Environment

Question 1

Institutional regulations 1990’s-2001

Answer 1

• United Nations Framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) - treaty agreed at earth summit 1992, non-binding aim to reduce emissions, commitment to hold annual conferences
• Kyoto Protocol 1997 - industrialed countries committed to cutting their combined emissions to 5% below 1990, should be 60%? , developing states not bound (eg.China). legally binding in 2005

Question 2

Regulations after 2001

Answer 2

• Copenhagan 2009 - commitment to reduce global emissions so that the increase in global temperature doesnt go below 2c
  - rejected by Venezuala, cuba etc
• Paris 2015 - 193 UNFCCC members signed, 110 ratified
  - US left

Question 3

Why does international regulation fail?

Answer 3

• national interest, corporate interests, failure of enforcement
• fails to address global inequality
• fails to address capitalism
• failure to address all forms of oppression

Question 4

The Global Commons

Answer 4

• areas with no sovereign jurisdiction, eg. Antarctica
• unrestricted access leads to dumping
• lack of enforcement power = ‘free rider’ problem

Question 5

Solutions

Answer 5

• technology - short term

- cheaper than reducing emissions and allows capitalist growth