Ch. 4 Flashcards
Did the US ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol?
No, because developing countries were not subject to any kind of emissions reduction obligations
What was the first major international accord on emissions reductions?
The Kyoto Protocol (from the 1997 COP3 in Kyoto)
What does COP stand for?
Subsequent summits of the UNFCCC were called “conferences of the parties,” or COP for short
What does UNFCCC stand for?
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
When and where was the UNFCCC introduced?
1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When and where was the aspirational goal that global warming be kept to below 2°C first established?
COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009
What is the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement is based not on legally binding emissions reductions targets but on a commonly agreed aspiration to keep global temperature rise “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and to “pursuing efforts” to limit the rise to 1.5°C, combined with national efforts by each individual party in this direction
When and where was the Paris Agreement developed?
COP21 in Paris
What are Paris Agreement NDCs?
Nationally Determined Contributions. The Paris Agreement establishes a “ratchet” mechanism, where countries are expected to tighten their NDCs every five years, and these are to be evaluated at COP meetings
What may limit the effectiveness of the Paris Agreement?
The voluntary nature of NDCs and the lack of strong enforcement mechanisms
What is carbon pricing?
carbon taxes and emissions-trading schemes, better known as cap-and-trade schemes.
What are carbon taxes?
carbon taxes impose a price per ton of CO2 emitted
What carbon price is assumed to be needed to have a significant effect?
USD100
Who plays a significant role in monitoring and supporting carbon pricing initiatives worldwide
The World Bank
What is carbon leakage?
carbon-intensive industries relocate to jurisdictions with less stringent climate policies, leading to a shift in emissions rather than an overall reduction
