RTCC – incorporating the Responding to Climate Change magazine and its website - is now in its eighth edition. Since 2001, we've seen the debate on issues around global warming and climate change develop outside of all expectation. The science is no longer ridiculed and people of all backgrounds are taking steps to mitigate their own impacts on the environment.

Increasingly environmental concern is seen as a marketable commodity, not only for a company's broader charitable aims, but also to satisfy consumers on the shop floor. This commercial aspect is late coming, albeit welcome, but also slightly unnerving. How much of this is just a knee jerk response to perceived public opinion? Is 2008 going to be the year when climate change became less trendy? To stop this happening, and instead keep the momentum going, governments need to take a stronger line both at these Conferences of the Parties and when they are back home.

This year in RTCC we continue to explore how, back home, companies, organisations and governments are reacting in terms of current development, possible solutions and actual action. These are divided into our standard three key areas: society, development and research. In particular we focus on the Kyoto agreement, including emissions trading, Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM). As the last Conference of Parties took place in Bali, we have also devoted a section to Asia, where the environmental issues must be put higher on the governments’ agendas.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this publication. It is positive that people of all industries and associations are willing to share information, viewpoints and ideas on how to deal with the fundamental problems arising from the climate change. Such knowledge exchange is a key to moving forward. We hope you find it of use and interest, and that it will inspire you to get involved and proactive within your organisation or company.