Abstract
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) functions as the global climate regime’s centerpiece. Yet, innovative climate policy initiatives have proliferated within and beyond this institution. This chapter provides an overview on central actors in this broadened global climate governance landscape. It discusses the Kyoto Protocol and its transition to the Paris Agreement, touching upon the challenges of these accords. The text also introduces the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Further, when describing the Under2 Coalition and the G20, it provides some examples for initiatives that have only recently become active in climate change. The Under2 Coalition represents a more innovative alliance for subnational governments and the G20’s climate focus demonstrates the spillover of the climate topic into other policy domains. The chapter introduces the development of these different forms of global climate governance and ultimately provides some suggestions of what their roles can be for achieving the common goal of a healthy planet.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pattberg P, Widerberg O (2017) The climate change regime. In: von Storch H (ed) Oxford research encyclopedia of climate science. Oxford University Press
Biermann F et al (2009) The fragmentation of global governance architectures: a framework for analysis. Glob Environ Polit 9(4):14–40
Ostrom E (2010) Polycentric systems for coping with collective action and global environmental change. Glob Environ Chang 20(4):550–557
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1992) United Nations framework convention on climate change. FCCC/INFORMAL/84 GE.05-62220 (E) 200705. 03 Jan 2022. Available from: https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (n.d.) Kyoto Protocol – targets for the first commitment period. 4 Jan 2022. Available from: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol/what-is-the-kyoto-protocol/kyoto-protocol-targets-for-the-first-commitment-period
Steurer R (2003) The US’s retreat from the Kyoto protocol: an account of a policy change and its implications for future climate policy. Eur Environ 13(6):344–360
Victor DG (2011) The collapse of the Kyoto protocol and the struggle to slow global warming. Princeton University Press
Gunawansa A (2010) The Kyoto protocol and beyond: a south Asian perspective. In: Crucial issues in climate change and the Kyoto protocol: Asia and the world. World Scientific, pp 473–503
Okereke C, Schroeder H (2009) How can justice, development and climate change mitigation be reconciled for developing countries in a post-Kyoto settlement? Clim Dev 1(1):10–15
Climatewatch (n.d.) NDC enhancement tracker. 20 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.climatewatchdata.org/2020-ndc-tracker
New Climate Institute (2021) Climate action tracker global update – Glasgow’s 2030 credibility gap: net zero’s lip service to climate action. 20 Jan 2022. Available from: https://newclimate.org/2021/11/09/cat-global-update-glasgows-2030-credibility-gap/
UN Environment Programme (2021) Emissions gap report 2021. 17 Jan 2022, Available from: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021
Government of the UK (2021) UN climate change conference UK 2021. COP26 keeps 1.5C alive and finalises Paris agreement. Cited 17 Jan 2022. Available from: https://ukcop26.org/cop26-keeps-1-5c-alive-and-finalises-paris-agreement/
Miller CA (2004) Climate science and the making of a global political order. In: Jasanoff S (ed) States of knowledge: The co-production of science and social order. Routledge, London, p 317
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2022) About the IPCC. 17 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/about/
Hulme M, Mahony M (2010) Climate change: what do we know about the IPCC? Prog Phys Geogr 34(5):705–718
Yearley S (2009) Sociology and climate change after Kyoto: what roles for social science in understanding climate change? Curr Sociol 57(3):389–405
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.) EPA’s response to the petitions to reconsider the endangerment and cause or contribute findings for greenhouse gases under Section 202(a) of the clean air act. Volume 2: issues raised by petitioners on EPA’s use of IPCC. 10 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-08/documents/response-volume2.pdf
Boehmer-Christiansen SA (1994) A scientific agenda for climate policy? Nature 372(6505):400–402
Dahan-Dalmedico A (2008) Climate expertise: between scientific credibility and geopolitical imperatives. Interdiscip Sci Rev 33(1):71–81
Under2 Coalition (n.d.) Global climate leadership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Cited 19 Nov 2019. Available from: https://www.theclimategroup.org/sites/default/files/under2-mou-with-addendum-english-us-letter.pdf
Under2 Coalition (2019) Future fund and progress report 2019. 07 Aug 2020. Available from: https://www.under2coalition.org/sites/default/files/future_fund_progress_report_2019.pdf
Under2 Coalition (2020) Industry transition platform. 07 Aug 2020. Available from: https://www.under2coalition.org/project/industry-transition-platform
Under2 Coalition (2022) Our members. 17 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.theclimategroup.org/our-work/states-and-regions-under2-coalition
Unger C, Thielges S (2021) Preparing the playing field: climate club governance of the G20, climate and clean air coalition, and Under2 coalition. Clim Chang 167(3):41
Kirton JJ, Kokotsis E (2015) The global governance of climate change: G7, G20, and UN leadership. Ashgate Publishing
Kim JA, Chung S-Y (2012) The role of the G20 in governing the climate change regime. Int Environ Agreement: Polit Law Econ 12(4):361–374
Van de Graf T, Westphal K (2011) The G8 and G20 as global steering committees for energy: opportunities and constraints. Glob Policy 2(Special Issue)
Vener J et al (2019) Scaling up ambition: leveraging nationally determined contributions and long-term strategies to achieve the paris agreement goals. World resources institute working paper. 3 Mar 2020. Available from: http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/scaling-up-ambition.pdf
International Energy Agency (2018) G20. Global engagement.
United Nations (n.d.) Sustainable development goals. Goal 13: take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. 10 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (n.d.) International programme for action on climate change. 10 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/climate-action/ipac/
Parry EJ (n.d.) The greatest threat to global security: climate change is not merely an environmental problem. 10 Jan 2022. Available from: https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/greatest-threat-global-security-climate-change-not-merely-environmental-problem
Unger C, Mar KA, Gürtler KJPC (2020) A club’s contribution to global climate governance: the case of the climate and clean air coalition. Palgrave Commun 6(1):1–10
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Unger, C. (2023). Global Initiatives on Climate Change Governance. In: Akimoto, H., Tanimoto, H. (eds) Handbook of Air Quality and Climate Change. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2527-8_46-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2527-8_46-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-2527-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-2527-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences