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Introduction:

Every year all countries in the world meet in a UN set-up, the COP summits. The 
aim is to decide upon how to mitigate the Climate Changes, do this by agreements 
supported by all countries and make them committed to the issue. Until now the 
results are not promising and do not follow the intentions and proposals for solutions 
as laid down the UN panel on the current climate changes. There are probably many 
reasons behind the lack of total global commitment, but often it has shown that 
financial issues and the mutual competition between the states are in the focus. 
The rich countries, Europe and North America, are historically the ones to blame for 
the problem. It is their industries and transport systems who has produced far the 
most of the increasing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere causing the big part of the 
current global warming. The USA, the biggest emitter, has not even signed the 
Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement about reduction of CO2 emissions. 
 
In many of the rich countries there has been a relativereduction of CO2 emissions. It 
has been due to green initiatives, but also, for the last 5 years, because of a reduction 
in the annual growth in the economy, resulting in less need of fossil fuels for energy 
production. Many countries in the poor world experience a considerable growth at 
the moment even if there is a financial crisis, a growth they fight for to continue. 
This implies increasing need of access to energy sources, in fact fossil fuels, 
resulting in increased CO2 emissions. China and India are getting in the top when it 
comes to consumption of fossil fuels and thereby CO2 emissions. China is very 
close to the USA in amount of CO2 emissions. 
 
The less industrialized world agree to support the attempts to reduce CO2 emissions, 
but they claim to need financial support from the rich countries because poverty is 
the severe challenge in the poor world, what so ever. The rich countries argue, in 
2012 as the years before,that they cannot afford a considerable support, because they 
suffer from the financial crisis. This question divides the two parts at the moment, 
and it is not easy to see a way out of it, yet.It is not that the poor world just waits for 
support. A country like China takes many initiatives in the direction of a more green 
future, and people are quite active many places in the poor world. 
 
Europe and the EU has for some years been a progressive part in the rich part of the 
world, also in the international negotiations. In 2012 this relative progressiveness 
has declined because many of the member states now focus more on their own 
financial and debt problems. There have been many green initiatives in the last 
decade in the EU with Germany, Denmark and Portugal as some of the examples. 
Denmark is in 2012 internationally praised as the country in the world done most to 
transform to a green energy production. EU has a climate policy and some focus on 
the subject, and the individual countries have their special policies concerning 
energy production and consumption. The European states are also parts of the Kyoto 
Protocol.The Kyoto Protocol is at the moment the only international agreement 
about the climate. Yet it seems that the European countries, as the kind of role model 
they can be because of their economic level, are slowing down in taking initiatives 
and promote global political and economical solutions, e.g. put up a higher goal for 
decrease of CO2 emissions. 
 
The lack of a global political unanimity about the necessity, or the urge, to mitigate 
climate changes contributes to confusion in the public about the importance of 
fighting the climate changes. A survey would probably show that people care, but 
that is not easy to find out how and how much to invest in changes. The same 
consideration is valid for parts of the different trades, global or local. The oil 
producers do not promote green energy production that much, but several 
companies, also global ones like Wall Mart, do take initiatives in a green direction. 
 
It has shown that their customers appreciate that. It can be profitable to go green. 
The European public in general supports a green economy, many businesses can see 
a business advantage in following this and are waiting on political initiatives. 
 
Governments and politicians are, with some exceptions, reluctant to focus and 
accelerate the transformation to a more green economy at the moment because of ...? 
This is not so clear, but a need of economic growth and the international competitive 
capacity are often the main presented arguments.

Directive:

The aim and the product of the task are related both to the title, the introduction and 
the directives. 
 
Read the introduction and the related issues and make clear the overall aim. 
 
Relevant files are added. Use additional sources if you find it beneficial. The origin 
of additional sources must be noted for control. 
It is a precondition to know about the Green House effect. 
 
Product: 
Make a short report/article with your argued points of view about the issue for your 
team for comments. 
Title: European governments or the government in your country &ndash; their policies and 
actions towards the consequences of climate changes &ndash; progressive, sufficient or 
insufficient? The arguments. 
 
Related issues to include in the product: 
1. Note what are the facts and what are the most common predictions about the 
current climate changes. What are the main challenges for the governments to 
deal with in this respect? Europe as an example. 
 
2. Sum up what are the developments for the UN summits about how to handle the 
climate changes. Which main obstacles hinder common, binding and radical 
actions towards the issue? What is the Kyoto Protocol, and why is it still in play? 
 
3. How are the European countries in general and the EUacting towards mitigating 
the consequences of climate changes, both in relation to the seriousness of the 
situation and their potentials for taking action? 
 
4. What are the main positive examples of governmental actions and policies in the 
different European states? What are some main examples of actions not done, but 
should have been done? 
 
5. What could be some reasons behind the reluctance of many politicians and 
governments to take radical decisions? How come that many, also big businesses, 
seem more progressive that many governments? 
 
6. What are the policies and actions taken towards mitigation climate changes in the 
country you live in? Investigate the concrete policies and actions taken. 
Interview relevant politicians or authorities

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