unpolicy

=U.N. Policies/Initiatives on Global Warming= Gabby and Amy

UN global warming notes Dates and Important Facts § Decisions made in general assembly which has no authority. Security Counsel § Ban Ki-moon § Global warming result of unmanaged commons § Norway and Netherlands have made the most improvements § 1980’s public concern over green house effect § 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Global Climate Change § 1992 - UN earth summit in Rio de Janeiro à150 countries § 1997 - Kyoto – 160 countries à called for a 5% reduction of 6 greenhouse gases by 38 countries by 2012 o Industrializing nations were excluded but they make up for 55% of 1990 emissions o US and Canada objected to the economic problems that Kyoto would create o US announced they wouldn’t sign it in 2001 § 2002 – 84 countries have signed Kyoto treaty
 * __Notes from Gabby__**

§ Free – rider problem à countries benefiting from reduced emissions without bearing any of the cost § Countries with different priorities o Some countries economy depends on producing fossil fuels o Some countries really suffer the effects of climate change § A lot of the science is not definite à skepticism in policy § What to do about developing countries? o Should they have to suffer for emissions that they did not create? § China?? (11% of emissions and 22% by 2011 § Goals o Slow global warming o Offset climate change o Adapt to a new climate
 * __Problems With Policy Making__**

§ Joint implementation § Carbon taxes § Trading permits
 * __Policy Instruments__**


 * __Rio de Janerio__**

- 1992 - 154 nations signed the UNFCCC - Persuaded leaders to go to Rio in order to make decisions to ensure a healthy planet for the future - Main issues involved in the summit o Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change o Reduction of Greenhouse gases to prevent global warming o The agreement on the Climate Change Control led to the Kyoto Protocol - Set no limits on green house gas emissions - Non-binding resolution- voluntary, you could choose to participate - Transmitted by 10,000 journalists, and was heard by millions - Summit message: “nothing less than a transformation of our attitudes and behavior” - Government recognized the need for change (international and national policies)

§ Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change -1997 § Mandatory emissions limitations on greenhouse gases § Objective is to stabilize the greenhouse gases at a level that would not interfere with the atmosphere § December 2006 169 countries have signed US and Australia have not signed, China and India have § Expires in 2012 – currently debating what will replace it § Divides countries between developed and developing § Developing countries are allowed to increase emissions of a developed country decreases emissions enough to offset § Revised Kyoto treaty is largely due to the EU and the Bonn compromises (2002) o EU hoped that the US would sign after the compromises were made but US still refused
 * __Kyoto Notes__**

- 2002 - Agreed to restore the world’s depleted fisheries by 2015 o All negotiators that attended this World Summit agreed on this o Also covered: poverty, improving sanitation and ecosystems, reducing pollution, and improving energy supply o South Africa decided then that they make sure all South Africans had clean water by 2008 - Criticism o Bush did not attend (boycotted) o U.S. did not send a delegation o While the attendees were dining on expensive foods and drinks there were hungry South Africans only a few miles away § Richer nations are not helping out the nations that are filled with poverty o Protestors felt that they could do a better job at representing our planet - Largest UN conference to date o 100 heads of state o 40,000 delegates
 * __Johannesburg__**

__Bali__ § Will discuss the successor to the Kyoto treaty § Talk that’s going on now o Even developing countries will have to meet emissions standards o “global market should be formed to cap and trade carbon dioxide emissions.”????? o Said man made climate change is “beyond a doubt” o Want Kyoto replaced by 2002 o Lieberman says US will pass legislation to cut emissions o McCain and Lieberman are sponsoring these bills o Economists say that US economy will not suffer if emissions are capped à not addressing the problem will be economically worst in the long term