While the EU and US have historically dominated global climate governance, new powers are increasingly shaping the global agenda on this issue. China's large greenhouse gas emissions and recent climate agreement with the US demonstrates how it can replace the EU-US partnership. Brazil also showed its influence by refusing to sign a deforestation pledge without being included in negotiations. Multinational companies and non-state actors additionally shape the agenda through lobbying, public pressure campaigns, and swaying consumer demand. As climate change respects no borders, truly global cooperation will be essential to effectively address this pressing, worldwide challenge.
Climate Change, sustainable development and developing countries (E)Asa Mugenyi
- Developing countries face challenges in balancing their pursuit of sustainable development goals with addressing climate change. Resources used for sustainable development are sometimes diverted to combating climate change effects.
- They lack the technology and financing to combat climate change on their own. While developed countries are major contributors to greenhouse gases, climate change still severely impacts developing countries.
- International agreements aim to promote cooperation between developed and developing countries to equitably share responsibility for climate action. However, developing countries must consider their sustainable development priorities in determining appropriate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Realism as both hurdle and panacea in addressing climate change Bright Mhango
Several efforts have been employed by states to curb climate change – efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol, but so far, emissions are actually increasing and if climate change is real, it is coming to get the earth.
This paper would like to argue that in the current international regime, in which realism dominates, solving climate change is not easy if not impossible unless realism itself is expanded to include climate change as a security issue.
- Climate change may exacerbate existing problems like disease, flooding and loss of biodiversity, but these problems are caused or made worse by poverty today. Alleviating poverty is likely a better solution than trying to control the climate.
- Wealthy nations are resilient to these problems because of institutions that promote property rights, contracts, rule of law, open trade, and good governance. These institutions enable people to adapt to uncertainty like climate change.
- Restricting greenhouse gas emissions and providing aid are unlikely to effectively address the root causes of problems or enable adaptation. Sustainable development requires adopting wealth-creating institutions that lead to technological progress.
Climate Change & Its Implications to Livelihoods and Economic Development in...Dr. Joshua Zake
Climate change will have significant implications for livelihoods and economic development in Uganda if actions are not taken. Prolonged droughts from climate change are already occurring and have resulted in crop failures and food insecurity impacting over 1.8 million people in 1993-1994 and 3.5 million people in 1999. As droughts and unreliable rainfall increase due to climate change, agriculture production and livestock rearing, which account for a major part of Uganda's GDP, will be severely threatened, negatively impacting the country's economy and development. Urgent action is needed now to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in order to reduce vulnerability and support continued economic growth.
Climate Change Adaptation within the Purview of National Security and Sustain...Francisco Ashley Acedillo
Delivered during the 11th National Congress of the Phil. Society of NSTP Educators and Implementers (PSNEI, Inc.) last April 10-12, 2013 in Davao City, Philippines.
This report documents the widespread human impacts of climate change occurring today. It finds that climate change causes over 300,000 deaths, affects 325 million people, and causes $125 billion in economic losses annually on average. Four billion people are vulnerable and 500 million face extreme risk. The impacts studied include effects on food, health, poverty, water resources, human displacement, and security. The worst affected are the world's poorest, who contribute least to causing climate change. Climate change threatens to undermine progress on sustainable development and humanitarian goals. More severe impacts are expected in coming decades even if further warming is contained.
Climate change is a global problem caused by increased CO2 and other greenhouse gases from human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation over the last 100 years. This has led to increased global temperatures and climate change. While some regions may benefit, others will experience serious harmful impacts like more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and impacts on ecosystems. If warming is not limited to 2°C, the costs of these impacts will continue to rise significantly. Although developing countries contribute little to causing climate change, they are often the most vulnerable to its effects. The UN aims to finalize a new global climate agreement in Paris in December 2015 to limit warming through national commitments, but some major countries still need to strengthen their pledges to
The world is running up huge ecological debts, just as it has run up huge financial debts. Neither is sustainable. Our leaders cannot successfully put capitalism back together again without at the same time fixing the greatest single consequence of unsustainability – climate change.
Climate Change, sustainable development and developing countries (E)Asa Mugenyi
- Developing countries face challenges in balancing their pursuit of sustainable development goals with addressing climate change. Resources used for sustainable development are sometimes diverted to combating climate change effects.
- They lack the technology and financing to combat climate change on their own. While developed countries are major contributors to greenhouse gases, climate change still severely impacts developing countries.
- International agreements aim to promote cooperation between developed and developing countries to equitably share responsibility for climate action. However, developing countries must consider their sustainable development priorities in determining appropriate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Realism as both hurdle and panacea in addressing climate change Bright Mhango
Several efforts have been employed by states to curb climate change – efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol, but so far, emissions are actually increasing and if climate change is real, it is coming to get the earth.
This paper would like to argue that in the current international regime, in which realism dominates, solving climate change is not easy if not impossible unless realism itself is expanded to include climate change as a security issue.
- Climate change may exacerbate existing problems like disease, flooding and loss of biodiversity, but these problems are caused or made worse by poverty today. Alleviating poverty is likely a better solution than trying to control the climate.
- Wealthy nations are resilient to these problems because of institutions that promote property rights, contracts, rule of law, open trade, and good governance. These institutions enable people to adapt to uncertainty like climate change.
- Restricting greenhouse gas emissions and providing aid are unlikely to effectively address the root causes of problems or enable adaptation. Sustainable development requires adopting wealth-creating institutions that lead to technological progress.
Climate Change & Its Implications to Livelihoods and Economic Development in...Dr. Joshua Zake
Climate change will have significant implications for livelihoods and economic development in Uganda if actions are not taken. Prolonged droughts from climate change are already occurring and have resulted in crop failures and food insecurity impacting over 1.8 million people in 1993-1994 and 3.5 million people in 1999. As droughts and unreliable rainfall increase due to climate change, agriculture production and livestock rearing, which account for a major part of Uganda's GDP, will be severely threatened, negatively impacting the country's economy and development. Urgent action is needed now to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in order to reduce vulnerability and support continued economic growth.
Climate Change Adaptation within the Purview of National Security and Sustain...Francisco Ashley Acedillo
Delivered during the 11th National Congress of the Phil. Society of NSTP Educators and Implementers (PSNEI, Inc.) last April 10-12, 2013 in Davao City, Philippines.
This report documents the widespread human impacts of climate change occurring today. It finds that climate change causes over 300,000 deaths, affects 325 million people, and causes $125 billion in economic losses annually on average. Four billion people are vulnerable and 500 million face extreme risk. The impacts studied include effects on food, health, poverty, water resources, human displacement, and security. The worst affected are the world's poorest, who contribute least to causing climate change. Climate change threatens to undermine progress on sustainable development and humanitarian goals. More severe impacts are expected in coming decades even if further warming is contained.
