A&O SCI 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Global Commons, Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Global Governance
Policies Part I
I. Montreal Protocol
II. International Efforts for Climate Change
III. The Paris Agreement
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MONTREAL PROTOCOL
• First international agreement to combat a global environment problem --> ozone hole
• Went into force in 1989
o Few revisions in 1990, 1992, and 1999
• Gradually phased out the production of ozone-destroying CFCs
o Ended in US and Europe in 1996; in less developed countries in 2010
• Countries that did not participate would have been subject to trade sanctions by the countries
that did
• As of today, 197 nation states recognized by UN have signed on to Protocol
o This and its parent treaty are the only universally ratified treaties in the world
Success of the Montreal Protocol
Reasons for Success!!!
1. The connection between CFCs and ozone destruction was made very clear by sound science
2. Chemical industry realized that some political action to limit CFCs was probably inevitable,
creating a strong economic incentive to develop viable alternatives to CFCs, which the chemical
industry did within a year or two
3. Equity issues b/t developed and developing nations were recognized and accounted for
a. Developing asked to phase out later than wealthy countries
b. Fund was established by wealthy to assist developing converting from CFCs to less harmful
chemicals
c. Truly global commitment to solving problem
Montreal protocol is the base, and there are mistakes and lessons to learn, ultimately leading to the
Paris Agreement going into force rn!
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INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
The Tragedy of the Commons is an economic theory by which multiple independent parties deplete a
common resource. Each party, acting in its own self-interest, uses as much of the resource as it can,
thereby behaving contrary to the long-term best interest of all parties
• Everyone has negative outcome!
The earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans can be thought of as common resources that entire globe
shares and benefits from
• They provide valuable services to humanity
• We can think of them as shared sinks for greenhouse gases
• Therefore, it is in the global communities long-term best interest to manage these common
resources!
Central Challenge of Global Governance
Theres no global authority that can make laws all nations must abide by
• Instead, the overarching principle of governance at the global level is the sovereignty of the nation
state
• Nation states can enter into agreements, or treaties, to manage the global commons
o Consequences: Those that choose not to enter into treaty, or who violate the terms, can be
subject to trade sanctions by nation states that are parties to the treaty
o We are all interconnected!!
• Motivations: relationships with other countries
o But in general, governance changes made within a country are only those the country has
agreed to
The UN Framework Convention on Climate change
In 1992, the UN Conference on the Environment and Development, informally known as Earth Summit,
took place in Rio de Janeiro
• Several major treaties and other documents came out of summit, including an international
environmental treaty known as the UN framework convention on climate change
o As of 2016, 197 countries have ratified the UNFCCC
Objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level would prevent
dangerous and anthropogenic interference with the climate system
• However, does not set GG emission targets or specify how parties should attempt to lower