Download - Climate clubs and the UNFCCC Oscar Widerberg
CLIMATE CLUBS AND THE UNFCCC complement, bypass or conflict?
Oscar Widerberg, FORES Frukostseminarium, Stockholm, 28 November 2013.
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The global climate governance architecture
CBD
Montreal Protocol
UNFCCC
Trade institutions
(WTO)
Private climate initiative
Sub-national action
Bi-lateral initiatives
Other UN (e.g. UNSEC)
CLIMATE CLUBS
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Examples of clubs
CLIMATE CLUBS
G20
Major Economies Forum (MEF)
Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM)
Energy+
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)
LEDS Partnership
Global Bioenergy Partnership
Etc...
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Research question
Are climate clubs conducive to the UNFCCC?
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Research approach
17 Climate clubs*
5 Assessment criteria• Core norms
> Caps on GHG emissions> Common but differentiated responsibilities
• Participation of major emitters
• Goverance gaps
• Implementing UNFCCC agenda
Qualitative scoring
* from Weischer et al, 2012
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The results
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State clubs
Exclusive groups based on wealth and importance
Large potential to address climate issues
Risk of treating climate change as an ad hoc agenda item
Major Economies Forum (MEF) the most relevant and clearly conducive to the UNFCCC
No conflictive relation
• G8
• G20
• Major Economies Forum (MEF)
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Energy clubs
Many energy clubs, similar goals• Spread renewable energy• Increase energy efficiency• Capacity building, information, analysis
Climate change is but one goal
Differences in how to what extent they align themselves with UNFCCC
No conflictive relations
• IEA Multilateral Technology Agreements
• REEEP
• REN 21
• Energy+
• CEM
• APP
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Implementation clubs
Diverse group in terms of aim, members, affiliation with UNFCCC, capacity
Biofuels, CCS, Green economy, REDD+, Low Emission Development Strategies, Monitoring Reporting and Verificaiton
REDD+, LEDS, MRV strong links with the UNFCCC
CCAC promising bridging function?
No conflicting
• CSLF
• Global Bioenergy Partnership
• REDD+ Partnership
• Global Methane Partnership
• GGGI
• M-MRV
• LEDS GP
• CCAC
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Lessons learned
1. While clubs aren’t challenging the current goverance architecture, some are more conducive to the UNFCCC than others
2. No conflict found, only contender could be the state clubs, however, these often treat climate as an ad hoc agenda item
3. General shift in narrative towards more flexibility (e.g. from ”targets and timetables” to ”pledge and review”)
4. The implications of the shift in narrative are highly uncertain
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Policy implications
We are positive to clubs
Clubs can create ”enabling conditions” on a domestic level to reach international agreement
There is a UNFCCC paradox