Climate change is a global problem caused by increased CO2 and other greenhouse gases from human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation over the last 100 years. This has led to increased global temperatures and climate change. While some regions may benefit, others will experience serious harmful impacts like more extreme weather, rising sea levels, and impacts on ecosystems. If warming is not limited to 2°C, the costs of these impacts will continue to rise significantly. Although developing countries contribute little to causing climate change, they are often the most vulnerable to its effects. The UN aims to finalize a new global climate agreement in Paris in December 2015 to limit warming through national commitments, but some major countries still need to strengthen their pledges to
The world is running up huge ecological debts, just as it has run up huge financial debts. Neither is sustainable. Our leaders cannot successfully put capitalism back together again without at the same time fixing the greatest single consequence of unsustainability – climate change.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CRITICAL GEOPOLITICS: WHITHER GLOBAL LEADERSHIP FOR MITIGA...TANKO AHMED fwc
This case study deliberates on the need for world governments, corporations and activists to form a united front against impending climate change catastrophes. It discusses causes, consequences and alleviation of mega disasters and inquires on common and shared responsibilities, predicaments, and smart utilization of global human and material resources. Theories of human response to sudden mass disruption and displacement often reckon with principles and practices in aid of managing mega disasters and critical geopolitics. A literature survey extracts serious concern and trends on traditional fixations of spatial imaginations hindering workable resolutions. The case study therefore elicits response to the need for global policies and strategies as nations would chaotically flow into one another in tragic mishandling of disasters. A stakeholders’ triangle of salvation with governments, corporations and activists may confront an impending Climageddon to provide feasible resolution to an end time Toba Event Hypothesis consistent with the climate change debacle.
Climate Change - Challenges for Development, Ethical Considerations...guest0647b9f
The document discusses climate change and the need for climate justice from a faith perspective. It provides background on climate change, its causes, and visible consequences. It frames climate change as a moral issue that threatens the most vulnerable. Actions are needed at both individual and structural levels to mitigate further impacts and advocate for policies that limit warming and support developing countries in adapting to impacts.
This document summarizes a report on climate change that discusses: (1) how climate change poses life-threatening dangers and increasing global temperatures are causing more extreme weather events; (2) efforts by the UN and governments to negotiate new treaties by 2015 to reduce emissions, though developing countries resist restrictions on economic growth; and (3) predictions that the world will warm dangerously without action and failure to limit emissions could lead to severe consequences for humanity and nature.
This document provides an overview of key issues and expectations surrounding the upcoming COP21 climate change conference in Paris. It discusses the positive developments in national climate pledges and progress on a new agreement text. However, current pledges still do not go far enough to limit global warming to safe levels. The document outlines four factors providing momentum for a successful outcome in Paris: increased perceptions of climate impacts, the pope's advocacy, declining renewable energy costs, and US-China collaboration. It also describes the content of pledges from several countries and notes continued disagreements in the agreement text negotiations. The overall assessment is that Paris represents an important milestone, but much work remains to achieve adequate global emissions reductions.
- Developing countries should not resist further emissions cuts in the absence of major cuts by developed countries, as that would hinder global efforts to address climate change.
- However, developing countries face complex challenges in balancing development goals with climate policy due to their unfavorable positions in climate negotiations and lack of assistance from developed countries.
- The document examines obstacles that have led to the absence of major action by developed countries and argues for greater international collaboration to help address the difficulties faced by developing nations.
The World Bank assembled this long list of supporting quotes to accompany the release of the Potsdam Institute climate report it commissioned.
Here's the full report and related materials:
http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/climate-change-report-warns-dramatically-warmer-world-century
Here are related Dot Earth posts:
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/climate/
G&P - Chapter 11 - Environment and Populationcyruskarimian
This document discusses several topics related to the environment and population:
1) Global threats to the environment like climate change and pollution create interdependence between states;
2) The concept of sustainable development aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection;
3) The demographic transition explains how birth and death rates change as countries develop.
crown capital management environment reviews - China shows resolve, action ag...margauzophelie
BEIJING, Jun 15 – The State Council, or China’s cabinet, adopted a set of concrete measures to counter air pollution on Friday, demonstrating not only resolve but also action to cope with environmental issues.
China’s leadership has repeatedly promised all-out efforts to conserve resources and curb pollution.
Este es un paper que se refiere a la relación entre economía y cambio clímatico.
Actividad: Reconozca y resuma 5 Argumentos que expone el paper y redactelos en no más de 2000 caracteres. La respuesta DEBE ser en inglés. (Es el texto en inglés poh!)
This document discusses the relationship between climate change and capitalism. It argues that (I) climate change is directly caused by the current social structure of capitalism, and (II) capitalism cannot deal with meaningful solutions to climate change. It further argues that (III) a climate change catastrophe is inevitable given these factors. It provides rationale for these arguments, citing sources that discuss how capitalism prioritizes capital accumulation and economic growth over environmental concerns. The document concludes that climate change is irreversible and that mainstream solutions are insufficient, advocating instead for social and economic changes like reduced consumption and accumulation.
1) While developing countries have contributed less to climate change historically than developed countries, the current severity of climate change means all countries must work to cut emissions.
2) Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to reliance on agriculture and vulnerability to rising sea levels and natural disasters.
3) It is in developing countries' long-term economic and national security interests to begin lowering emissions now through investments in renewable technology rather than waiting for commitments from developed countries given the likelihood of increasing climate regulations globally in the future.
A high-ambition climate agreement in 2015 is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 according to a new policy brief. The brief finds that a climate agreement limiting warming to 2°C through zero net carbon emissions would significantly improve prospects for ending poverty, ensuring access to water and energy, and achieving other SDGs in the developing world. In contrast, a low-ambition agreement allowing 3-5°C of warming would undermine progress on the SDGs. Country case studies show the nature and severity of impacts vary but a low-ambition deal consistently increases risks of failing to meet development targets across nations. Ambitious SDGs and climate action are thus mutually reinforcing, with the former encouraging policies for
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland
Mariwan hama saeed international approaches against global warmingMariwan Hama Said
This document discusses international approaches to addressing global warming. It outlines agreements made at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Kyoto in 1997, and COP21 in Paris in 2015 to establish frameworks and commitments around reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. The conclusions emphasize that while agreements are important, real action and solutions will require global cooperation to respect the planet and work towards a healthy environment for future generations.
This document provides a summary of two case studies: the Memorial for Murdered Jews in Berlin and Yanweiszhou Park in Jinhua City, China. The Memorial for Murdered Jews uses a field of identical concrete stelae to represent the loss of individual lives on a massive scale, creating a somber and thought-provoking landscape. Yanweiszhou Park was designed by Turenscape to rehabilitate a degraded stream ecosystem and incorporate resilient design strategies to adapt to flooding while providing social and ecological benefits to the community.
Agreement of cop 21 is not enough to save the planet earth of catastrophic cl...Fernando Alcoforado
The agreement reached at COP 21 in Paris will not be enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. While countries agreed to reduce emissions, the voluntary targets set by nations will not keep global warming below 2°C or ideally 1.5°C. The agreement also failed to consider long-term decarbonization goals or provide a clear plan to meet temperature limits. For these reasons, the Paris Agreement amounts to merely a statement of intent rather than a solution, and catastrophic climate impacts may still occur as predicted by some scientists.
Our common future: report of the world commission on environment and developm...ManfredNolte
The United Nations Secretary-General appointed Gro Harlem Brundtland to chair the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1983 due to growing concerns about environmental issues. The Commission's 1987 report, Our Common Future, introduced the concept of sustainable development to balance social/economic progress with protecting the environment for future generations. It found that while population growth was not the main threat, the industrialized world consumed most resources and caused most pollution despite having a small population. The report called for environmentally-sensitive technology transfers to reduce poverty without degrading nature.
1) Diplomatic efforts over the past two decades to control carbon dioxide emissions through agreements like the Kyoto Protocol have largely failed, as emissions continue to rise and the world is warming.
2) A new approach is needed that focuses on shorter-lived climate pollutants like soot, which new science shows cause almost half of current global warming. Reducing these pollutants could lead to more tangible near-term impacts and build credibility in the international regime.
3) At the same time, more work is needed on adaptation strategies to help societies cope with the impacts of climate change that can no longer be avoided, such as by creating networks of local experts and officials on the front lines of adaptation.
