Environmental Global Governance Flashcards
key environmental global governance institutions and treaties
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
what is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)?
an international environmental treaty negotiated at the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992
created as a mechanism for developing global environmental policy
came into force in 1994 and was ratified by 194 states and organisations by 2012
An international treaty that set up a process through which future international negotiations on climate change could take place
As a direct result of the UN FCC see there have been two major further agreements the Koyoto protocol and the Paris agreement
what do signatories of the UNFCCC do?
signatory parties have met every year since 1995 to assess progress in dealing with climate change
parties to the treaty have to make national inventories of their sources of CO2 emissions and possible ways CO2 emissions could be absorbed
UNFCCC: what happened at the 1997 Kyoto
Summit?
at the 1997 Kyoto Summit, the 181 signatory states were required to freeze CO2 emissions at 1990 levels from 2000 onwards
this paved the way for the introduction of legally binding emission targets
UNFCCC: how were the targets for different states worked out at the Kyoto Summit?
requirements of states were determined on the basis of equity and in accordance with states’ common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities
states that had contributed the most to global warming, had industrialised earlier or were more developed were expected to accept greater reductions in their emissions, while developing states were not expected to reduce theirs
UNFCCC: criticisms
one criticism of the UNFCCC is that it did not take into account the fact that emissions by developing states would increase rapidly as their economic growth accelerated
another criticism is that the UNFCCC is merely a set of recommendations for further action, its rulings and requirements are not legally binding, so it seems to have limited effectiveness
what is the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC)?
a UN body set up in 1988 as an internationally accepted authority on climate change
set up 4 years before the UNFCCC
created jointly by a UN agency known as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)
currently has 195 members
consists of leading climate change scientists, who volunteer to review the latest research on climate change
Panel of climate change experts set up by the UN to provide states and policy makers with expert advice on the causes of impacts and possible solutions to climate change
what does the IPCC look at?
3 working groups look at: (1) the physical science basis of climate change, (2) climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and (3) mitigation of climate change
there is also a task force on national greenhouse gas inventories
what does the IPCC do?
provides impartial information and advice about climate change to decision-makers and interested organisations and groups
makes regular reports in which it seeks to improve understanding of climate change and influence policy at state level
Provides regular assessment of the causes and risks of climate change to persuade states to make a commitment to reducing climate change
Help to propose clear and viable solutions for actions and initiatives to reduce climate change
Produces regular reports which have helped to inform international meetings under the UNFCCC
IPCC Assessment Reports
the most important reports it publishes are Assessment Reports, which assess the risks of climate change, its current and its projected impact and comment on the options for adaptation (coping with climate change) and mitigation how to reduce emissions)
there have been 5 Assessment Reports, published in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2014, with a sixth report due in 2022
what does the IPCC do through these reports?
through its reports, the IPCC influences understanding of and state policy making on climate change
it has established a consensus that climate change exists by providing evidence that the Earth’s temperature is rising as a result of human activity (through the production of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from burning fossil fuels)
IPCC Assessment Report 2007
the 2007 Assessment Report projected that if nothing was done to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the world’s mean temperature would rise by 2.4 - 6.4 degrees C by 2099
the IPCC has made it increasingly difficult for states to ignore the issue of climate change and in 2007 it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in raising awareness of climate change
criticisms of the IPCC: OUT OF DATE
it relies on already published research, which undergoes long, exacting reviews, meaning that its reports may be years out of date which could lead to an underestimation of the extent of climate change
criticisms of the IPCC: QUESTIONABLE
VALIDITY
some people question the validity of some scientific assumptions on which the Assessment Reports’ judgements are based
for example, assumptions about the oceans’ capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, which are much disputed by the scientific community
criticisms of the IPCC: SCAREMONGERING
the IPCC has been accused of scaremongering, making predictions that do not stand up to scrutiny
for example, the 2014 Assessment Report claimed that there is a
“risk of death, injury and disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones and small island developing states, due to sea level rise, coastal flooding and storm surges”
yet critics argue that the frequency and severity of flooding in many areas were higher during the Little Ice Age (1300-1870) and other cool eras than during the 20th century
what is the global commons?
The global resources and environment that are shared among nation states as no government or sovereign state owns them these include the atmosphere oceans polar regions and outer space
what is the tragedy of the commons?
The challenge that in a system of global politics dominated by selfish national interest and competition for economic power and natural resources states will be motivated to use and even harm the global commons to advance their own interests rather than work together to protect these shared resources and environments
what is sustainability?
Sustainable development refers to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Report, 1987)
It therefore embodies to concepts the concept of need particularly the essential needs of the world is poor and the concept of limitations especially related to the environment ability to meet future as well as present needs
why is there a need for environmental global governance?
Global governance is the process by which nationstates cooperate with each other and with nonstate actors in order to try to resolve collective dilemmas
Climate change is perhaps a unique collective problem as every state contributes in someway to its causes every state is affected in some way by the consequences of climate change every state can have an impact in solving the problem
All states are affected by environmental changes the widespread impact of industrialisation us into this with all developed and most developing states contributing to global pollution
To tackle environmental challenges affectively states need to agree to international standards and laws that govern how they develop and limit the impact on the environment just as universal human rights are a little value internationally if states do not agree to international law international efforts to protect the environment are likely to be fruitless without effective environmental global governance
emerging economic powers: China’s actions to tackle climate change
-China exceeded its Twenty20 carbon reduction goal, cutting emissions by 46% per economic growth unit from 2005 levels.
-Despite a 1.48 times economic growth (2005-2015), carbon intensity dropped by 38.6%.
-Success credited to China’s carbon trading scheme and environmental targets in its 13th five-year plan (2016-2020), aiming for an 18% intensity reduction by 2020.
-China invested $34.6 billion in clean tech in 2009 and leads in wind turbines and solar panels.
-Concerns arose with a 2017 CO2 emissions increase, potentially due to more coal use.
-Calls for China to do more in climate efforts, given its substantial impact and global reluctance, especially from the U.S. under President Trump.
established economic powers: the UK’s actions to tackle climate change
The climate change act 2008 made the UK the first country to establish a long-term legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions
It contains a target requiring emission is to be reduced by 80% by 2050
the committee on climate change was also set up to ensure omissions targets are being met
The committee on climate change is a panel of experts that advises the government on how targets can be met reports to Parliament on progress made etcetera
According to the committee on climate change the UK is failing to tackle climate change on almost all key measures of success
less developed states: Nigeria’s actions to tackle climate change
As a party to the Paris agreement Nigeria has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030 and to pursue a 45% reduction if sufficient international support is received
Intends to achieve this by ending gas flaring (binding of excess gas from oil and gas production) increasing the use of renewable energy implementing climates more agriculture and championing reforestation efforts
There is little evidence to show that these are actually being pursued with enough momentum to meet these targets the government seems to be more focused on increasing industrialisation and rising oil production
differences between developing and developed states
As the international community has tried to find solutions to climate change and ways of reducing its impact on various points developing states have argued that the pressure put on them to take steps to reduce climate change is not fair
Differences of opinion between developed and developing states have reduced considerably in recent years but nevertheless during key international environmental negotiations developing states have raised grievances
issues that developing states have with climate change agreements:
THEY ARE BEING HELD TO HIGHER STANDARDS
Developed states did not have to consider protecting the environment when they were industrialising they did so and restricted by government regulations now that developing states are industrialising at aiming to catch up we develop stays there having to do so while on the international pressure to agree to rules for example That limit the types of energy used
Developing states argue that they are being held accountable to a higher standard than that was required of developed states when they were developing
