Early Phase of Climate Change Regime Flashcards
Climate Change Regime Up to 2000
1990: IPCC First Assessment Report -> unprecedented warming -> major impetus
1992 - UNFCCC concluded + signed
1994 UNFCCC goes into force
1995 - IPCC Second Assessment Report - humans are changing the climate
1995 Berlin Mandate sets framework for negotiating developed country targets
1997 Kyoto Protocol
2000 IPCC Third Assessment - human effect on the environment
UNFCCC - Article 1
- contains definitions
- “‘Climate change’ means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.”
UNFCCC - Article 2 - Text
Core Objective
“The ultimate objective…is to achieve… stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.”
UNFCCC - Article 2 - Significance
- sets up conditions for parties to have to figure out what the level is that would prevent “dangerous anthropogenic interference”
- shapes activity going forward
- standard by which parties’ current + future commitments under the climate regime are measured
UNFCCC - Article 3
- sets out principles to guide the parties
- somewhat self-aware that this is a framework convention (history of ozone regime - possibility of success even with a less firm start)
UNFCC Article 3 - Principle 1
- consistent with many principles from the Rio Declaration (future generations, common but differentiated responsibilities)
- clear articulation of focus
“The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof.”
UNFCCC Article 3 - Principle 2
- concept of needing to particularly consider the needs of those especially vulnerable to climate change/those who will bear disproportionate burdens
“The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and of those Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the Convention, should be given full consideration.”
UNFCCC Article 3 - Principle 3
- precautionary principle - largely drawing on Rio language, but with additional principles to guide it
“The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-effective so as to ensure global benefits at the lowest possible cost. To achieve this, such policies and measures should take into account different socio-economic contexts, be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic sectors.”
UNFCCC - Article 4 - Overall
- theoretically sets out commitments, but not all that formal or strict
- importance of bringing everyone to the table
-> even treaties w/ barely any commitments are still treaties, still setting up institutional mechanisms
UNFCCC - Article 4(1)
- applies to all parties, but with concept of differentiated responsibilities: “All parties, taking into account their common but differentiated responsibilities and their specific national and regional development priorities, objectives and circumstances, shall…”
- no fixed targets, no specific goals
UNFCCC - Article 4(2)
- applies only to “developed countries” + parties included in Annex I
- “Each of these Parties shall adopt national policies and take corresponding measures on the mitigation of climate change, by limiting its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting and enhancing its greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs”
- “each of these Parties shall communicate” periodically “detailed information on its policies and measures…with the aim of returning individually or jointly to their 1990 levels of these anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide”
-> possibility that this was intended as a soft target + timetable
UNFCCC - Article 4(3)
- discussion of providing financial resources to developing countries
Other Provisions of UNFCCC
- sets up Conferences of the Parties
- explicitly says can have NGO observers
- Article 9 sets up subsidiary body for scientific + tech advice
- Article 10 subsidiary body for information
- Article 11 - important provision for financial mechanism
- Article 12 - parties should communicate a national inventory of anthropogenic emissions by source, general description of steps taken, + any other info parties consider relevant (possibly designed as a way to get Parties to really think about their emissions moving forward)
- no mention of liability anywhere
Kyoto Protocol - Core Elements of Agreement
- CAP: Annex I countries must reduce by 5% below 1990 levels of GHG emissions (Article 3)
-> this was within the aggregate - the EU used a bubble approach + wound up w/ different targets - NO CAP for non-Annex I countries
Kyoto Protocol - Mechanisms
- Joint Implementation - within Annex I countries
- Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - between Annex I and non-Annex I countries
- REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degredation)
- Emissions trading scheme
