Topic 7 - Global Issues

Question 1

Outline: full cooperative behaviour

Answer 1

N countries jointly choosing levels of abatement to maximise their collective pay-off. This is equivalent to what would happen if the N countries were unified as a single country that behaved rationally

Question 2

What is the main way in which international agreements are reached/stuck to?

Answer 2

Having a leader who moves first, needs to be a big player e.g. USA or China

Question 3

Outline the Kyoto Protocol

Answer 3

The first substantial agreement to set country-specific GHG emissions limits and a timetable for their attainment

The key objective set by the Protocol was to cut combined emissions of five principal GHGs from industrialised countries by 5% relative to 1990 levels by the period 2008–2012.

The Protocol did not set any binding commitments on developing countries

Question 4

What are the four flexibility mechanisms in the Kyoto protocols?

Answer 4

1 - Emissions Trading
2 - Banking (average over a period)
3 - Joint implementation (projects in annex countries that reduce emissions)
4 - Clean development mechanism (funding reductions in poorer countries)