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21 - Framework for Understanding International Collective Action for Climate Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2014

Nicholas Stern
Affiliation:
Cabinet Office - HM Treasury
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Summary

KEY MESSAGES

Climate change mitigation raises the classic problem of the provision of a global public good. It shares some key characteristics with other environmental challenges that require the international management of common resources to avoid free riding.

International collective action is already taking place in a wide variety of forms, including multilateral, coordinated and parallel approaches.

  • Multilateral frameworks such as the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol provide an essential foundation to build further co-operation.

  • Partnerships, networks and organisations such as the International Energy Agency facilitate coordinated international action.

  • Mutual understanding of domestic policy goals supports further action: the EU, China, and California are amongst those that have adopted strong mandatory initiatives that will reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions.

Stronger, more coordinated action is required to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Successful efforts in many areas, including the protection of the ozone layer, have demonstrated that international co-operation can overcome issues of free riding. Insights from game theory help to inform the design of frameworks for international action.

Countries usually honour international commitments where they conform to shared notions of responsible behaviour, even through international law provides weak tools to enforce co-operation. Existing multilateral frameworks can be enhanced by creating a shared understanding of long-term goals and responsible behaviour.

The transparency and comparability of national action across a range of dimensions of effort are key to mutual understanding and recognition of what others are doing, as well as ensuring public accountability.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Economics of Climate Change
The Stern Review
, pp. 509 - 529
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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