This document discusses a proposal for a "Global Green New Deal" (GGND) in response to the current economic crisis and long-term sustainability challenges. The GGND would invest 1% of global GDP over 2 years to stimulate the economy and transition to a greener future. It proposes targeting fiscal stimulus at green infrastructure, reforming policies to reduce subsidies and incentivize sustainability, and coordinating internationally on trade, technology and carbon markets. The objectives are reviving economies, creating jobs, promoting sustainable growth, and reducing carbon dependency and environmental degradation.
Climate Change and Disaster Risk_Case Study of KenyaOgaro Lugard
This document provides an overview of climate change and disaster risk in Kenya. It discusses Kenya's climate and natural hazard profile, which includes intermittent droughts that affect most of the country. It also describes the government of Kenya's role in disaster management, including establishing institutions and policies to address disasters. Projected climate changes for Kenya include increasing temperatures and uncertain changes to rainfall. Impacts may include effects on coastal areas, health, agriculture, water resources, and energy. Extreme weather events like floods and droughts are also expected to increase in frequency and severity. The role of climate information and coordination between disaster risk management and climate change efforts are discussed.
It is mainly the inhabitants of the global South who suffer from the effects of climate change. They are faced with the destruction of their living space and the violation of their human rights. At the same time, existing human rights standards offer the possibility of establishing points of reference during international climate negotiations to address such questions as adjustment programs designed to confront the effects of climate change, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, technology transfers, and the future of development. As a frame of reference, human rights standards can serve to accurately evaluate policies and to pinpoint their failures, particularly regarding how these policies affect the world’s weakest inhabitants. This publication by the political scientist Theodor Rathgeber uses case examples to illustrate the dangers faced by indigenous peoples in particular, as well as the tools the UN human rights system gives them to support their struggle for just climate policies.
Il World Energy Focus è il nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CRITICAL GEOPOLITICS: WHITHER GLOBAL LEADERSHIP FOR MITIGA...TANKO AHMED fwc
This case study deliberates on the need for world governments, corporations and activists to form a united front against impending climate change catastrophes. It discusses causes, consequences and alleviation of mega disasters and inquires on common and shared responsibilities, predicaments, and smart utilization of global human and material resources. Theories of human response to sudden mass disruption and displacement often reckon with principles and practices in aid of managing mega disasters and critical geopolitics. A literature survey extracts serious concern and trends on traditional fixations of spatial imaginations hindering workable resolutions. The case study therefore elicits response to the need for global policies and strategies as nations would chaotically flow into one another in tragic mishandling of disasters. A stakeholders’ triangle of salvation with governments, corporations and activists may confront an impending Climageddon to provide feasible resolution to an end time Toba Event Hypothesis consistent with the climate change debacle.
Climate Change - Challenges for Development, Ethical Considerations...guest0647b9f
The document discusses climate change and the need for climate justice from a faith perspective. It provides background on climate change, its causes, and visible consequences. It frames climate change as a moral issue that threatens the most vulnerable. Actions are needed at both individual and structural levels to mitigate further impacts and advocate for policies that limit warming and support developing countries in adapting to impacts.
This document summarizes a report on climate change that discusses: (1) how climate change poses life-threatening dangers and increasing global temperatures are causing more extreme weather events; (2) efforts by the UN and governments to negotiate new treaties by 2015 to reduce emissions, though developing countries resist restrictions on economic growth; and (3) predictions that the world will warm dangerously without action and failure to limit emissions could lead to severe consequences for humanity and nature.
This document provides an overview of key issues and expectations surrounding the upcoming COP21 climate change conference in Paris. It discusses the positive developments in national climate pledges and progress on a new agreement text. However, current pledges still do not go far enough to limit global warming to safe levels. The document outlines four factors providing momentum for a successful outcome in Paris: increased perceptions of climate impacts, the pope's advocacy, declining renewable energy costs, and US-China collaboration. It also describes the content of pledges from several countries and notes continued disagreements in the agreement text negotiations. The overall assessment is that Paris represents an important milestone, but much work remains to achieve adequate global emissions reductions.
- Developing countries should not resist further emissions cuts in the absence of major cuts by developed countries, as that would hinder global efforts to address climate change.
- However, developing countries face complex challenges in balancing development goals with climate policy due to their unfavorable positions in climate negotiations and lack of assistance from developed countries.
- The document examines obstacles that have led to the absence of major action by developed countries and argues for greater international collaboration to help address the difficulties faced by developing nations.
The World Bank assembled this long list of supporting quotes to accompany the release of the Potsdam Institute climate report it commissioned.
Here's the full report and related materials:
http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/climate-change-report-warns-dramatically-warmer-world-century
Here are related Dot Earth posts:
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/climate/
G&P - Chapter 11 - Environment and Populationcyruskarimian
This document discusses several topics related to the environment and population:
1) Global threats to the environment like climate change and pollution create interdependence between states;
2) The concept of sustainable development aims to balance economic growth with environmental protection;
3) The demographic transition explains how birth and death rates change as countries develop.
crown capital management environment reviews - China shows resolve, action ag...margauzophelie
BEIJING, Jun 15 – The State Council, or China’s cabinet, adopted a set of concrete measures to counter air pollution on Friday, demonstrating not only resolve but also action to cope with environmental issues.
China’s leadership has repeatedly promised all-out efforts to conserve resources and curb pollution.
Este es un paper que se refiere a la relación entre economía y cambio clímatico.
Actividad: Reconozca y resuma 5 Argumentos que expone el paper y redactelos en no más de 2000 caracteres. La respuesta DEBE ser en inglés. (Es el texto en inglés poh!)
This document discusses the relationship between climate change and capitalism. It argues that (I) climate change is directly caused by the current social structure of capitalism, and (II) capitalism cannot deal with meaningful solutions to climate change. It further argues that (III) a climate change catastrophe is inevitable given these factors. It provides rationale for these arguments, citing sources that discuss how capitalism prioritizes capital accumulation and economic growth over environmental concerns. The document concludes that climate change is irreversible and that mainstream solutions are insufficient, advocating instead for social and economic changes like reduced consumption and accumulation.
1) While developing countries have contributed less to climate change historically than developed countries, the current severity of climate change means all countries must work to cut emissions.
2) Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to reliance on agriculture and vulnerability to rising sea levels and natural disasters.
3) It is in developing countries' long-term economic and national security interests to begin lowering emissions now through investments in renewable technology rather than waiting for commitments from developed countries given the likelihood of increasing climate regulations globally in the future.
A high-ambition climate agreement in 2015 is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 according to a new policy brief. The brief finds that a climate agreement limiting warming to 2°C through zero net carbon emissions would significantly improve prospects for ending poverty, ensuring access to water and energy, and achieving other SDGs in the developing world. In contrast, a low-ambition agreement allowing 3-5°C of warming would undermine progress on the SDGs. Country case studies show the nature and severity of impacts vary but a low-ambition deal consistently increases risks of failing to meet development targets across nations. Ambitious SDGs and climate action are thus mutually reinforcing, with the former encouraging policies for
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland
Mariwan hama saeed international approaches against global warmingMariwan Hama Said
This document discusses international approaches to addressing global warming. It outlines agreements made at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Kyoto in 1997, and COP21 in Paris in 2015 to establish frameworks and commitments around reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. The conclusions emphasize that while agreements are important, real action and solutions will require global cooperation to respect the planet and work towards a healthy environment for future generations.
