Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide have been identified as sources of gradual global climatic change as they affect the balance between incoming solar energy and losses due to radiation from the earth and atmosphere. Pollutants of importance to global warming are water vapour, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane. Indirect greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides other than nitrous oxide and non-methane volatile organic compounds do not have a strong radiative forcing effect in themselves, but influence atmospheric concentrations of the direct greenhouse gases.

“Pollutants of importance to global warming are water vapour, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane.”

Australia ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 3rd December 2007. Australia’s target is for emissions of greenhouse gases in 2010 to be no more than 8% higher than the emissions in 1990. The requirements for the assessment, monitoring, control and regulation of greenhouse gases from anthropogenic activities are changing rapidly