ABSTRACT
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC's) first scientific assessment report was published in 1990 and served to underline the need for a global agreement to combat global warming. Clearly the problem is transboundary in nature and necessitates an international effort and agreement to reduce its impact. Equally, however, effective regional and domestic policies must be devised to implement any international response. This chapter addresses the international legal treaty regime established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to which the European Community (EC) is an important and influential party. Importantly, under the terms of the Kyoto Protocol industrialised countries may agree to take joint action to fulfil their emission reductions targets. In addition to emission reductions initiated by action in the energy, industrial, agricultural and waste sectors, reductions in greenhouse gases attributable to the land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector can be used to offset reduction commitments.