This document provides a summary of two case studies: the Memorial for Murdered Jews in Berlin and Yanweiszhou Park in Jinhua City, China. The Memorial for Murdered Jews uses a field of identical concrete stelae to represent the loss of individual lives on a massive scale, creating a somber and thought-provoking landscape. Yanweiszhou Park was designed by Turenscape to rehabilitate a degraded stream ecosystem and incorporate resilient design strategies to adapt to flooding while providing social and ecological benefits to the community.
Agreement of cop 21 is not enough to save the planet earth of catastrophic cl...Fernando Alcoforado
The agreement reached at COP 21 in Paris will not be enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. While countries agreed to reduce emissions, the voluntary targets set by nations will not keep global warming below 2°C or ideally 1.5°C. The agreement also failed to consider long-term decarbonization goals or provide a clear plan to meet temperature limits. For these reasons, the Paris Agreement amounts to merely a statement of intent rather than a solution, and catastrophic climate impacts may still occur as predicted by some scientists.
Our common future: report of the world commission on environment and developm...ManfredNolte
The United Nations Secretary-General appointed Gro Harlem Brundtland to chair the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1983 due to growing concerns about environmental issues. The Commission's 1987 report, Our Common Future, introduced the concept of sustainable development to balance social/economic progress with protecting the environment for future generations. It found that while population growth was not the main threat, the industrialized world consumed most resources and caused most pollution despite having a small population. The report called for environmentally-sensitive technology transfers to reduce poverty without degrading nature.
1) Diplomatic efforts over the past two decades to control carbon dioxide emissions through agreements like the Kyoto Protocol have largely failed, as emissions continue to rise and the world is warming.
2) A new approach is needed that focuses on shorter-lived climate pollutants like soot, which new science shows cause almost half of current global warming. Reducing these pollutants could lead to more tangible near-term impacts and build credibility in the international regime.
3) At the same time, more work is needed on adaptation strategies to help societies cope with the impacts of climate change that can no longer be avoided, such as by creating networks of local experts and officials on the front lines of adaptation.
This document discusses a proposal for a "Global Green New Deal" (GGND) in response to the current economic crisis and long-term sustainability challenges. The GGND would invest 1% of global GDP over 2 years to stimulate the economy and transition to a greener future. It proposes targeting fiscal stimulus at green infrastructure, reforming policies to reduce subsidies and incentivize sustainability, and coordinating internationally on trade, technology and carbon markets. The objectives are reviving economies, creating jobs, promoting sustainable growth, and reducing carbon dependency and environmental degradation.
Climate Change and Disaster Risk_Case Study of KenyaOgaro Lugard
This document provides an overview of climate change and disaster risk in Kenya. It discusses Kenya's climate and natural hazard profile, which includes intermittent droughts that affect most of the country. It also describes the government of Kenya's role in disaster management, including establishing institutions and policies to address disasters. Projected climate changes for Kenya include increasing temperatures and uncertain changes to rainfall. Impacts may include effects on coastal areas, health, agriculture, water resources, and energy. Extreme weather events like floods and droughts are also expected to increase in frequency and severity. The role of climate information and coordination between disaster risk management and climate change efforts are discussed.
It is mainly the inhabitants of the global South who suffer from the effects of climate change. They are faced with the destruction of their living space and the violation of their human rights. At the same time, existing human rights standards offer the possibility of establishing points of reference during international climate negotiations to address such questions as adjustment programs designed to confront the effects of climate change, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, technology transfers, and the future of development. As a frame of reference, human rights standards can serve to accurately evaluate policies and to pinpoint their failures, particularly regarding how these policies affect the world’s weakest inhabitants. This publication by the political scientist Theodor Rathgeber uses case examples to illustrate the dangers faced by indigenous peoples in particular, as well as the tools the UN human rights system gives them to support their struggle for just climate policies.
Il World Energy Focus è il nuovo mensile online della WEC's community, una e-publication gratuita per essere sempre aggiornato sugli sviluppi del settore energetico. Il World Energy Focus contiene news, interviste esclusive e uno spazio dedicato agli eventi promossi dai singoli Comitati Nazionali.
LEC 406_Sarah Phillipson_FULL_Essay_ Growth and Climate Change_ 18 April 2016...Sarah Phillipson
1) The document discusses the relationship between economic growth and climate change, debating whether continual growth is compatible with addressing climate change.
2) It provides graphs showing the close correlation between growth in energy consumption, carbon emissions, and GDP since the industrial revolution.
3) The post-1950 period saw a dramatic acceleration in economic and earth system trends, potentially linked to the global economic system established at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference emphasizing continual growth.
Publication: Climate Diplomacy and Global Democracy, January 2011Africa Cheetah Run
1) The document discusses climate diplomacy and negotiations between countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It focuses on the relationship between the US and China and the roles of other major players like the EU, developing nations, and Africa.
2) The US-China relationship is complex, with them sometimes cooperating but also representing divergent historical responsibilities for emissions versus current emissions. Finding common ground between their positions is a challenge for negotiators.
3) The EU aims to be a leader but struggles with internal divisions that prevent it from speaking with one voice. If it overcomes this, it could play a bigger facilitator role.
4) Developing nations and Africa are not united either
The document discusses climate policy in Canada, which primarily uses voluntary programs rather than pricing emissions. This stems from fears over economic impacts. However, voluntary programs alone do not prevent emissions increases. The Harper government withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol and generally opposed climate policies. In contrast, the current Trudeau government shows differences in its more proactive approach to tackling climate change. A political change in government can impact policy approaches to important issues.
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that the world faces today. From everrising temperatures to natural catastrophes, climate change is not just limited to a single region or country but has become a phenomenon that has been affecting everyone in the world. It leads the issue to become one of the top complex global policy dilemmas. The impact of global warming and climate change are yet to be fully understood and observed, but the most adverse effects would be witnessed by the generations to come. Scientists working in different fields tend to accuse the gradual increase in temperature, the intensity of natural disasters and their strong impact on climate change (Field et al. 2012). It is not limited to domestic issue; for instance, if any country operationalizes an industrial process that affect the climate, it will have repercussions across the world. Therefore, climate change is undoubtedly a crucial international problem in the context of international relations and must be addressed in urgency. Although scientists and global thinkers attribute this problem to the highly industrialized countries while the lower class of the society will be most affected by its consequential impacts, the states including the developed ones hardly pay serious attention in resolving this international problem.
The "Governing Climate Change" book by Bulkeley and Newell is part of Routledge’s series of global institutions. It addresses the climate change
governance issues that occurred significantly through the last two decades in the field of international relations. The issues hit strongly the relationships and
interests between all the countries over the world, in particular the industrialized, none industrialized, and newly industrialized countries. The
countries went mainly into two sides; the North modern countries and the South developing countries.
1) The document discusses the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) which was held in Paris from November 30th to December 11th, 2015 with the goal of reaching a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming below 2°C.
2) There was high hopes for an agreement given improved cooperation between countries like the US and China, but reaching a legally binding treaty faced challenges from issues like US political divisions and developing countries prioritizing economic growth.
3) The conference aimed to address the growing evidence of climate change impacts like record breaking temperatures in 2015 and avoid consequences of increased global warming such as severe droughts, floods and sea level rise.
Running head KYOTO POSITION PAPER1KYOTO POSITION PAPER6.docxwlynn1
Running head: KYOTO POSITION PAPER 1
KYOTO POSITION PAPER 6
Kyoto Position Paper
Student
Professor
February 1, 2019
Introduction
Over the years, climate change has been the biggest problem the facing the world today. One of the main causes of climate change is as a result of the effects of human activities. One of the aspects that are used to measure climate change is global warming. This phenomenon, which measures the rise in global temperature levels, has already begun. Since 1900; the global temperature has risen by 0.7 degrees Celsius (Mathez, 2009). It is very important that all governing bodies need to pull forces together in order to reduce the effects of climate change in the world. Comment by Dila Const: Vague statement…how many years?
