Corporate Legislation

Since the worldwide acknowledgment of global warming and the Kyoto Protocol, growingly concerned people are seeking to reduce their ecological impact. Carbon offsets, along with personal carbon reductions, provide an important solution to global warming.

Because forestry activities can both generate and remove greenhouse gases, forestry is a central issue in the Kyoto Protocol.

To help meet its environmental goals, a company or organization may choose to become carbon neutral - by finding ways to offset or compensate for their carbon emissions.

Are you giving back or just giving away?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is one of the most dynamic, complex, and challenging subjects that business leaders face today, and it is arguably one of the most critical.

As governments around the world continue to withdraw from operating business enterprises, private-sector companies are increasingly under pressure to take a more active role in making the world a better place to live in.

Not only will the reserves be supporting local communities, but GreenTREEco will also be providing a roof over their heads, covering all overheads, providing enough money to put their children through school and food on their table. They can reap the rewards from the produce of all trees planted, giving them a year-round source of income. The local communities will be given the respect and responsibility to manage the reserves. There is no "I" in team, and we strive to work alongside the local communities in an ethical and productive manner.

GreenTREEco interlinks precisely with a company's Corporate Social Responsibility, and can provide your business the solution that will demonstrate your social responsibility and your commitment to the environment, community development and education.

We care, you care, and they care

EU

The European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) was launched in June 2000 by the European Union's European Commission.

The goal of the ECCP is to identify, develop and implement all the necessary elements of an EU strategy to implement the Kyoto Protocol. All EU countries' ratifications of the Kyoto Protocol were deposited simultaneously on 31 May 2002.

UK

Companies Act 2006
Since 2006 UK companies are under increasing pressure to meet their responsibilities especially since the recently amended Companies Act 2006. This act lays out new legal requirements for every company's impact on the community and the environment.

Climate Change Act 2008
The Climate Change Act became law in the UK on 26 November 2008. It makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for all six Kyoto greenhouse gases for the year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline. The Act aims to enable the United Kingdom to become a low-carbon economy and gives ministers powers to introduce the measures necessary to achieve a range of greenhouse gas reduction targets. An independent Committee on Climate Change has been created under the Act to provide advice to UK Government on these targets and related policies.

Carbon emissions target
On the 16th of October 2008 Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, announced that the Act would mandate an 80% cut overall in six greenhouse gases by 2050, and include the aviation and shipping sectors.

SCOTLAND TO LEAD IN FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 was given Royal Assent on 4 August 2009 establishing a statutory framework through which Scotland will, guided by mandatory emission reduction targets, aim to reduce its future greenhouse gas emissions.

The Act sets an 80% emissions reduction target for 2050, and an interim target reduction of 42% for 2020.

To ensure the attainment of these ambitious targets the Act requires the Scottish Ministers to set annual targets for emissions reductions from 2010 to 2050 on the basis of expert advice and with reference to certain criteria including scientific, technological, economic, fiscal, social and environmental considerations.

USA

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 is an environmental law in California, signed into law by Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 27, 2006. The bill establishes a timetable to bring California into near compliance with the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. In signing the bill, Schwarzenegger declared, "We simply must do everything we can in power to slow down global warming before it is too late... The global warming debate is over."

The law requires that by 2020 the state's greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 1990 levels, a roughly 25% reduction under business as usual estimates.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) is an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would establish a variant of a cap-and-trade plan for greenhouse gases to address climate change. The bill was approved by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009 by a vote of 219-212, but has not yet been approved by the Senate.

Impact on Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
It has been reported that passage of ACES in Congress will increase the likelihood that a successor to the Kyoto Protocol will be adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 in Copenhagen.

Canada

Canada's House of Commons has become the first national legislative body to address climate change by passing a bill that calls for a 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels by 2050 – the most commonly accepted level of target reduction among world leaders.

Canada has even more to show for the recent efforts in addressing global warming. The provinces of Quebec and Ontario have introduced an inter-provincial cap-and-trade system to begin in 2010.

Australia

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is a cap-and-trade system of emissions trading for anthropogenic greenhouse gases, due to be introduced in Australia in 2010 by the Rudd government, as part of its climate change policy, marking a change in the Energy policy of Australia.

The Government has announced that the legislation is intended to take effect in July 2010.

The objective of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is to meet Australia’s emissions reduction targets in the most flexible and cost-effective way; to support an effective global response to climate change; and to provide for transitional assistance for the most affected households and firms.

New Zealand

Climate change is being addressed with a variety of methods by the government of New Zealand.

New Zealand signed the Kyoto Protocol on 22 May 1998 and ratified it on 19 December 2002. This commits New Zealand to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels.

By 2005 greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand had increased by 24.7% compared to the 1990 levels. The energy, agriculture and industrial processes sectors all showed an increase but there was a slight decrease in the waste sector.

Almost half of the greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand are due to the agricultural sector whereas the worldwide percentage is 8.7%. Livestock produce methane and a number of other greenhouse gases. Methane has a twenty times greater effect as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Since New Zealand has large stock numbers these emissions are a significant. The Livestock Emissions and Abatement Research Network (LEARN) was launched in 2007 to address livestock emissions.

United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009

The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between December 7 and December 18, 2009. The conference includes the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 5th Meeting of the Parties (COP/MOP 5) to the Kyoto Protocol. According to the Bali roadmap, a framework for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 is to be agreed there.

The conference is preceded by the Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions scientific conference, which took place in March 2009 and was also held at the Bella Center.