Climate change is the first truly global issue to confront mankind, no country or individual can afford ignore the well documented scientific warnings. The very large reductions in CO² emissions required if we are to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere can only be achieved by firm international agreements.  The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol have established a process that supports international cooperation, but the unavoidable stresses these agreements put on the most industrialised economies have made progress slow and kept emissions reductions at modest levels.  The main impediment to progress is the widely held perception that reducing CO² will have an adverse effect on prosperity and economic growth.  The Stern Review on Climate Change, was commissioned by the UK government specifically to examine whether this perception was accurate.  What they concluded was quite the contrary.  As climatic changes begin to have serious economic consequences, the costs of continuing with a business as usual scenario will soon begin to outstrip the initially more expensive mitigation process.  This view is now beginning to make headway with the community of industrialised nations and there is a growing acceptance that urgent action is required.

 Stern outlined key areas of international cooperation needed to achieve effective agreements.  These include the establishment of a global carbon price, based around the model of the EU emissions trading scheme; international cooperation in the development of  low carbon technologies; support for the developing world, and efforts to target emissions from land use.  The EU has already made some headway, setting ambitious targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 and to producing a fifth of its energy via renewable sources by the same date.  These initially painful reductions will also bring with them economic opportunities in the development of new technology, and improvements in energy efficiency.  Other countries are beginning to following suit, spurred on by the popular support that action on climate change is attracting. The ultimate test for the global community will be how quickly and how successfully it can  convert good intentions into effective action.