The Paris Climate Change Agreement and afterParis Climate Change Agreement • March 21st, 2017
This differentiated approach for under- taking mitigation actions was derived from the principle of Common But Dif- ferentiated Responsibilities and Respec- tive Capabilities (CBDRRC). This position notes that industrialized coun- tries account for bulk of the accumulated stock of anthropogenic GHGs in the at- mosphere and hence should bear an im- mediate and proportionately greater responsibility for their mitigation. This differentiation, however, was the basis for the 95–0 vote of the US Senate on 6 December 1997 in favour of a resolution stating that ‘...the United States should not be a signatory to any protocol to, or other agreement regarding, the United Nations Framework Convention on Cli- mate Change of 1992, at negotiations in Kyoto in December 1997 or thereafter which would: (1) mandate new commit- ments to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the Annex 1 Parties, ‘unless the protocol or other agreement also mandates new specific scheduled commitments to limit or red
THE PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT AND THE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME TRANSPORTATIONParis Climate Change Agreement • September 13th, 2018
International maritime transport is a significant source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly CO2. As such, it is a substantial contributor to global warming. The sector’s share of CO2 is expected to increase considerably if efforts are not made to limit its contribution of GHG emissions. This issue has been on the international climate change regulatory agenda for over two decades now. Nonetheless, the regulation of emissions from international maritime transport is visibly absent in the 2015 landmark Paris Agreement. This thesis attempts to understand the reasons for the non-regulation of international shipping under the Paris agreement. To understand the reasons for the situation, three questions were asked: 1. What is the history of the debate around the inclusion or exclusion of the regulation of the international maritime transport in the international climate regime prior to the Paris Agreement? 2. What has been the role of International Maritime Organiz
Paris Climate Change Agreement to Enter into Force November 4Paris Climate Change Agreement • October 10th, 2016
The Paris Agreement (PA), which addresses climate change through international cooperation, is set to take effect on November 4, 2016. With the ratifications by the European Union, seven EU member states, New Zealand, and India— along with earlier actions by the United States, China, and other countries—the threshold was passed for the treaty to enter into force: Entry into force occurs on the 30th day after at least 55 countries, representing at least 55% of officially reported greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, deposit their ratifications, acceptances, or approvals with the United Nations treaty depositary. As of October 5, 2016, 72 governments (including the European Union) representing more than 56% of global GHG emissions had deposited their instruments. In all, 191 governments, including Russia, signed the PA; they do not become parties to it until they have deposited their instruments.
