Governance Beyond Governments: The Effort to Slow Climate Change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul C. Stern ◽  
Michael P. Vandenbergh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Private Governance ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Private Actors

Limiting anthropogenic climate change is a commons or public goods problem, typically addressed with top-down approaches such as international treaties and national regulations or taxes. However, research shows that bottom-up institutions developed by resource users can prevent resource depletion over long periods, and it identifies design principles for such governance. This chapter explores the potential to slow climate change with nonstate institutions—what the authors call private environmental governance. The authors address such questions as: Why would private actors voluntarily create regimes that restrict their options? What kinds of organizations join these regimes, and with what motives and roles? How can informal, nongovernmental entities exercise real influence, absent the force of law? What are the strengths and limitations of private governance? Does private governance supplement or impede governmental and intergovernmental governance? How can private governance function at sufficiently large scale to meaningfully affect global greenhouse gas emissions? How can its effectiveness be increased?

FISHING FROM THE SAME POOL: THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE ON LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIONS IN SCOTLAND AND THE US PACIFIC NORTHWEST

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250011 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTHONY JACKSON ◽  
BARBARA ILLSLEY ◽  
WILLIAM LYNCH
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Local Climate Change

The impact of environmental governance on the delivery of local climate change plans is examined by comparing two transatlantic sub-national jurisdictions which have adopted stringent targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Scotland and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The former relies on dirigiste top-down environmental governance, through which central government sets targets and imposes statutory duties that apply equally to all local councils. In the latter, a bottom-up multi-level form of environmental governance has emerged to compensate for the absence of a federal mandate. Specific action plans from a climate change pioneer in each location are assessed to test the strengths and limitations of these alternative modes of environmental governance: Portland in Oregon and Fife in Scotland. The Scottish dirigiste approach offers its local councils a consistent policy framework, allowing them to focus on specific measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while avoiding concerns about free-rider effects from non-participating councils. The asymmetrical uptake of climate change measures by United States municipalities exposes their domestic market to the risks of carbon leakage that America sought to avoid in global markets during negotiations over the Kyoto Protocol.

Lawyer Up

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-55
Author(s):  
Hill and
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Force Action ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
Directors And Officers

Media attention has focused most intently on lawsuits seeking to force action to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and to hold fossil-fuel companies to account. Even if the courts fail to resolve the essential challenge of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, they will surely find themselves enmeshed in litigation for years over who pays for the damage. In courtroom after courtroom, judges will reach decisions that can contribute to or hinder resilience. This chapter explores how litigation over the harm caused by climate change impacts could offer greater clarity on who should pay for the damages and thereby spur decisions to invest in resilience on a large scale. As the severity and frequency of climate change-related damages grow, corporate directors and officers, architects, engineers, manufacturers, and others who have a duty to consider foreseeable harm and to manage the risk, will likely find themselves on the receiving end of litigation alongside fossil fuel companies and governments.

scholarly journals Carrots and Sticks in Private Climate Governance

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-198
Author(s):  
Jonathan Gilligan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Private Governance ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Shareholder Engagement ◽  
Household Emissions

When public governance fails to address important environmental threats— such as climate change—private governance by firms, not-for-profits, individuals, and households can produce significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Private governance can take the form of either a carrot or a stick, using incentives or punishments. Shareholder activism as a form of private governance of corporations has largely been confrontational, leading most climate-related actions to fail. This Article examines the potential for private governance to take a more collaborative approach and to frame shareholder engagement with management in terms of opportunity. It also examines private governance successes at reducing household emissions and finds that these too emphasize making it attractive and convenient for households to act.

