Authors: Bhatti, Yosef; Lindskow, Kasper; Pedersen, Lene Holm

Source: Climate Policy, Volume 10, Number 2, 2010 , pp. 131-147(17)

Publisher: Earthscan

Abstract:

International climate agreements are important examples of internationally negotiated distributive politics and the resulting obligations vary considerably across countries. Nevertheless, few studies have empirically examined the determinants of burden sharing in this context. The allocation of emission reductions in the Kyoto protocol is investigated in relation to the different arguments advanced during the Kyoto negotiations. Regression-based evidence suggests that countries were compensated for early action and that affluent countries, states with high GHG emissions, countries with a high projected growth rate as well as potential EU member states undertook to meet the strictest targets. These findings demonstrate that the context in which negotiations are undertaken influences the obligations that countries are willing to accept and they indicate that there may be a potential for reaching a burden sharing agreement even in the context of financial crisis.

Les accords internationaux sur le climat fournissent des exemples importants en politique de distribution négociée à l'internationale et les obligations qui en découlent varient de manière considérable entre les différents pays. Cependant, peu d'études ont examiné empiriquement les facteurs déterminants du partage des efforts dans ce contexte. L'allocation de quotas de réductions d'émissions dans le protocole de Kyoto est analysé en fonction des différents arguments avancés au cours des négociations du protocole. Des résultats fondés sur une régression suggèrent que les pays ayant entrepris des actions anticipées auraient été récompensés et que les pays riches, les Etats à fortes émissions de GES, les pays à forte croissance prévisionnelle ainsi que les pays membres de l'UE potentiels auraient entrepris de satisfaire les objectifs les plus stricts. Ces résultats démontrent que le contexte dans lequel se déroulent les négociations a une incidence sur les obligations que les différents pays sont à même d'accepter et indiquent la possibilité d'obtenir un accord de répartition des efforts aussi bien dans un contexte de crise financière.

Keywords: Kyoto Protocol; burden sharing; climate negotiations; fairness principles; EU enlargement; emissions targets; effect targets; élargissement de l'UE; négociations sur le climat; objectifs d'effet; objectifs d'émissions; principe de justice; protocole de Kyoto; répartition des efforts

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3763/cpol.2008.0596

Publication date: 2010-01-01

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• Editor in Chief: Michael Grubb, Cambridge University, UK

  Climate Policy presents the highest quality refereed research and analysis on the policy issues raised by climate change, and provides a forum for commentary and debate. It addresses both the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change, within and between the different regions of the world. It encourages a trans-disciplinary approach to these issues at international, regional, national and sectoral levels.

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