For more details check out the Green Cross Code on the Friends of the Earth website.
What are the targets?
There are five target areas: climate change, food, transport, business and waste. Here are a list of the targets:
- Protect the world's climate by cutting CO2 emissions by 20 per cent and generating 20 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
- Make biotech companies responsible for any harm caused by genetically modified crops and food by introducing strict liability legislation.
- Treble investment in buses and traffic-calming by 2005 so that everyone has access to regular public transport and can live in a safe street.
- Make business accountable to society by requiring Directors to report on, and take into account, their environmental and social impacts.
- Provide every household with quality doorstep recycling ensuring no new incinerators are needed and half our waste is recycled by 2010.
Why are these targets so important
Protect the world's climate by cutting CO2 emissions by 20 per cent and generating 20 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
Climate change is probably the most serious environmental threat that faces our world. We have already seen some of the damage that can be caused by weather-related disasters. If we are not to see millions more people loosing their livelihoods or even their lives, then it is imperative that we start to change our ways.
The Kyoto Protocol sets fairly lenient targets of 12.5% reduction in carbon dioxide and five other gases. The UK government set itself a a more stringent 20% reduction in carbon dioxide by 2010. Although the goverment is on target to meet its Kyoto Protocol target, the 20% reduction is not so likely to be achieved.
