scholarly journals Re-evaluating the changing geographies of climate activism and the state in the post-climate emergency era in the build-up to COP26

2021 ◽  
Vol 9s5 ◽  
pp. 69-93
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Kythreotis ◽  
Candice Howarth ◽  
Theresa G. Mercer ◽  
Hannah Awcock ◽  
Andrew E.G. Jonas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Policy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
National Governments

A key aim of much climate activism is to enhance climate ambition and hold local and national governments, as well as global governance forums like the United Nations (UN), to account for the ways in which they implement and monitor climate policy across society to reverse long-term climate change. In recent years new local forms of climate activism, particularly at the urban scale, have taken a more prominent role in this. Although place-based, such local forms of climate activism are at the same time multi-scalar in orientation and strategic focus. This is particularly true in the UK where climate activism has prompted a number of local councils to declare climate emergencies, providing a mechanism by which they can become locally accountable in the delivery of their climate action plans, whilst at the same time holding national government to prior and future commitments to global climate governance. Using interview data with experts working on climate emergency declarations research across the UK, we critically discuss four key themes that have underpinned and catalysed the changing geographies of civil-state relationships within the climate emergency and what this may mean for future global climate governance under the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties (COP). We argue that decision-makers at COP26 need to take greater heed of the significance of this new broader urban climate activism and its role in geopolitically mobilising more equitable, democratic and inclusive forms of climate governance which give citizens and civil society more credence within global climate policy decision-making processes that have been up to now, dominated by national state discourses.

scholarly journals Brexit and the EU in Global Climate Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Dupont ◽  
Brendan Moore
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Internal Policy ◽  
The Uk ◽  
International Engagement ◽  
The Eu

Climate change governance is one of the EU’s priorities. The EU has developed a central (and arguably, a leading) role in global climate governance. The UK has been an important supporter of strong climate action both within the EU and in international climate negotiations. We investigate how/whether the EU’s role in global climate governance will be affected by Brexit by focusing on potential changes in three conditions for EU leadership: (1) credible and ambitious internal climate policy; (2) constant and effective international engagement through climate diplomacy; and (3) the ability to attract followers. We find that the UK has sometimes played the role of a pivotal outlier, either pushing for more internal policy ambition or blocking certain policy options. Brexit is likely to have cumulative effects on the EU’s role in global climate governance over the long term, through a series of changes in internal EU policymaking and climate diplomacy. The speed and scope of these changes depend on the nature of the future UK–EU relationship. We argue that the broader international context and strains on EU unity represent more urgent challenges to the EU’s role in global climate governance than those posed by Brexit.

Der Bürger*innenrat im System globaler Klimapolitik

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Frinken
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
The Political ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Reform Project ◽  
Deliberative System ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Political Responses

Can sortition based Citizens’ Assemblies contribute to democratizing global decision-making processes? This question is particularly pressing with regard to global climate governance, as the political responses continue to fail to do justice to the accelerating ecological crisis and the calls for greater participation. Julian Frinken argues that the institutionalization of a deliberative Citizens' Assembly can in principle contribute to more democratic and more effective global climate policy. However, the role assigned to it in the broader deliberative system is crucial. This analysis highlights some normative conditions for such a reform project and points out central challenges to its implementation.

Capacity building for proportionate climate policy: Lessons from India and South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 019251212096388
Author(s):  
Prabhat Upadhyaya ◽  
Manish Kumar Shrivastava ◽  
Ganesh Gorti ◽  
Saliem Fakir
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
The State ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Discretionary Power ◽  
Nationally Determined Contributions ◽  
Definitive Role

Countries must develop their capacity to credibly revise their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) proportionate to the global climate goal. This paper argues that long-lasting capacity is necessarily embedded in the institutions governing cooperation between state and non-state actors. This institutional capacity for cooperation is determined by the two interactive processes of conception and calibration, where the state plays a definitive role in mediating between competing interests. In conception, the state uses its discretionary power to set the long-term vision, whereas during calibration it exercises flexibility to accommodate concerns and capacity of other actors. We conclude that proportionality of policy response is better understood, and achieved, through the convergence of both these processes. Drawing on climate policy experiences of India and South Africa, we recommend that successful implementation and enhancement of NDCs would require a greater emphasis on capacity building for calibration in developing countries.

