environment and climate Flashcards
epistemic communities
academia, science experts
tragedy of the commons
when individuals neglect the well being of society in the pursuit of personal gain, this causes depletion of resources through uncoordinated action.
who argued the tragedy of commons?
elionor ostrom
neo realism x environment
role of hegemon- the likelihood of cooperation increases with environmental problems being conceived as a security threat
neo-institutionalism x environment
interdependence: environmental problems cross borders with effect even on powerful states. cooperation helpt to maximize gains and reduce costs
liberalism x environment
domestic pressure through civil society
constructivism x environment
norms: ecological integrity; identity of a good state
environmental activists are norm entrepreneurs
global environmental governance (5)
- 1972 stockholm conference on the human environment (UNEP)
- 1992 Rio Conference on the Environment and Development - UN framework on climate change and convention on biological diversity
- 2002 johannesburg world summit on sustainable development
- 2012 Rio +20 Conference on Sustainable Development (high level political forum on sustainable development)
- 2015 Agenda 2030 Sdgs
which conference created UNEP?
stockholm conference
where is the UNEP seated?
Nairobi, Kenya
what are the tasks of UNEP?
- supports multilateral environmental agreements such as
+ vienna convention on the protection of the ozone layer
+ the montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer
+ convention on biological diversity - facilitates negotiations and development of international environmental law
what are UNEP’s limitations (3)
- dependent on member states’ will
- is a subsidiary program- not a specialized agency, doesn’t have enforcement power
- logistics/ location
is UNEP a specialized agency?
no, it is a subsidiary programme
Other io’s and the environment (5)
- WB: global environment facility-lending/funding
- UNSC: organizing meetings- security implications
- FAO (food and agriculture): sustainability and food security
- EU- the green deal: harmonized environmental law
- NAFTA: linking environment and trade
what did the montreal protocol do?
- member states recognized that the use of certain substances led to the depletion of the ozone layer
(like hairsprays and deodorants)
why was the montreal protocol a success? (6)
- strong coalition led by powerful states
- epistemic communities with high legitimacy
- domestic pressure by hegemonic leadership (US threatened to ban EU products)
- concessions to developing countries
- technical solution: the invention of chemical replacements for CFCs
- compliance monitoring: annual reports by states to UNEP- additional monitoring by NGOs and green parties
what did the kyoto protocol do?
it operationalized the UN framework convention on climate change by committing industrialized countries to limit greenhouse gases in accordance with agreed individual targets
why was the kyoto protocol not very successful?
US and Canada didn’t participate
what did the paris agreement aim for?
commitment to restrict increase of temperature to below 2 degrees- 1.5 in the long run
how did the paris agreement work? (5)
- financial assistance to developing countries to reduce emissions
- legally binding (in contrast to Copenhagen)
- global application
- review every 5 years (monitoring implementation)
- institutionalized commitments from non-state actors
developments before montreal (2)
- washington conference 1977: world plan of action for the ozone layer
- UNEP designed a draft convention: 1985 vienna convention- cooperation on research acquisition
why is the montreal protocol important?
universal ratification
what’s the dilemma of global climate governance?
ecological vs. short-term economic interests
toronto conference 1988
foundation of IPCC by UNEP and WMO
washington conference 1990
EU/AOSIS- US/ OPEC
where was the 1992 framework convention on climate change signed?
the rio conference (earth summit)
what’s the other name of the rio conference?
earth summit
when was the rio conference?
2012
what did the rio conference aim?
return to 1990 levels of emissions
which event introduced “nationally determined contributions”
paris agreement