The establishment of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 was aimed at bringing together the world’s leading experts on the earth’s climate change to gather, asses and disseminate scientific information about climate change with a view of informing international and national policy makers (Mathez, 2009). IPCC spearheaded conferences and treaties which were aimed at bettering the climate change situation. This paper will discuss the current status of the Kyoto Treaty and what should be done about the Kyoto Protocol and global warming in the future. Moreover, this paper will discuss recent climate change conferences and treaties and how the conferences and treaties are related to the Kyoto Treaty and the United States. Comment by Dila Const: Gases?
The Kyoto Protocol, 1997
The United Nations Conference on climate change took place in 1997. The United Nations took into consideration of global warming in Kyoto Japan (McGovern 2006). In the period between 2008 and 2012 The Giants’ industrial nations had promised to reduce the use of greenhouse emission on gasses. (Archer, 2012). The conference was of great importance because it was the first agreement between countries on reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. This protocol’s main feature was mandatory targets on emissions, which ranged from -8 percent to +10 percent of the countries’ individual 1990 emission levels (McGovern, 2006). The industrialized nations were in agreement to reduce the emission of the greenhouse effects by half. By the year 2012, the emission of the greenhouse gases were 5.2 percent on average. Comment by Dila Const: what does this mean?
The Kyoto Protocol was seen to be an effective way to reduce the menace of global warming. However, it was faced with problems during the process of fulfilling its mandate. For example, the United States of America, although they signed the agreement, they never ratified. Canada ratified the treaty in 2001 but set up a level that other countries were unable to achieve. The Canadian minister for environment said that Canada was applying its legal right to withdraw. The United States followed suit the same year and withdrew from the agreement. The end r.
"Climate Crunch" : Scenarios for the global economic environmentFERMA
"Climate Crunch" : Scenarios for the global economic environment.
The recently published Global Risks 2014 report of the World Economic Forum identifies environmental risks as highest in terms of impact and likelihood. Those risks include both natural disasters, such as earthquakes and geomagnetic storms, and man-made risks such as
collapsing ecosystems, freshwater shortages, nuclear accidents and failure to mitigate or adapt to climate change. Failure of climate change mitigation and
adaptation is the fifth top risk concern according to
multi-stakeholders communities (see figure beside).
Climate change is evidence proven and this paper doesn’t intend to explore the causes. However, one can state that climate change is a systemic problem – it is one that touches all the others. As such by its systemic nature, it can cause breakdowns of entire systems and not only a component part. (
Contributions of the Environmental Non Governmental Organisations and interna...IJEAB
This document discusses the contributions of environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international law on climate change. It finds that NGOs have played an important role in raising awareness about climate change and participating in international negotiations. Key NGOs mentioned are Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, and Sierra Club. The document outlines international agreements on climate change, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. It examines how NGOs have cooperated with states and worked to educate citizens and policymakers on climate issues to influence international law and policies around climate change.
Cynthia Leungstarted this petition toU.S. House of Represent.docxwhittemorelucilla
Cynthia Leung
started this petition to
U.S. House of Representatives
and
1 other
Time is running out for our planet.
And as the Amazon
“the lungs of our planet”
burn before our eyes, we must act now to fight climate change or doom this and future generations into an age of extinction.
The next generation may never see the Amazon rainforest, coral reefs, or a polar bear.
But the spectacular biodiversity existing on our planet, our home, is more than just beautiful, it is what keeps us alive.
Our destruction of ecological life support systems will literally kill us all.
My name is Cynthia Leung and I am a high school student from Brooklyn. I first started getting involved with the movement during the UN's High-Level Political Forum when I learned about the linkages that climate change can have with multiple important topics. Having the Climate Change Summit in the New York UN Headquarters is extremely important for the American climate action movement.
In fact, since the summit will be in New York, we need to utilize our voices to make sure our message is heard loud and clear by world leaders in September.
Being one of many youth climate activists proves that young people will continue to advocate and protest until we have definite plans for climate change because
our futures are at risk.
My generation and millions of young people from all over the world, are skipping school, university or work, taking to the streets and protesting your inaction on climate change.
The time to act is now and we have one month to add our voices to call for strong, unified climate action from our government.
Add your voice today if you want to hear our world leaders’ plans to mitigate emissions by 2020, and dramatically reduce emissions to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century!
This September, world leaders will unite in NYC for the UN Climate Change Summit.
And young climate leaders from around the globe will be there to deliver
the world’s biggest call-to-action! We demand that they come up with bold, ambitious, definite and effective climate and environmental action plans.
Great-Britain and Ireland have already headed our call and declared a climate emergency.
We urgently need more countries to stand up to protect their people, animals, and OUR planet.
Let’s face the truth. Radical transformational change is imperative in safeguarding our future and future generations. IPCC’s 2018 report emphasizes that we need major transformation, especially since we are now off track in limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees celsius. And global political and business leaders hold the key to the transformational change we urgently need.
We, the youth of today, are holding them accountable through direct action and we expect the
powerful to take responsibility to deliver a sustainable future for all.
World leaders should no longer ignore tens of thousands on the streets. In the moments leading up to September and the meeting of the powerful,.
TennisonJ_Interdisciplinary Research Paper_Climate Change 13 Mar 16 (Autosaved)Jonathan Tennison
This paper explores climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective using political science, natural science, and economics. While politicians often deny climate change due to funding from fossil fuel industries, the natural science evidence for human-caused climate change is overwhelming. Economics is driving the transition to renewable energy as major banks invest in green technology. An integrated approach is needed to balance economic and social concerns with mitigating climate change.
This summary provides the key details from the 3-page document in 3 sentences:
The document is an exchange of emails between White House officials discussing a letter by EPA Administrator Christie Whitman defending the administration's climate change policy in response to a Wall Street Journal editorial. It also includes a letter by White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James Connaughton making similar points in response to a New York Times article. Both letters emphasize the administration supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions while preserving economic growth and that there is no division within the administration on climate policy.
http://assignment-partner.com/ .That's a sample paper - essay / paper on the topic "Organizational development and change" created by our writers!
Disclaimer: The paper above have been completed for actual clients. We have acclaimed personal permission from the customers to post it.