Ancillary Benefits of Climate Policy / Sekundäre Nutzen der Klimapolitik

2004 ◽  
Vol 224 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Markandya ◽  
Dirk T.G. Rübbelke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Policy ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Climate Protection ◽  
Ancillary Benefits ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Ghg Reduction ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Reduction Cost

SummaryThe benefits of climate policy normally consist exclusively of the reduced impacts of climate change, i.e., the policy’s primary aim. Our analysis of benefits of climate policy suggests, however, that researchers and policymakers should also take account of ancillary benefits, e.g., in the shape of improved air quality induced by climate protection measures. A consideration of both, primary and ancillary benefits, has a positive influence on global climate protection efforts, e.g., because the regional impact of ancillary effects attenuates easy-riding motives of countries with respect to their provision of climate protection. In this article, we analyze the nature of ancillary benefits, present an overview of European assessment studies and explain possible methods to estimate ancillary benefits. Main differences between primary and ancillary benefits are pointed out. Furthermore, we stress the major influences of ancillary benefits on climate policy. Finally, we present one of the first models integrating primary and ancillary benefits. By this model quantitative results are calculated with respect to ancillary benefits in the UK considering different greenhouse gas (GHG) control levels. It is observed that the ancillary benefits could cover about 4 percent of the full GHG reduction cost.

scholarly journals Are snake populations in widespread decline?

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 777-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Reading ◽  
L. M. Luiselli ◽  
G. C. Akani ◽  
X. Bonnet ◽  
G. Amori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Long Term Studies

Long-term studies have revealed population declines in fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. In birds, and particularly amphibians, these declines are a global phenomenon whose causes are often unclear. Among reptiles, snakes are top predators and therefore a decline in their numbers may have serious consequences for the functioning of many ecosystems. Our results show that, of 17 snake populations (eight species) from the UK, France, Italy, Nigeria and Australia, 11 have declined sharply over the same relatively short period of time with five remaining stable and one showing signs of a marginal increase. Although the causes of these declines are currently unknown, we suspect that they are multi-faceted (such as habitat quality deterioration, prey availability), and with a common cause, e.g. global climate change, at their root.

scholarly journals Are citizen juries and assemblies on climate change driving democratic climate policymaking? An exploration of two case studies in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Wells ◽  
Candice Howarth ◽  
Lina I. Brand-Correa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Elected Representatives ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In light of increasing pressure to deliver climate action targets, and the growing role of citizens in raising the importance of the issue, deliberative democratic processes (e.g. Citizen Juries and Citizen Assemblies) on climate change are increasingly being used to provide a voice to citizens in climate change decision-making. Through a comparative case study of two processes that ran in the UK in 2019 (the Leeds Climate Change Citizens’ Jury and the Oxford Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change), this paper investigates how far Citizen Assemblies and Juries on climate change are increasing citizen engagement on climate change and creating more citizen-centred climate policy-making. Interviews were conducted with policy-makers, councillors, professional facilitators and others involved in running these processes to assess motivations for conducting these, their structure and the impact and influence they had. The findings suggest the impact of these processes is not uniform: they have an indirect impact on policymaking by creating momentum around climate action and supporting the introduction of pre-planned or pre-existing policies rather than a direct impact by being truly being citizen-centred policymaking processes or conducive to new climate policy. We conclude with reflections on how these processes give elected representatives a public mandate on climate change, that they help to identify more nuanced and in-depth public opinions in a fair and informed way, yet it can be challenging to embed citizen juries and assemblies in wider democratic processes.

scholarly journals China and Climate Change Governance: A Golden Opportunity

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Barry Buzan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Policy Adjustment ◽  
The World ◽  
Golden Opportunity ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Climate Crisis

Climate change is a threat to all of humankind, yet there is still a leadership vacuum on climate governance. At the same time, the deepening climate crisis also presents a golden opportunity for Beijing to assume the role of a global leader. China has the capacity to do it in a way that the United States, Russia, India, and the European Union do not. Taking swift climate action is in Beijing’s interest. Greater contributions to climate governance will certainly help advance China’s long-term political interest in both raising its political status and demonstrating the claimed superiority of its system of government. Positive rhetoric and robust action by China are likely to have a disproportionate effect on the rest of the world. Policy adjustment and implementation by Beijing will bring benefits to the rest of the world. Climate policy options that Beijing may take in the future are not mutually exclusive. The policy shift on climate change could also be attached more firmly to the idea of sustainable development as a defining factor of China’s approach to tackling the climate change threat.