8. Solutions

2014 ◽  
pp. 136-164
Author(s):  
Mark Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources

‘Solutions’ examines three types of solution to climate change. The first is adaptation, which is simply providing protection for the population, as we already know that there will be climate change even if emissions are radically cut back to 1990 levels. Second is mitigation, which would involve cutting our carbon footprint and thus reversing the trend that currently exists of ever increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels need to be replaced with renewable or alternative energy sources that will not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Third is geoenginnering that involves large-scale extraction of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or modification of the global climate.

scholarly journals Climate Change Mitigation Pathways for the Aviation Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3656
Author(s):  
Md Arif Hasan ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Syed Masiur Rahman ◽  
Karim Malik ◽  
Md. Iqram Uddin Al Amran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
Aviation Fuel ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Gas Emissions

Even though the contribution of the aviation sector to the global economy is very notable, it also has an adverse impact on climate change. Improvements have been made in different areas (i.e., technology, sustainable aviation fuel, and design) to mitigate these adverse effects. However, the rate of improvement is small compared to the increase in the demand for air transportation. Hence, greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector are steadily increasing and this trend is expected to continue unless adequately addressed. In this context, this study examined the following: (i) the factors that affect the growth of aviation, (ii) trends in greenhouse gas emissions in the sector, (iii) trends in energy demand, (iv) mitigation pathways of emissions, (v) mitigation challenges for the International Civil Aviation Organization, (vi) achievements in mitigating emissions, (vii) barriers against mitigating emissions, and (viii) approaches of overcoming barriers against emissions mitigation. This study finds that continued research and development efforts targeting aircraft fuel burn efficiency are crucial in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although biofuels are promising for the reduction of aviation emissions, techniques to reduce NOx emissions could enhance large-scale deployment. Pragmatic market-based mechanisms, such as the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and/or carbon tax must be enforced on a global scale to capitalize on a collective stakeholder effort to curb CO2 emissions. The findings of this study will help in understanding the emissions and energy consumption scenarios, which will provide a comprehensive package of mitigation pathways to overcome future emissions reduction challenges in the aviation sector.

scholarly journals Promoting Renewable Energy to Cope with Climate Change—Policy Discourse in Israel

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3170
Author(s):  
Avri Eitan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Renewable Energies ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Change Mitigation

Evidence shows that global climate change is increasing over time, and requires the adoption of a variety of coping methods. As an alternative for conventional electricity systems, renewable energies are considered to be an important policy tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, they play an important role in climate change mitigation strategies. Renewable energies, however, may also play a crucial role in climate change adaptation strategies because they can reduce the vulnerability of energy systems to extreme events. The paper examines whether policy-makers in Israel tend to focus on mitigation strategies or on adaptation strategies in renewable energy policy discourse. The results indicate that despite Israel’s minor impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, policy-makers focus more on promoting renewable energies as a climate change mitigation strategy rather than an adaptation strategy. These findings shed light on the important role of international influence—which tends to emphasize mitigation over adaptation—in motivating the domestic policy discourse on renewable energy as a coping method with climate change.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting agricultural management for climate change in developing countries: providing the basis for action

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Ogle ◽  
Lydia Olander ◽  
Lini Wollenberg ◽  
Todd Rosenstock ◽  
Francesco Tubiello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Gas Emissions

scholarly journals Virtual Fieldtrips and Climate Change Education for Tourism Students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schott
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Climate Change Education ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Educational Travel ◽  
The World ◽  
The Many

<p><b>Abstract </b></p> <p>While the pedagogical benefits of fieldtrips have long been recognised our ever increasing understanding of the impacts of flying on climate change is presenting educators with a poignant dilemma; the many benefits long associated with international fieldtrips are at odds with the world community’s needs in limiting/halting climatic change. In response, the paper presents the concept of a VR-based virtual fieldtrip as an innovative and carbon-sensitive type of (educational) travel. The paper not only makes the case for virtual fieldtrips as a meaningful learning tool but also explores both the virtual fieldtrip’s impact on Greenhouse Gas emissions and climate change-related learning. On both accounts the initial findings in this paper are very encouraging. More in-depth research is now required to not only develop a deeper understanding of the full breadth of benefits, but also of the diverse weaknesses presented by virtual fieldtrips and how to negotiate them.</p>

scholarly journals Governing the global commons: an ethical-legal framework

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prue Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
State System ◽  
Global Commons ◽  
Global Challenges

Governance of the Earth’s global ecological commons creates unprecedented challenges for humanity. Our traditional Westphalian state system was not designed to respond to these global challenges and thus far it has failed to transform. Climate change is the current headline issue; 30 years on and we still swing between hope and despair about our collective ability to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Related issues are beginning to vie for our response: ocean acidification, mass species extinction, land use change and freshwater scarcity. 

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