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United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 

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United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 

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5. What are the ‘blockers’ and the ‘drivers’ of forming a global and legally binding agreement on carbon emissions?

Some of the blockers or challenges that were faced were that the Kyoto Protocol was not legally binding so signatories were not compelled to reduce their emissions, they only had to agree in principle to do so. Another blocker was that even though China was the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide they did not have to reduce their emissions as they were a non-Annex I nation. To some countries (like America) this was unfair so they decided that they did not have to sign the treaty. Climate scientists also believed that a bigger cut would be needed in order to reduce the impact of global warming. The actions that some governments were thinking of taking divided public opinion. This made it harder for governments to come up with a policy as they wanted to keep their popular support.
Some of the drivers were:
The threat of people living on islands very close to sea level may become climate refugees due to rising sea levels.
Organisations and nation-states working together usually take the opportunity to negotiate and get what they want as well as be involved in making a change.
For example, Russia agreeing to ratify only if the EU would support them in joining the World Trade Organisation.
European climate change programme introduced an emissions trading scheme
Renewable energy increased in EU counties.
Cancun Summit nations agreed to a legally-binding deal that both developed and developing countries had to follow.

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Government funded organisation

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1) Outline the role played by the UN in dealing with global environment issues?

The UN was a significant key actor in the recognition and response to tackling the global environment issues that have been faced in the past and continue to be faced today. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) which is an agency set up in 1945 by the UN to promote the exchange of information, ideas and culture. This was one of the very first steps by the UN in contributing change to the environment problems experienced in the world. Three years later, the UN also conveyed a conference on the human environment in Stockholm. It was attended by 113 countries, 19 intergovernmental agencies and 400 non-government organisations (NGO’s). A number of these conferences were held which debated and discussed the ideas of Environmental governance, harmful substances and hazardous waste, resource efficiency, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, and climate change. Additionally, these conferences led to other agencies within the UN being established, such as; the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Lastly, the follow up meeting organised by the UN in Kyoto regarding the drawing up of a treaty to reduce carbon emissions by nation-states. This meeting further led to the development of the Kyoto Protocol, which bound signatories from thirty six industrialised nation states and the EU and included 191 who had ratified the treaty. Overall, the United Nations and its side agencies were and still are at the forefront of the global environment problem and continues to be the a major contributor to the success of the planet’s environmental recovery today.

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James Hansen

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Al Gore

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6. The aim was to forge a new legally binding global climate treaty to cut carbon emissions. Many agreements were established to prevent greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Support has grown dramatically since the preceding summit in Doha in 2012. 48 of developing countries have enlisted a set of plans to deal with the impacts of climate change.
The G77 and China bloc led 132 Developing countries in a walk out during talks about the ‘loss and damage’ compensation for the compensation for the consequences of global warming. Developing countries have now demanded that the developed world give them $100 billion annually by 2020.
Activists and developing countries accused Australian diplomats of not taking the talk seriously, and Tony Abbot revealed o the Washington post that he believed that the carbon tax is detrimental to the economy, and would not benefit the economy.
The goal of these negotiations was to forge an agreement to be signed in Paris in 2015, which will come into force by 2020.
it has helped to raise awareness and support from a greater number of countries about climate change and how great an issue it is (apart from Tony Abbott)

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2. What role have other actors played in the area of climate change? What does this reveal about the range of actors now taking part in international politics? The key actors that have played a role in the area of climate change come from a range of government and non-government organisations, as well as individuals who have also played a role. NASA, a governmental organisation, has played a role by confirming the existence of an ozone layer in 1988, and also indicated that ice sheets were melting faster than previously predicted. James Hanson was a scientific researcher with NASA who provided detailed evidence that the earth’s temperature was rising as a faster rate than in the previous century that could result in a rise of sea levels and loss of biodiversity. Worldwatch Institute, World Centre for Nature and World Resources Institute are an independent non-government organisations that encourage governments to act on climate change urgently through regular reports. Al Gore was a former US senator who produced a film “An Inconvenient Truth” outlining the environmental crisis surrounding climate change. Economist, Nicholas Stern, released a 700-page report on the economic implication of climate change that asserted that action on climate change should be taken now rather than later to reduce its economic impact.
The diversity of actors reveals that the issue of climate change is a increasing worldwide phenomenon, which affects not only nation-states, but all of the world. Climate change has a range of implications for individuals who reside in different areas of the world, including decrease of farmable land and rising sea levels. By having a range of actors, it shows that politicians must work together to better the environment on an international level, and must not only rely on themselves, but international and global cooperation, between developed, developing and transitional countries.

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3. Summarise the response taken by nation-sates to the problem of global warming.

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In the title, write your names and the question

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In the title, write your names and the question

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Paste your answer into this section