scholarly journals The U.S. Withdrawal From the Paris Agreement: Challenges and Opportunities for China

2018 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 281-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyuan Yu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
The U.S

President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is both a major reversal of the Obama administration’s climate policy and a huge blow to global climate governance. The comprehensive regression of President Trump’s climate policy manifests mainly in three aspects: abolition of the clean energy plan, exit from the Paris Agreement, and a return to traditional energy policies, which reflect the cyclical and volatile nature of the U.S. climate policy. With its lasting negative impact, the China-U.S. cooperative leadership in global climate governance is stranded. In this light, China should strive for a bigger role in leading global efforts to address climate change and enhance cooperation through various mechanisms. Under the current U.S. policy environment, China can still strengthen cooperation with the United States in such fields as traditional energy, infrastructure investment, global energy market, and green finance.

scholarly journals The role of national politicians in global climate governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 885-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Willis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Climate Governance ◽  
Earth Systems ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Democratic Support

The scientific case for co-ordinated global governance of the climate system is firmly established, but how does this fit with a politician’s mandate as a democratically elected representative? What role do national politicians think they can and should play in climate governance? This paper tests these questions empirically, using data from interviews with 23 Members of the UK Parliament, and a focus group of civil society advocates, conducted between 2016 and 2018. A global goal to limit climate change has been agreed through the 2015 Paris Agreement. Yet while the Agreement sets a clear goal, the means to achieve it remain firmly at the level of the nation-state, with each country assuming responsibility for its own national plan. Thus national administrations, run by elected politicians, have a crucial role to play. This study shows that, while Members of the UK Parliament have an understanding of the challenges posed by climate change and wider changes to earth systems, few have yet been able to operationalise this understanding into meaningful responses at the national level. The study highlights two, linked, reasons for this. First, politicians’ ability to act – their agency – is limited by the practicalities and procedures of everyday politics, and by the norms and cultures of their working life. Second, UK politicians feel little pressure from their electors to act on climate change, and have to work to justify why action on climate change carries democratic legitimacy. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this research, in the light of the recent high-profile climate protests and declarations of a ‘climate emergency’. It argues that politicians, working with other stakeholders, need support in order to articulate the scale and significance of global climate governance, and craft responses which build democratic support for further action.

WHAT DOES THE 2°C TARGET IMPLY FOR A GLOBAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT IN 2020? THE LIMITS STUDY ON DURBAN PLATFORM SCENARIOS

2013 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 1340008 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELMAR KRIEGLER ◽  
MASSIMO TAVONI ◽  
TINO ABOUMAHBOUB ◽  
GUNNAR LUDERER ◽  
KATHERINE CALVIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Policy ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Exceedance Probability ◽  
Global Emission ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Emissions Intensity ◽  
Near Term

This paper provides a novel and comprehensive model-based assessment of possible outcomes of the Durban Platform negotiations with a focus on emissions reduction requirements, the consistency with the 2°C target and global economic impacts. The Durban Platform scenarios investigated in the LIMITS study — all assuming the implementation of comprehensive global emission reductions after 2020, but assuming different 2020 emission reduction levels as well as different long-term concentration targets — exhibit a probability of exceeding the 2°C limit of 22–41% when reaching 450 (450–480) ppm CO 2 e , and 35–59% when reaching 500 (480–520) ppm CO 2 e in 2100. Forcing and temperature show a peak and decline pattern for both targets. Consistency of the resulting temperature trajectory with the 2°C target is a societal choice, and may be based on the maximum exceedance probability at the time of the peak and the long run exceedance probability, e.g., in the year 2100. The challenges of implementing a long-term target after a period of fragmented near-term climate policy can be significant as reflected in steep reductions of emissions intensity and transitional and long-term economic impacts. In particular, the challenges of adopting the target are significantly higher in 2030 than in 2020, both in terms of required emissions intensity decline rates and economic impacts. We conclude that an agreement on comprehensive emissions reductions to be implemented from 2020 onwards has particular significance for meeting long-term climate policy objectives.

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