We’re not much in the way of policy wonks here at 350.org headquarters. Rather we’re organizers at heart — we want to see a real grassroots movement flourish and mobilize citizens and world leaders together to set us on course to a safe and just world at or below 350 parts per million (ppm) co2.
But it’s still good to keep tabs on all that’s happening around the world. There is no shortage of good people working hard to set countries on course to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So what’s the latest?
Many folks likely heard about the US’s failed climate legislation last month. The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act was a weak (but improving) attempt to get the US set on course to be a leader on combating climate change. But the legislation sputtered to a halt rather suddenly leaving the US as still among the foremost contributors to global warming without a real plan for change. Already we’ve mentioned some of the citizen responses to the situation, and we’re likely to see many new developments led by groups like 1Sky.org in the weeks and months to come.
Elsewhere in the world, a bit more progress is being made:
- Also in June Japan announced plans emissions reductions target of 60-80% by 2050.
- The German cabinet passed phase 2 of a climate plan aimed at achieving 40% emissions reductions by 2020.
- In Britain by the end of the month Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced goals of increasing renewable energy in the country tenfold by 2020.
- Then more recently India released new a new climate action plan, largely focused on renewable energy and leaving India open to engage with the international UN process for tackling climate change.
- Just yesterday China released it’s first national plan on climate change.
Both China and India are just at the initial stages of addressing the issue, and we have a long way to go if we’re going to have the whole world aiming to set 350 as the safe upper limit for co2 in the atmosphere. But we can make it happen.
As you click through the links to read more about the latest climate policy news from around the world, be sure to start thinking about what your own country is up to and who’s in charge of directing your national climate policy. It’s up to us to make sure we’re building a roar of noise making 350 the clear target that all countries and international processes are aiming for. That’s what 350.org is all about. Click here to take action.