11Introduction to Global Issues VINAY BHARGAVA.docxmoggdede
This document provides an introduction to global issues and defines what constitutes a global issue. It discusses several current global issues including climate change, financial instability, poverty, migration, and others. It notes that these issues are interconnected and require global cooperation to solve as no single nation can address them alone. The document then categorizes global issues into five thematic areas: the global economy, global human development, the global environment and natural resources, peace and security, and global governance. It provides a brief overview of some of the key global issues that will be discussed in the subsequent chapters within each thematic area.
its my very fast presentation and my regarding topic also quite new for me..i know i have some shortcoming..but i still hope u all will like it...the presentation topic is,,"Conference Of The Parties"which based on climate change
This dissertation examines whether increasing women's rights leads to secularization in the Middle East by analyzing case studies of Turkey and Iran. It begins by discussing theories of secularization and differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. The author uses both secular and Islamic feminist perspectives to understand how women's rights policies have been construed. In Turkey, a Sunni-majority secular state, and Iran, which transitioned from secular to Islamic governance, the author argues that advancing women's rights has not necessarily led to secularization. Religion has been used as a tool to enforce state policies and patriarchy rather than indicate religious or non-religious aims. The increasing interpretation of sacred texts by women has allowed them to combat patriarchy and advocate for
Final - Religion in Iran is primarily a vehicle to express opposition against...Samantha Hill
Religion in Iran has often been used to oppose Western imperialism. After the 1953 CIA-backed coup that reinstated the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini and other religious leaders used their influence and networks of mosques to speak out against the Shah's regime and its Western-leaning secularization policies. The 1979 Iranian Revolution that established the Islamic Republic combined religious and anti-Western sentiment, opposing the Shah's rule as a puppet of the West. Since then, Iran has supported international Islamic resistance groups opposing Western influence in the region as part of its revolutionary brand of political Islam. However, Iran has also cooperated with the West against shared threats like Al-Qaeda, showing religion is not purely defensive but can
The document summarizes a data analytics project to analyze engagement with internal emails and articles sent by the Global Consumer Healthcare team. On a weekly basis, the author pulls data from Adobe Marketing Cloud on published articles from the previous week and emails. Metrics like popularity, visual appeal, and traction are analyzed. Insights are presented back to the internal engagement team at their weekly "Big Kahuna Burger" meeting to help tailor their approach and correctly target audiences. Through this project, the author has gained insights into their own writing and presenting skills.
Samantha Hill conducts research and analysis on crisis topics when they are identified at GSK. She searches online news and social media to identify trends, audiences, and information sources regarding the crisis. Samantha displays her research in an easy to understand format and provides updates every few hours. Her ad hoc reports provide useful information to GSK employees and leadership teams during times of crisis management.
Samantha Hill conducted research and analysis on GSK customers and competitors from January to March 2014 to produce materials for a presentation. She sourced information on parliamentary mentions of key customers and competitors, searched customer websites for relevant corporate responsibility documents and values, and identified parallels between GSK and competitor values. Samantha produced a one-slide summary of customer mission statements, purposes and values, and searched news sites for customer and competitor mentions. This work was developed into a full PowerPoint presentation sent to GSK's GAPPA team.
This document provides a communications plan for promoting the Human Performance Lab (HPL) internally to GSK employees in Great Britain and Ireland. The plan involved running a competition for two employees to compete in a triathlon alongside athletes who work with HPL, as well as Q&A sessions and a Yammer strategy to share information about HPL's research. The competition was successful with almost 40 entries. Evaluation activities include further promoting HPL's relevance and gathering interest in visiting HPL through an upcoming employee event.
Samantha Hill conducted research and design work from April to June to create an infographic for communications employees. The infographic aimed to illustrate what makes effective and ineffective copy through easy to understand visuals. Her work involved background research on engagement tactics, read rates, and good infographic design. She is evaluating the ongoing project and found the opportunity to be creative and apply her research skills rewarding.
This document outlines a monthly newsletter project for GSK communications employees. It discusses researching latest healthcare, technology, and social media trends to write inspiring articles. Photos are sourced and edited in Photoshop to accompany articles. Content is uploaded and tagged, and a newsletter email is created with hyperlinks. The newsletter is sent to employees and has proven popular for bringing outside information in. Read rates of sample articles are provided, and positive feedback from employees is included, with a request to share content.
The document summarizes a project to promote GSK brands internally through monthly materials. Key details:
- The assistant project managed the creation of compelling content including images and facts about selected brands to educate GSK's global employees.
- Materials were designed to raise awareness of GSK's brand portfolio, bridge gaps between teams, and create interest in new launches.
- Tactics included researching brands, sourcing materials from teams, ensuring compliance, designing posters, and measuring success through downloads and feedback.
- Evaluation found a 40% audience uptake, positive feedback, and successful implementation of materials across sites.
This document summarizes a project to write online articles about consumer relations for GSK employees. The goals were to educate employees about the importance of consumer relations and maintain information flow. Key tactics included analyzing consumer reports and social media to find interesting topics, then writing articles and uploading consumer calls to share insights and increase understanding across the company. Feedback was positive and highlighted both confident areas and those needing development.
This document provides a photography intern's objectives, tactics, reflection, and evaluation for creating a photo essay about GSK's Diwali and Eid event. The intern's goals were to increase participation in the 2014 event and spread enjoyment through interviewing and photographing a diverse range of attendees. Tactics included researching the religions, taking photos and videos, analyzing the content, and uploading a story to the intranet. The reflection noted learning about the religions and importance of diversity and inclusion. The evaluation was that documenting the long-running event showed the activities enjoyed by GSK staff.
The document outlines Samantha Hill's objective to update the existing Listening Lab website to increase engagement, educate more GSK employees, and increase the number of reports run. Through research, Samantha identified key questions to answer and provided design suggestions and images. The updated website is in its final stages and Samantha enjoyed learning about website design and features that engage audiences.
This document outlines a proofreading role for Consumer Healthcare Leadership Team (CHLT) reports. The proofreader reads and analyzes monthly reports to highlight anomalies, mistakes, and unclear communication before reports are sent to CHLT and other employees. Over time, the proofreader has expanded their role from simply critiquing reports to also offering suggestions for improvement to make reports more engaging each month.
The document summarizes the work of managing and presenting GSK's Listening Lab reports and installations from June 2013 to June 2014. Key tactics included arranging initial calls and questionnaires to understand client needs, overseeing analyst reports, and ensuring client satisfaction. The goal was to have listening labs in every market by June 2014 and increase the number of reports run in 2014 compared to 2013. The reflection notes the project has grown, consumer call insights have been added, and plans are in place to increase demand for the service in 2014.
Samantha Hill worked on several GSK events from June 2013 to June 2014, gaining experience in project management, research, presentation, and organization. The events included the Shopper Science Lab launch, GSK IMPACT Awards, and Annual General Meeting. She reflected that each event pushed her out of her comfort zone in different ways and helped her communication and problem-solving skills. The SSL launch promoted a new research facility to GSK employees. The IMPACT Awards recognized charities for improving public health. Samantha helped guide people and ensure a charity she supported arrived on schedule. At the AGM, she presented nutrition brands to shareholders and helped prepare goodie bags.
This document lists a variety of skills and areas of interest including writing skills for newsletters and articles, photography and interviewing, website design, oral health research, proofreading, creative brand promotion, crisis management reporting, infographic research and design, data analytics, communications planning, and analyzing customers and competitors.
1. Page 1
Global Governance used to be an EU-US affair, but increasingly it reflects the emergence of new
powers and the declining ability of Brussels and Washington to shape the global agenda’. Discuss
with reference to climate change.
PostWWII, the United StatesandEurope have hadan apparentmonopolyof powerinthe global
arena over;trade,moneyandsecurityissues.However,withthe emergence of new powersonthe
world’sstage itcan be arguedthat the powerof WashingtonandBrusselsisindecline.Thisessay
will discussthisnotionin-depthinregardstoa prominentand relativelynew securityissue:Climate
change. Stateshave longbeenthe mainfocuswhenanalysingglobal governance,however,withthe
emergence of newsecurityissues,itcanbe arguedthat new powersare increasinglyshapingthe
global agenda.Thisessaywill beginbysettingthe contextof climate change onthe global agenda
and analyse howthe EU and the US have been historically dominant.Inturn,the role of the EU and
the US will be evaluatedastowhetherornot theyremainglobal leadersorif otherstatesare taking
theirplace.Precedingthis,the role of new powers;institutions,multinational companies(MNCs)
and non-state actors(NSAs) willbe analysedastowhetherthey have the abilitytoshape the global
agendamore effectivelythanstates.
