scholarly journals Kyoto Protocol and Emission Trading: Does the US Make a Difference?

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Lanza ◽  
Umberto Ciorba ◽  
Francesco Pauli
Keyword(s):  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Emission Trading ◽  
The Us

7. Politics of climate change

2014 ◽  
pp. 114-135
Author(s):  
Mark Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Climate Change Negotiations ◽  
The Us ◽  
Accounting Rules ◽  
Kyoto Mechanisms

Climate change can only be solved by having binding international agreements to cut global greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Politics of climate change’ reviews the role of the UNFCC and the regular ‘Conference of the Parties’ (COPs) climate change negotiations beginning with the Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997 by over 190 countries. Failures at COP15 in Copenhagen (2009) due to the introduction by the US and BASIC countries of voluntary pledges set back negotiations. COP18 in Doha (2012) reinstated the Kyoto mechanisms and accounting rules, and encouraged parties to review and, if possible, increase their commitments. It is hoped that a timetable for a binding climate agreement can be finalized at COP21 in Paris in 2015.

The Road not Taken: Climate Change Policy in Canada and the United States

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 92-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Climate Change Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bill Clinton ◽  
Global Commons ◽  
Electoral Incentives ◽  
The Road ◽  
Change Policy ◽  
The Us

In 2001, President George W. Bush confirmed that the US would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Despite the US' withdrawal, its neighbor Canada chose to ratify the Kyoto Protocol the following year. The divergence of these two highly integrated countries is surprising, since Canada and the US accepted comparable commitments in the 1997 Kyoto negotiations, and both could expect the costs of compliance to be significant given the greenhouse-gas intensive nature of their economies. The divergence cannot be explained by politicians' electoral incentives since Canadian and US politicians alike faced strong business opposition and a relatively inattentive public. A strong normative commitment to international cooperation to protect the global commons was necessary to overcome political opposition to ratification, but still not sufficient. In particular, while both Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and US President Bill Clinton supported ratification, only Chrétien had the institutional capacity to deliver on his values.

CLIMATE GOVERNANCE TOWARDS “PARIS-2015” AND BEYOND: EU AND US PERSPECTIVES

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-158
Author(s):  
Christine Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Emission Trading ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
International Response ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
The Us ◽  
Eu And Us ◽  
Trading Scheme ◽  
The Eu

In view of the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015, where the adoption of a universal, binding climate agreement is foreseen, this note examines the respective roles of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) in shaping the international response to climate change, and considers the prospects for the adoption and implementation of such a new climate agreement. It considers how the EU and the US have contributed to the design and implementation of the relevant international legal norms, addressing the shift in leadership from the US to the EU in the 1990s, EU activism through the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and ambitious emission reductions, and the renewed commitment from the Obama Administration since 2013, including US-China cooperation. This article discusses the EU and US perspectives on the adoption and implementation of a new climate agreement, focusing on its legally binding nature. The author concludes that an adequate system of monitoring and verification mechanisms at the domestic and international levels is a conditio sine qua non for any new climate agreement. A system of “checks and balances”, limiting the role of international law to one offacilitation, rather than prescription, may be the first step towards an innovative and more effective normative framework.

Methane emissions from Australian livestock: implications of the Kyoto Protocol

1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Howden ◽  
P. J. Reyenga
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Kyoto Protocol ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Emission Trading ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Atmospheric Concentration ◽  
Livestock Sector ◽  
Reduce Emissions ◽  
Livestock Emissions

Human activities have increased the atmospheric concentration of methane by about 140% since pre-industrial times. The accumulation of methane and other ‘greenhouse’ gases is anticipated to cause significant climate changes in the future. Ruminant livestock are the largest producers of methane in Australia and this source constitutes about 12% of the national net emissions. Australia is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, which, if it comes into force, requires limiting annual emissions during the period 2008–2012 to 8% over the 1990 value. Australian livestock emissions are projected to increase by 7% by 2010 with total Australian emissions expected to increase by 28–43%. Emissions per unit GDP are higher for the livestock sector than for most other sectors and this may negatively affect the sector if free market emission trading is implemented and no new technologies to reduce emissions cost-effectively are introduced. Using information from the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, we demonstrate that reductions in emissions per unit product are already occurring in at least one Australian livestock industry and discuss ways to ensure that similar future changes will be recorded. Cautionary notes are made regarding options of grain feeding and more intensive production, which appear to be attractive but may lead to increasing emissions when viewed on a broader basis. The potential for increased animal production with new technologies developed to reduce methane emissions suggests that there may be significant opportunities for the Australian livestock industries arising from the issue of greenhouse gas reductions. Opportunities to establish carbon sinks are also discussed. We suggest that addressing reduction of emissions per hectare rather than per head or per kilo of product results in a strong alignment with the development of more sustainable livestock industries.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document