World Wildlife Fund

We urgently need domestic and international policies that encourage the implementation of energy efficient technologies and limit carbon dioxide pollution.
© WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, blanketing the Earth and trapping heat. Deforestation and land-use exacerbate this problem. The impacts of climate change may cause the extinction for countless species and devastation for many of the world's most precious places, such as coral reefs and the polar regions.

WWF's work with the U.S. government
There are numerous bills circulating in the U.S. Congress that include measures to slow climate change. We have endorsed both the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S 309) and the Safe Climate Act of 2007 (HR 1590), which would put the United States on a path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with what the best scientific evidence suggests is necessary to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. WWF has also supported the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007 (HR 2337) which includes climate change mitigation programs for wildlife. Even with the implementation of stringent greenhouse gas emission reductions, some global warming will still occur. It is therefore necessary to address the effects that changing landscapes will have on local wildlife and implement efforts to mitigate the impact. WWF has been actively working with members of Congress in developing legislation to address issues relating to adaptation and resilience.

WWF is working with the U.S. government to build support for a new post-2012 global climate agreement that would shape the international regulatory framework and set standards for emerging global carbon markets.

• Read more on WWF's efforts to address climate change policy on a global scale
• Learn about WWF's efforts to support The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008