POL 32700 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: World Climate Conference, Environmental Politics, Final Good
10 Jan 2020
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Week 10.1
1. What are the sources of greenhouse gas emissions? Do these vary across countries? Does
this matter?
a. GHG produced from agricultural, extractive, and consumer good industries.
Emissions in developing countries increase faster than developed countries. Most
come from developed countries. This matter immensely.
2. Do we know enough about the causes and impacts of climate change to make policy?
Can we act without perfect information?
a. We know enough about the causes and impacts of climate change to make
policies. However, we ought to not act with perfect information, as we do not
know the costs associated with it.
3. What 3 (or 4) multilateral environmental agreements provide the foundation for the
international climate change regime? What does each agreement do? What are the main
objectives and terms of each? (Prepare 3-4 bullet points for each.)
a. 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
i. Stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate system.
b. 1997 Kyoto Protocol
i. Allowed for parties to set internationally binding emission reduction
targets
c. 2010 Cancun agreements
i. It recognizes that climate change represents an urgent and potentially
irreversible threat to human societies and the planet, which needs to be
urgently addressed by all parties.
4. Think back to the 6 stages of the policy making process discussed at the beginning of the
semester. What stages can you identify throughout the evolution of the climate change
regime?
Document Summary
Does this matter: ghg produced from agricultural, extractive, and consumer good industries. Emissions in developing countries increase faster than developed countries. Can we act without perfect information: we know enough about the causes and impacts of climate change to make policies. What are the main objectives and terms of each? (prepare 3-4 bullet points for each. : 1992 un framework convention on climate change i. Stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate system: 1997 kyoto protocol i. Allowed for parties to set internationally binding emission reduction targets: 2010 cancun agreements i. What stages can you identify throughout the evolution of the climate change regime: agenda setting: arrhenius identifies it, ipcc made, revelle and seuss study, First world climate conference: alternative policy formulation: basically everyday in environmental politics, legitimization: kyoto protocol, cancun agreement, un framework convention on climate change, paris accord, etc.
