Climate change policy evaluation: method and criteria

Presently, most nations acknowledge the need to curb climate change. The question is how to accomplish this task best. Unfortunately, notwithstanding the encouraging growth in the number of international environmental treaties over the last 25 years, there are few climate-change-related treaties at the international level. In December 1997, the third Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol. However, even if signatory countries met reduction targets, further greenhouse gas emissions reduction to stabilize the atmosphere would still be needed. In Australia, the evaluation of environmental policies and programs is growing. On the national level, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is mandatory for fisheries under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, although for other activities such assessment is discretionary.