International Negotiations

Question 1

How is the evaluation on climate change compared to other environmental problems?

Answer 1

1. Large uncertainties on:
   - how sensitive earths climate is to human influence
   - how large the climate change will be
   - how large the costs for emission reduction is
2. reducing emimssions is not restricted to a specific sector of tech
   - the whole economy/society
3. Temporal aspect
   - from the industrial revolution, to a problem for the next generation

Question 2

What does UNFCCC stand for?

Answer 2

United Nation Framwork Convention on Climate Change

Question 3

What did UNFCCC do in 1992

Answer 3

It was established and established principles, legal framework for international climate negotiations

Question 4

What is the Kyoto protocol?

Answer 4

• Established 1997
• Commitment period, 2008-2012
• Target for Annex I (industrialized) countries
• Differentiated commitments, total reduction of 5,2%

Question 5

What is the IPCC

Answer 5

• The IPCC = the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• assess scientific, technical and socio-economic info relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impact and options for adaptation and mitigation
• No science of their own, asses other research that has been done

Question 6

What aspects effect the positions in negotiations of different countries?

Answer 6

• economical, natural resources
• emission trends
• energy use and energy resources
• domestic pressure (government)
• level of economic development
• historical responsibility
• vulnerability to climate change impacts

Question 7

What is NDC?

Answer 7

(Intended) Nationally Determined Contribution

• based on ability and national circumstances
• away from Annex I, not divided between countries but countries doing different things, details vary
• Targeted reduction in emission proposed
  
  • national mitigation measures
• Into force 2020, report and update every 5th year
• both unconditional (without help) and conditional (with help) commitments

Question 8

What are the flexible mechanisms from the Kyoto protocol?

Answer 8

• Emissions trading (cap&trade)
• Joint implementation/clean development mechanism: ‘’ If you have 100 SEK to invest, it might be better to invest somewhere were you get more emission reductions than in Sweden’’

Question 9

Three main points of COP21 Glasgow

Answer 9

1. Global assessment - how to follow up on the Paris Agreement through NDCs
2. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement - international cooperation regarding market and non-market based actions
3. The changed ambition from USA