The Bali Climate Change Conference See how the Conservancy helped frame  the global discussion that will lay the groundwork for the next international agreement to address climate change. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Read more on why The Nature Conservancy helped launch the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. We Want to Hear from You Tell us what you think about our climate change work. What national or international policies should be implemented to fight climate change?

Mandatory policies are critical to decreasing emissions of heat-trapping gases and reducing the impacts of climate change to the lands and waters on which we all depend.

We are working with governments at state, federal, and international levels to enact laws that would reduce emission levels from all major economic sectors responsible for carbon emissions, including energy, transportation and deforestation. As action on U.S. federal climate legislation picks up speed, it signals that the U.S. is prepared to undertake meaningful action, which is essential to catalyzing meaningful action in developing countries and the rest of the world.

Meaningful Commitments

Meaningful and binding legal commitments are needed to keep global warming below dangerous levels. The Conservancy is working to secure a meaningful commitment from all major emitting countries to reduce their contribution to climate change, through an international climate change agreement to go into effect in 2013 and through strong federal climate change legislation in the United States. Flexible options are needed to enable developing countries to increase their efforts to reduce emissions as well.

Economy-wide Reductions

Emissions reductions commitments and legislation will need to include a wide range of economic activities if they are to achieve the level of reductions needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. 

Market-based Incentives

The most effective way to reduce emissions quickly is through strong market-based incentives. Implementing well-designed, market-based programs that will spur innovation and allow countries and companies to meet emissions reduction goals at the lowest possible cost.

Forest Carbon

Because deforestation produces as much as 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, forest conservation and restoration must play a meaningful role in any successful effort to avoid dangerous climate change. The Conservancy calls for policies that create strong incentives at home and abroad for efforts to reduce or absorb carbon emissions in forests. To be effective, these policies must establish criteria to ensure that carbon emission reductions are real, permanent, and verifiable, with reliable measuring and monitoring and appropriate accounting for displaced emissions. These activities should produce broad benefits for the environment and biodiversity and promote sustainable development.

With your help, we can reduce the impacts of climate change on our lives, on our environment and on future generations.

 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Charlie Ott (Alaskan factory); Photo © Mark Godfrey/The Nature Conservancy (traffic in Bangkok, THailand).