In wealthy countries the looming climate crisis is a matter of concem as it will affect both the wellbeing of economies and people's lives in Africa, however, a region that has hardly contributed to climate change-its greenhouse gas emissions are negligible when compared with the industralized world's will be a matter of life and death (wanga Maathal 2008). The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol are the foundation of the international climate change governance. The Kyoto Protocol committed industrialized countries to achieving a specific level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions (averaging 5.2%) relative to a baseline (in most cases. 1990 levels) during the first commitment period (2008-2012). As pointed out in IUCN's Climate Change Situation Analysis (Drexhage, 2006). Parties to the Protocol can reduce emissions of GHGs in whichever manner they choose. consistent with the terms of the Kyoto Protocol. They can count carbon sequestration activities in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector based on specific rules, and are also free to use international market mechanisms such as the Joint Implementation (JI), the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and International Emissions Trading as a means of meeting their Kyoto targets.  Over the longer term, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC. 2001) estimates that emissions reductions of more than 60% will be necessary to stabilize GHG concentrations at year 2001 levels. This will require a substantial "decarbonization", including carbon capture and storage, of the global economy and a significant transformation of the systems used to produce and distribute energy, manufacture goods and enable transportation. Other responses to the challenges of climate change are present in other international fora. For example the 15" session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which concluded on May 2007, focused on progress in energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change. The Chairman's summary (CSD. 2007) stressed the need to provide energy for all: promote energy efficiency: strengthen the development, use and transfer of cleaner energy technologies: and promote international cooperation on climate change, including through both mitigation and adaptation. The summary also noted "the importance of mainstreaming gender considerations, in particular the role of women in management and decision making, at all levels, was seen as necessary for implementation of the interlinked issues of energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change".

In wealthy countries the looming climate crisis is a matter of concem as it will affect both the wellbeing of economies and people's lives in Africa, however, a region that has hardly contributed to climate change-its greenhouse gas emissions are negligible when compared with the industralized world's will be a matter of life and death (wanga Maathal 2008). The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol are the foundation of the international climate change governance. The Kyoto Protocol committed industrialized countries to achieving a specific level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions (averaging 5.2%) relative to a baseline (in most cases. 1990 levels) during the first commitment period (2008-2012). As pointed out in IUCN's Climate Change Situation Analysis (Drexhage, 2006). Parties to the Protocol can reduce emissions of GHGs in whichever manner they choose. consistent with the terms of the Kyoto Protocol. They can count carbon sequestration activities in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector based on specific rules, and are also free to use international market mechanisms such as the Joint Implementation (JI), the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and International Emissions Trading as a means of meeting their Kyoto targets.  Over the longer term, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC. 2001) estimates that emissions reductions of more than 60% will be necessary to stabilize GHG concentrations at year 2001 levels. This will require a substantial "decarbonization", including carbon capture and storage, of the global economy and a significant transformation of the systems used to produce and distribute energy, manufacture goods and enable transportation. Other responses to the challenges of climate change are present in other international fora. For example the 15" session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which concluded on May 2007, focused on progress in energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change. The Chairman's summary (CSD. 2007) stressed the need to provide energy for all: promote energy efficiency: strengthen the development, use and transfer of cleaner energy technologies: and promote international cooperation on climate change, including through both mitigation and adaptation. The summary also noted "the importance of mainstreaming gender considerations, in particular the role of women in management and decision making, at all levels, was seen as necessary for implementation of the interlinked issues of energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution/atmosphere and climate change".