Climate change isa highlycontentiousissueacrossthe globe,withsome scientistsdisputingthat
climate change existsorthatit isa man-made problem.However,‘the overwhelming majorityof the
world’sclimate scientists –andgovernments –agree that climate change isoccurringand that the
maincause is humanuse of fossil fuels’1
.The effectsof climate change varywidelyrangingfrom;sea
level rises,the meltingof the glacierstochangesinthe seasons2
,andthese are notlimitedto
national boundaries,theyappearonaglobal scale. Asa resultof the transboundarynature of
climate change,the issue movedfroma‘low’political issueto‘high’political issue3
afterthe First
Earth Summit(1972 StockholmUnitedNationsConferenceonthe Human Environment) withthe
Declaration ‘warningGovernmentstobe mindful of activitiesthatcouldleadtoclimate change and
evaluate the likelihoodandmagnitude of climaticeffects’4
.
It can be arguedthatthe EU andthe US have shapedthe global agendaonclimate change since the
official creationof the EU in1993 underthe Maastricht Treaty.Althoughmanyof the 28 EU member
stateshad beenactive inthe climate change debate before this,itwasthisyearthatthe EU acted as
a global powerwitha unitedvoice5
.Pre-1993, duringthe Rio Earth Summits, the UnitedNations
FrameworkConventiononClimate Change (UNFCCC) hadsetthe objectivetostabilise GHG
concentrationatlevelsthat shouldmitigateclimate change.Atthe UNFCCC, the principle of
‘commonbutdifferentiatedresponsibilities’wasset anddevelopedcountries (mostnotably the US
and the EU) were expectedtotake the lead oncombatingclimate change.Theywere todothisby
transferringfinancialandtechnical resourcestodevelopingcountriestohelpthemaddressthe
problem.6
By1997 legallybindingtargetsfordevelopedcountriesweresetbutwere delayedinThe
Hague in 2000 and eventuallyrepudiatedbythe US’snewly electedPresidentBushin2001. The
negotiationsaroundthe KyotoProtocol resultedinmajorpolitical divisionsbetween the USA and
1 Carbon Capture and Storage Association 2014
2 NASA Global ClimateChange
3 Carter 2010: 52
4 Jackson 2007
5 Nugent 2010: 55-59
6 Carter 2010: 56
2. Page 2
the EU and stalledthe ratificationof the protocol until 2004. Climate change hassince been amajor
itemonthe agendaforthe G8 andG7 summitsandhas createda rift inEU-US relations.
The repudiationof the KyotoProtocol bythe Bushadministrationin2001 showsthe dominance that
the USA had overthe global agenda.The USA wasresponsible atthe time forover20% of global
GHGs andthe Protocol couldnotenterintoforce until ithad beenratifiedby55 countrieswhich
were togetherresponsible foratleast55% of GHG emissions (developedcountries).Thisshowcases
the powerthat the US governmenthadoverthe climate change agendabutalsohow the EU could
take on a leadershiprole. The EUfacilitatednegotiationswithJapanandRussiato persuade themto
signup to the Protocol which theydideventuallyby2004, leadingtoitsratification.
The above example showsthe ‘softleadership’strategythe EUimplementsforclimate change
politics7
.The EUhaslimitedpolitical andeconomicpowertoforce othercountriestojoin
agreementsortocut emissionssoitdevelopedanapproachthatcombines‘leadershipbyexample,
diplomacy,persuasionandargument’8
.
“Actionon climate change isexactlythe kindof testforthe EuropeanUnionin thiscentury.A testof
our capacityto act, our capacity to deliver.Anditisalsoa testof our capacityto lead.”9
(José
Manuel Durão Barroso)
The EU leadsby example withitsapproachtoclimate change byimplementingthe rulesand
regulationssetbythe KyotoProtocol (cuttingGHGs by 40% below 1990 levelsby2030 withthe
ultimate goal of reducingthisto80% by2050).The EU can alsobe saidto be leadingthe worldby
example withthe EuropeanTradingSystem(ETS) whichwas‘the first – andstill byfar the biggest-
international systemfortradingGHGs’10
whichisa keytool forreducingindustrial GHGscost-
effectively (usingthe Cap-And- Trade principle). Atthe UN Climate Summitin2014 Barroso
showcasedthe EU as an example of how tacklingclimate change canleadtoa boostin the economy
"The EuropeanUnionis on track to meetourtargets andat same time we have seenoureconomy
grow","We prove climate protectionandastrongeconomymustgo handin hand." The EU has long
beenthe world'sleadingproviderof climate finance throughofficialdevelopmentassistance and
therefore itis able toexertsome influence overdevelopingnations.However, ‘the battleagainst
climate change can onlybe wonthroughglobal action’11
andthe EU was responsible foronly10% of
the world’sGHG emissionsin 201212
so itsabilitytodirectlyaffectclimate change islimited. Itcan be
arguedthat the EU no longerhasthe hard powerto influencethe global agenda asitonce did and is
nowlimitedto the use of softpowerand enforcingpoliciesonthe Europeanlevel.
In contrastto this,the US has shownitsabilitytoshape the global agendaina differentway. Aswas
mentionedpreviously Washington’s decisionnottoratifythe KyotoProtocol severelydelayedthe
process.Atthe time,the USA was responsible for20% of all global GHGs so itwas paramountthat it
ratifiedthe protocol if there was anyhope of it beingasuccess. Thisexample showsthatthe US had
the abilitytoshape the global agendasimplybychoosingnot toparticipate.Inrecentyears
7 Wagner 2014
8 Carter 2010: 60
9 José Manuel Durão Barroso 2008
10 European Commission 2014
11 Europa: Summaries on EU legislation 2011
12 European Commission 2014
3. Page 3
however,ithastakena more proactive approachto climate change,choosingtofocus more on
fundinginnovative productsandtechnical advancestolessenthe impactof pollutants.The US
Departmentof Defense statesthatit‘isrespondingtoclimate change intwoways:adaptation,or
effortstoplanfor the changesthat are occurringor expectedtooccur; andmitigation,orefforts
that reduce greenhousegasemissions’13
.Itisnotable whatpolicyisstatedfirsthere;adaptionrather
than attemptingtoreverse the effectsof climate change.Thisisindirectcompetitionwiththe EU’s
mainapproach; cuttingback usingrulesandregulations. Inthe speechmade byObamaatthe 2014
UN Summititis clearthat the US wantsto remainasa global leader, “The UnitedStateshasmade
ambitiousinvestmentsincleanenergyandambitiousreductionsinourcarbonemissions…TodayI
call on all countriestojoinus,not nextyearor the year afterthat,but rightnow.Because no nation
can meetthisglobal threatalone."ThisspeechshowsacleartransitionfromWashington’sprevious
unilateral approachof the Bushadministrationinregardtothe KyotoProtocol.
As hasbeennotedabove,boththe EU and the US wantto leadthe way intacklingclimate change
but otherpowersare alsoshapingthe global agenda.Withthe rise of new and developingpowers
such as Chinaandthe BRIC countries,the EUand the US’s leadershipstruggleisbecoming
increasinglychallenged.Chinanowemits48% more CO2 than the USA and isresponsiblefora
quarterof the world’semissions14
meaningthatthe decisionsthatChinamakesinregardstoclimate
change has a great impacton the rest of the world. In November2014 the US and Chinaannounced
a jointagreementtocut carbonemissions. Thisnew powerdynamiccanbe seenasreplacingthe
previousEU-USpartnershipasthe US andChina’sclimate change policiesare alot more similar. The
US-Chinapartnershipwillplayamajorrole inshapingthe global agendaas theyare alreadytwoof
the world’slargesteconomies,largest investorsincleanenergyandalreadyhave robustprogramsof
energytechnologycooperation inplace suchas;the U.S.-ChinaClimate Change WorkingGroup
(CCWG);the global phase downof hydrofluorocarbons(HFCs);the U.S.-ChinaCleanEnergyResearch
Center;andagreedon a jointpeerreview of inefficientfossil fuel subsidiesunderthe G-2015
.
