POLS2133 Study Guide - Final Guide: Global Climate Observing System, United Nations Environment Programme, Global Warming
(WK 9) THE UN AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Introduction to Climate Change, IOs and the Related United Nations Agencies
Environmental institutions are defined as sets of international regulations and
organisations that were intentionally established by preexisting actors (states) through
explicit, legally or politically binding, international agreements in order to regulate
anthropologic sources of negative externalities affecting the natural environment.
International environmental cooperation has significantly increased in the past 2
decades – governments and their agents have responded to the growing national and
transboundary ecological problems through negotiations, conclusions and the
modifications of international treaties and IOs
In principle, environmental IOs can be said to have an effect if they influence
any type of outcome:
-Change the behaviour of sates and other actors in the direction intended by
the cooperating parties
-Solve the environmental problems that they are supposed to solve
-Do so in an efficient and equitable manner
Proponents of realism argue that the design and effect of institutions simply reflect
the existing distribution of power and national interests, and that collaboration falters
quickly when these conditions change; powerful actors ignore or change international
rules whenever they dislike them any correlations between institutions and
outcomes that we may observe ar spurious because both variables are driven by
power and interests
Climate Change and Australia
Great Barrier Reef could be dead within 20 years, Australia scientists have
warned
-“IT’LL be harder to find Nemo in years to come with experts saying damage
to the Great Barrier Reef is more dire than previously thought” (news.com.au, 29
April 2016).
Warming Bleaches Two-Thirds of Great Barrier Reef
-“A huge portion of the 1,400-mile structure has now suffered severe damage
for the second straight year–and scientists blame climate change” (National
Geographic, 9 April 2017).
What is climate change?
Climate change: long-term changes in temperature and precipitation patterns around
the globe
Anthropogenic global warming
-Greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide (CO2, 48%), methane (CH4,
35%), nitrous oxide (N2O, 16%), etc
What Are the United Nations Agencies on Climate Change?
The UN system’s work on climate change has been centered around three UN
agencies: the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment
Programme, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
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1. The World Meteorological Organization
Founded in 1950, the WMO is one of the UN’s Specialized Agencies to monitor and
protect the environment. Specifically, its mandate is to foster international
cooperation in meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology (water), and
their practical applications.
-The WMO has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland; currently it has 185
member states.
-Climate change-related programmes: the Global Climate Observing System
and the World Climate Programme
2. The United Nations Environment Programme
Established in 1972, the UNEP is one of the UN’s Funds and Programmes mandated
“to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by
inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life
without compromising that of future generations.”
-The UNEP’s work focuses on setting the global environmental agenda,
developing international environmental instruments, and assisting with the
“implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development.”
-The UNEP has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya; the UN General Assembly
elects the UNEP Governing Council for 4-year terms based on equitable regional
representation.
-Climate change-related programme: the Territorial Approach to Climate
Change
What Is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change?
The IPCC is an international organisation with a mandate to do comprehensive
assessments of the science, impacts, and response strategies of climate change.
-The IPCC is not an international nongovernmental organisation; it has an
intergovernmental status.
-It was founded by both the WMO and the UNEP in 1988.
-The IPCC budget comes from the IPCC Trust Fund established by the WMO
and the UNEP in 1989 (CHF 7,715,468 for 2018).
-Since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in
1992, the IPCC, as well as the Conference of Parties (COP) with the UNFCCC,
has become central to the UN’s work on climate change; as a corollary, the
WMO and the UNEP have become secondary.
-The IPCC won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 with Albert Arnold (Al) Gore
Jr..
The IPCC is mandated to provide assessment reports of the state-of-the-art
knowledge on climate change in policy-relevant ways.
-The IPCC itself does not conduct scientific research. Nor does it propose
specific, actionable policy recommendations.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Organisational Chart
The IPCC Plenary (or Panel) consist of experts and government representatives.
-WMO and UNEP member states can have membership in the IPCC Plenary.
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-IPCC (WG) participants neither get paid nor hold permanent positions.
The IPCC Bureau is to oversee the work of the IPCC Panel.
-The IPCC Bureau (currently 34 members) is elected by the IPCC Plenary.
-The current IPCC Chair is Hoesung Lee (South Korea).
The PICC consists of 3 Working Groups working in parallel on each of the science,
impacts, and response strategies of climate change
-WG I: “the physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate
change:
-WG II: “the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate
change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for
adapting to it”
-WG III: “the options for mitigating climate change through limiting or
preventing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing activities that remove them
from the atmosphere”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Why Did States Create the
IPCC in 1988?
NLI: Why Did States Create IPCC?
Recall NLI’s claim that states create IOs when (i) there is high material
interdependence among states (that is, when a state’s domestic policy has high cross-
border effects on others’ welfare) and (ii) there are high absolute gains to be realised
by IOs.
Individual states’ GHG emissions can cause global climate change and threaten
international peace, security, and prosperity by causing:
-Environmentally-driven acute conflicts (droughts, floods, and
desertification); superstorm surges and damages, and the global flows of
refugees from drowning island countries and coastal flooding
The unusual climate patterns in 1987-1988 triggered media and public attention to the
climate change issue.
-The severe heatwaves and droughts in North America; Hurricane Gilbert in
the Caribbean
-Yet, not that the IPCC’s creation was already set in motion in 1986
The Climate-Change Prisoner’s Dilemma
-The prisoner’s dilemma occurs when the stable climate system as a common
environmental asset (i.e. public good) is degraded through the failure of states to
cooperate effectively.
-“Tragedy of the Bunnies”: http://bunnies.learnliberty.org/
-The IPCC’s creation could be the first step toward solving the collective
action problem in climate change.
Constructivism: Why Did States Create the IPCC?
Recall constructivism’s claim that IO creation reflects the identity, perception, and
norm entrepreneurship of policy makers.
Phase 1: 19th century to 1984
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Document Summary
Introduction to climate change, ios and the related united nations agencies. International environmental cooperation has significantly increased in the past 2 decades governments and their agents have responded to the growing national and transboundary ecological problems through negotiations, conclusions and the modifications of international treaties and ios. In principle, environmental ios can be said to have an effect if they influence any type of outcome: Change the behaviour of sates and other actors in the direction intended by the cooperating parties. Solve the environmental problems that they are supposed to solve. Do so in an efficient and equitable manner. Great barrier reef could be dead within 20 years, australia scientists have warned. It"ll be harder to find nemo in years to come with experts saying damage to the great barrier reef is more dire than previously thought (news. com. au, 29. Warming bleaches two-thirds of great barrier reef.
