Post-Kyoto | Climate Science and Policy

Smart Power for Global Climate Negotiations

Joseph S. Nye

It could be described as the ability to shape the preferences of others and attract them so that they want what you want. It is Soft Power and it is crucial in order to create a narrative of climate change which is widely accepted. But soft power alone isn’t enough: we need smart power, a combination of soft power and hard power. Prof. Joseph S. Nye (Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government) talks about the role of transnationl institutions, the new american course on climate policy and “How could we get everybody into the act and still get action”. “We are going to have to use a variety of international institutions and focus the European phrase, Variable Geometry” –

published June 28th, 2010

Tags: climate institutions, Copenhagen, international negotiations, IPCC, Obama, post-Kyoto, smart power, USA, variable geometry

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Low Carbon Economies: a necessity and a political possibility

Thomas C. Heller

We have learned great deal at Copenhagen: whatever agreement we will come to, it has to be about the quality of economic growth and the way that it goes forward.
Prof. Thomas Heller (Stanfors University and Executive Director at Climate Policy Initiative) explains why, after the Cop15, we have now a better sense of what the problem is and where the solutions lie.
“It’s the same for all policy – Prof. Heller says – no matter how well it is designed, no matter how well it is intended, there are always questions about how it is implemented or how effective will it be”

published June 3rd, 2010

Tags: Copenhagen, CPI, growth, post-Kyoto

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A roadmap for post-Copenhagen years

Stephane Hallegatte

The Cop 15 is a bitter disappointment for European countries. While environment is one of the domains in which EU integration is deepest, European countries failed to build and support a common position that would have weighed on the outcome of the conference.
But the EU could try to make the Copenhagen Accord more ambitious and credible. How? Forgetting Kyoto – Stéphane Hallegatte suggests – recognizing that it is an important progress to have included the United States and China in a unique agreement and answering to four questions

published February 3rd, 2010

Tags: cap and trade, carbon market, Copenhagen, international negotiations, post-Kyoto, UNFCCC

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Two good news from Copenhagen?

Carlo Carraro and Emanuele Massetti

The “climate deadlock” prevented to sign a real substitute for the Kyoto Protocol. But two important novelties nonetheless emerged from Copenhagen. First, an informal, although politically relevant, declaration of national emissions reduction targets for 2020. Secondly, the definition of the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund.
How much good are these news? Announced mitigation targets are far from being adequate to control climate change, however there are chances to put the world on the right trajectory to reduce global warming significantly. The analysis of two economists explains why

published January 7th, 2010

Tags: carbon intensity, CO2, Copenhagen, international negotiations, IPCC, post-Kyoto

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After Copenhagen which prospect for climate negotiations?

Climate Science and Policy Editorial Staff

Cop15 came to its end without a legally-binding treaty and the public opinion is looking back at Copenhagen as the place where UN missed a big opportunity.
We can say that Cop15 was a complete failure; or we can look at Copenhagen as a step ahead toward the next climate treaty. In any case climate change is still there and it still is a big issue the world has to deal with. Answers by experts to one single question

published January 7th, 2010

Tags: Copenhagen, international negotiations, post-Kyoto

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Tiny and bold: Tuvalu livens up the plenary in Copenhagen

Sara Venturini

On Wednesday, plenary sessions of the COP proved to be lively. The tiny island of Tuvalu raised its voice and proposed that the outcome of Copenhagen be 2 legally-binding agreements: an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol (which in general developing countries hope for) plus a new “Copenhagen Protocol” that would complement and strengthen the KP [...]

published December 10th, 2009

Tags: Copenhagen, international negotiations, post-Kyoto

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Breaking the Climate Stalemate?

Geoffrey Blanford, Valentina Bosetti, Carlo Carraro, Richard Richels, Thomas Rutherford and Massimo Tavoni

On the eve of the UN’s highly-anticipated Copenhagen meeting the political debate is facing an impasse and the physical reality is sending a clear message: time is running out. Reductions in developing countries must begin very soon to keep acceptable climate targets on the table, but who will pay for the climate protection bill?
A team of economists propose one way forward: a commitment now on behalf of China and other key developing countries to accept pre-specified future emission reduction targets could effectively address concerns

published December 6th, 2009

Tags: Copenhagen, energy, international negotiations, post-Kyoto

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The Road from Bali to Copenhagen. It’s Not Over Until It’s Over

Sara Venturini

It seems to be the most-anticipated international conference on climate change of the last decades and it is finally taking place after a long countdown.
The fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is bringing together officials and ministers from 192 countries who, under the eyes of some 5.000 representatives of the world media, are asked to achieve what Kyoto failed to and design an ambitious and effective international climate change deal to follow on 2012

published December 6th, 2009

Tags: Bali Roadmap, Copenhagen, IPCC, post-Kyoto, UNFCCC

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If No Treaty in Copenhagen, How About a Climate Bail Out by the US?

Henry Tulkens

A potential global agreement on climate change will be limited to a political agreement, instead of being the long expected treaty that would extend the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 and further enhance the Climate convention. Couldn’t President Obama offer a tangible political gesture to the world community and thereby restore leadership and credibility for the US in the climate negotiations?
In this article, economist Henry Tulkens suggest that the Obama administration negotiates a deal in Copenhagen by which the US would buy a quantity of emission units corresponding to all emissions exceeding its Kyoto target over the commitment period 2008-2012, some of the money being allocated to adaptation funding in developing countries.

published December 5th, 2009

Tags: carbon market, CO2, Copenhagen, Obama, post-Kyoto, USA

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Copenhagen: What Does It Mean to You?

Climate Science and Policy Editorial Staff

Minds, eyes and attention of experts, researchers, politicians and public opinion are focused on the Cop15. For months the world has been looking at Copenhagen as a new Kyoto where a new and improved protocol would have been signed. Today, it seems that no new effective agreement will be signed in the Danish capital, but the conference is still considered as a crucial step on the way toward a new global climate agreement.
One simple question and answers by experts in differnt disciplines. Which is your answer?

published December 2nd, 2009

Tags: Copenhagen, international negotiations, post-Kyoto

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