Why Have the Successful Attempts to Govern the World’s Production of Chlorofluorocarbons Not Been Duplicated in Other Areas of Global Environmental Protection?

1. Why Have the Successful Attempts to
Govern the World’s Production of
Chlorofluorocarbons Not Been
Duplicated in Other Areas of Global
Environmental Protection?
Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
ISA 2009: New York City
Charles Laffiteau
University of Texas at Dallas &
Dublin City University

2. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
The issues surrounding the need
to protect our global
environment have only recently
come to light over the last fifty
years, dating to the 1962
publication of biologist Rachel
Carson’s groundbreaking book,
Silent Spring.

3. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
While govt. officials are aware of
the problems caused by
environmental degradation and
abuse, they are often reluctant
to take the steps needed to curb
such abuses lest they offend
special interest groups i.e
businesses and multi-national
corporations (MNCs)

4. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
“As governments and consumers in
(wealthier nations of) the global
North have restricted or banned a
number of tobacco products,
pharmaceuticals and pesticides;
global marketing (by MNCs) has
created new outlets for these
goods in (developing countries of)
the global South and Far East.” [1]
[1] Jan Aart Scholte Globalization. A critical introduction, (New York: St.
Martins Press, 2000):213-214

5. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Environment NGOs have been
moderately successful raising
overall global public awareness
and in one particular instance,
pressuring most countries to sign
an international agreement to
deal with the environmental issue
of CFCs and ozone depletion.

6. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
The ozone regime established
through the 1985 Vienna
Convention and the 1987 Montreal
Protocol was particularly successful
initially, but less so more recently.
By 1997 world production of most
ozone-depleting substances had
fallen to 76 percent of the 1988
level.

7. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
1. The limited number of uses for
CFCs also weren’t considered
essential in much of the world
2. DuPont scientists were able to
develop an economically suitable
replacement chemical (HFCs)
3. Only a few MNCs, operating
mainly in the developed world,
were producers of CFCs

8. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Unfortunately, progress on other
environmental issues, such as
cutting the CO2 emissions that
contribute to climate change, has
been slow to non-existent in
most countries around the world.

9. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
These factors add to the political
complexities of regulating fossil fuel
greenhouse gas emissions
1. Many essential uses (heat, plastics,
transport fuel, electricity, fertilizer)
2. Few if any economical substitutes
3. Many national & MNC producers

10. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
CFCs-few essential uses-refrigeration and air
conditioning systems
Fossil fuels-many essential uses-electricity,
heat, jet & auto fuel, ag fertilizer, plastics
CFCs-economical substitutes-HFCs
Fossil fuels-substitutes are much more costly
CFCs-few multinational corporate producers
Fossil fuels-many nations as well as many
multinational corporate producers

11. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
In the classical economics model,
the search for and development
of economical substitutes for any
product is driven by a need or a
desire by consumers and
producers for lower cost
alternatives.

12. Figure 1: Inflation adjusted price of
imported oil for past ten years vs 1981 peak

13. Figure 2: Inflation adjusted real vs. nominal
price of imported oil past 30 years
Imported Crude Oil Prices: Nominal and Real
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Jan-80
Jan-82
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Jan-90
Jan-92
Jan-94
Jan-96
Jan-98
Jan-00
Jan-02
Jan-04
Jan-06
Jan-08
Jan-10
Short Term Energy Outlook-January 2009
Dollars
per
barrel
Real Price
Nominal
Price
Projections

14. Figure 3: Inflation adjusted real vs.
nominal price of gasoline for past 90 years
Real Gasoline Pump Price: Annual Average 1919- 2010
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350 1919
1924
1929
1934
1939
1944
1949
1954
1959
1964
1969
1974
1979
1984
1989
1994
1999
2004
2009
Short Term Energy Outlook January 2009
Cents
per
Gallon
Projections
Real Price
Nominal Price

15. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
It is therefore hard to envision any
international agreement to
regulate the use of fossil fuels and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
being as achievable or successful
as the agreement on ozone
depletion, especially since the
world's two biggest emitters, the
US and China, have still not cut
their outputs under Kyoto.

16. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Many countries in the EU have
signed and ratified the Kyoto
Protocol but have actually made
less progress cutting their rate of
growth in green house gas
emissions than the oft-criticized US
which, under President Bush, has
refused to ratify Kyoto.

17. Figure 4: Total EU greenhouse gas
emissions in relation to the Kyoto target

18. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Given this lack of progress, some
environmentalists have now
come to the conclusion that a
more expeditious way to
address their environmental
concerns might be through the
use of existing international
agreements and public
international law.

19. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Currently, the only existing
international institution within
the framework of public
international law that is in a
position to mediate and
adjudicate environmental
issues and global trade
disputes, is the WTO.

20. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
“The WTO Appellate Body
decision in the Shrimp-Turtles
dispute actually strengthens the
right of the state to adopt
conservation measures
(sympathetic to environmental
NGO concerns) by a liberal
interpretation of ‘exhaustible
natural resources’” [1]
[1]Tanyarat Mungkalarungsi “The Trade and Environment Debate” Tulane Journal
of International and Comparative Law, Vol. 10 (2002): 381

21. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
My analysis of the WTO Appellate
Body’s decision in Shrimp-
Turtles suggests that best allies
for NGOs would be sympathetic
WTO member states that are
both willing to implement trade
related environmental
restrictions and also apply
these policies fairly.

22. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
How do you persuade
governments to be more
sympathetic to
environmental concerns and
to implement trade related
environmental restrictions?

23. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
Environmentalists should also
concentrate on developing
relationships with their native
country’s business and social elites.
If business and social elites can be
convinced that there is an urgent
need for action, then they will make
sure government officials cooperate.

24. Cities and Global Governance II:
Environmental Politics
What is ultimately needed?
An international institution such
as a World Environment
Organization (WEO), with
enough regulatory and
governance powers to protect
society and the environment
from the negative impacts of
climate change.