Title: COP 21 and the evolution of climate change governance

Authors: Don Charles

Addresses: Economic Development Unit, ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, 1 Chancery Lane, P.O. Box 1113, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract: Climate change is a global problem that requires collective action. While the international community has been slow in taking effective action in limiting global temperature rise, the 21st Congress of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change may prove to be a milestone in climate negotiations. Past climate deals failed in part due to their attempts to impose mitigation targets on reluctant countries, rather than allowing each country to set its own targets that it believes is achievable. The subsequent Paris Agreement is a post-Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction framework beyond 2020 which aspires to prevent global temperature increase below the 2°C benchmark. Whether countries will heed emission reduction calls and the 2°C global temperature goal is achieved remain to be seen.

Keywords: Paris Agreement; climate change; COP 21; emissions reduction; climate negotiations; climate governance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGE.2016.081902

International Journal of Green Economics, 2016 Vol.10 No.3/4, pp.287 - 301

Received: 11 Jan 2016
Accepted: 08 Dec 2016
Published online: 30 Jan 2017 *

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