The recentClimate Change SummitinNew Yorkhighlightedanothermajorplayerinshapingthe
global agendaonclimate change:Brazil.The Braziliandelegationrefusedtosignananti-
deforestationpledge because‘measurestoendillegal deforestationhadbeendraftedbehindclosed
doorsat the UnitedNationswithoutitsparticipation’16
.WithoutBrazilsparticipation –whichholds
approximatelyone-thirdof the world’sremainingrainforests,includingamajorityof the Amazon
rainforest17
- the UN’saimto ‘halve deforestationby2020 andto endit withinthe followingdecade’
will be extremelydifficulttodo.Thisexample showsthatwhenmakingdecisionsat the global level,
manystatesneedto be involvedinthe processbecause evenone state- suchasBrazil- hasthe
abilitytoderail orstopa global agenda.
Due to the verynature of climate change andits abilitytoshape the global agenda,itisnodoubt
that bilateral,multilateral andinternational agreementswillbe usedtocombatclimate change. The
firstinternational responsewas formulatedatthe RioEarth Summitin1992, whenthe United
NationsFrameworkConventiononClimate Change (UNFCCC) wassigned (the firstattemptto
13 Department of Defense 2014
14 Rogers 2012
15 The White House 2014
16 Usborne 2014
17 Usborne 2014
4. Page 4
stabilise GHGsat a level thatwouldpreventdangerousanthropogenicclimate change)18
.Since then,
the world'sgovernmentsmeetannuallyatthe Conferences of the Parties(COPs) todiscussthe
climate change challenge. Itcouldbe saidthat the UN is the mostlegitimate source of global
authorityas almosteverystate inthe worldhasbecome a member(193 membersasof 201219
). The
UN has continuouslymonitoredthe impactsof climate change usingthe IPCCsince 1988; held
conferences andsummitsonclimate change suchas;the UnitedFrameworkConventiononClimate
Change (UFCCC) in1992; the Momentumfor Change summitin2011 and the soon-to-be-heldParis
SummitinDecember2014. It facilitates recommendationsonhow tocombat climate change using
initiativessuchas the KyotoProtocol andits Doha Amendment.However,althoughthe UN isa large
playerin the climate change debate,itspowercomesfromthe headsof statesandtherefore the UN
can be seen asmerelyaplatformforworldpowerstovoice theiropinions. The UN agendaissetby
the Secretary- General20
,whoiselectedbasedonthe recommendationof the permanentsecurity
members(China,France,Russia,the UKandthe US) so therefore theyhave the abilitytoshape what
ison the UN agendabychoosinga candidate whoismostlikelytobe sympathetictotheirown
agendas.
In contrastto the above,multinationalcompanies (MNCs) playalarge partin shapingthe global
agendainrelationtoclimate change.Some MNVswill be largely affectedif regulationsare enforced
uponthemand theirclose relationship withstate policymakers mayleadtoincreasedpressure
whenshapingthe global agenda.It isclearthat some companies will attempttoinfluence policy
makersto suittheirowninterestsforexample,
‘U.S.-basedcompaniessuchasExxonand Chevronhave aggressivelychallengedclimate
science,pointedtothe potentiallyhigheconomiccostsof greenhouse gascontrols,and
lobbiedagainstmandatoryemissioncontrols…Bycontrast,BPand Shell,the twolargest
Europeancompanies,have acceptedthe scientificbasisforprecautionaryaction,expressed
supportfor the KyotoProtocol ongreenhouse gases,andannouncedsubstantialinvestment
plansfor renewableenergy’21
.
Policymakersare restrictedinwhattheycan do inregardsto climate change if itwill affectlarge
MNCs. Thiseffectswhatpoliciesare proposedatthe global levelbecause the countriesthat benefit
economicallyfromthesecompanies wouldnotwanttolose them. Asisnotedinthe 2006 Stern
report, climate change couldhave a severe impactoneconomicgrowthanddevelopment if no
actionis takento reduce emissions. MNC’swillbe greatlyaffectedbythissomayhelpfundthe state
to pursue theirbestinterestswhenshapingthe global agenda.Itcouldbe arguedthatthe
TransatlanticTrade InvestmentPartnership proposalisanexample of this ‘the EUsetsout on the
path towardsthe TTIP withthe US in the firmbelief thatouraspirations andobjectivesare basedon
a commonoverarchingobjective of sustainable development….weenvisage anintegratedchapter
specificallydevotedtoaspectsof sustainable developmentof importanceinatrade context’22
.
18 Betzold 2012
19 United Nations:Member States
20 UNelections.org
21 Levy and Kolk 2002
22 European Commission,Trade and sustainabledevelopment
5. Page 5
The supportof non-state actorsisincreasinglyimportantinglobal governance. Itcanbe arguedthat
NGOs ‘have the largestinfluence onthe outcome of climate negotiationswhentheymobilize public
pressure incollaborationwiththe media’23
.NGOshave playedanactive role inenvironmental
politicssince the RioEarthSummitin1992 and are increasingactive bothinsideandoutside
governmentsusingtacticssuchas;lobbying,protesting,educational events,thinkthankgroupsetc.
Theirabilitytoengage withthe publicatthe grass-rootslevel enablesthemtoswaypublicopinion
more easilyandtherefore toinfluencewhatdecisionsare made inthe government.Itisalsonotable
manyindividualsare takingonthe climate change debate themselves. Al Gore (USPresidential
candidate),LeonardoDicaprio(acclaimedactor) and Russell Brand(UKComedian) are tooname but
a few.These individualsare helpingenable publicsupporttoaddressclimate change andare
changingclimate change perceptionsona global scale usingthe internetandsocial media
campaigns.Al Gore’sTedTalkandDicaprio’sspeechatthe UN Climate Change summitare examples
of this. Environmental groups are encouragingcitizensto thinkaboutclimate change whentheyare
makingeverydaypurchases,encouragingthemtolimittheirenvironmentalimpactandtobuy
environmentallysourcedproducts.Thisenablesindividualstoshape the global agendabecause if
theyare notbuyingcertainproductsdue to theircausationeffectwithclimatechange,companies
will be forcedtodiversify,anddemocraticgovernmentswill be forcedtomake decisionsinline with
theirelectorate.
In conclusion,itisclearfromwhathas beenevaluatedhere thatglobal governance inrelationto
climate change isno longersimply anEU-US affair. Climate change isatransboundaryissue,itdoes
not respectnational boundariesnordoesitdeviate betweenmore orlessenvironmentallyfriendly
states. The emergence of newpowerssuchasChinaand Brazil highlightthe importance of working
on a global level tocombata global problem.Itwas alsomade clearinthe analysisof MNCsand
non-state actors that manyfactors otherthan those specificallyatthe state level have the abilityto
shape the global arena,as Marshall McLuhan states ‘There are no passengersonSpaceshipEarth.
We are all Crew’24
andinan increasinglyinterconnectedworld,the global agendaneedsto be
determinedglobally.
23 Rietig 2011:3
24 McLuhan 1964
6. Page 6
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