International Climate Change Agreements Essay

Exclusively available on IvyPanda Available only on IvyPanda
Updated: Feb 4th, 2024

The struggle against the consequences of climate change under the influence of human-induced activity is one of the urgent tasks, and decisions aimed at solving it are periodically made at the international level. The work of responsible agencies that control the degree of environmental pollution depends largely on the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

We will write a custom essay on your topic a custom Essay on International Climate Change Agreements
808 writers online

Concerning civil aviation, the importance of competent activities in reducing the potential negative impact of large flight vehicles on climate conditions is one of the topics covered in international discussions. In particular, special agreements signed by member countries are designed to regulate the number of harmful emissions into the atmosphere and monitor compliance with the rules for the safe operation of transport, which are set as standards. The thesis of this work is the statement that, despite the attempts of the world government to control the share of anthropogenic activity in the field of civil aviation, not all international agreements provide equal rights for member countries to use the available resources.

As further topics for discussion, such international documents will be reviewed as the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The relevance and outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol will be considered in the context of an unfair attitude towards the members of participating countries regarding the share of permissible emissions.

The Paris Agreement will be evaluated as an alternative to the previous document concerning the course aimed at combating climate change. Emissions in the field of civil aviation will also be a subject of discussion, and the initiative to create a CORSIA as a set of rules will be considered from the perspective of the relevance of the measures taken. As a substantiation base, academic sources will be involved, and appropriate ideas will be analyzed with the proposed topics.

Role and Value of the Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol signed in Japan was one of the first documents that narrowly focused on solving the problems of harmful emissions and controlling the production of individual large enterprises. Shishlov, Morel, and Bellassen (2016) note that 38 developed countries were attracted to participate in this program, which produced about 39% of global emissions in that period (p. 769). Norms were established which states were to follow to achieve an improvement in the climate condition and limit atmospheric pollution by the products of fuel decay. Quantitative commitments were imposed on countries, and quotas were determined under average emission levels.

Appropriateness and Fairness of the Protocol Solutions

Addressing climate change as a result of environmental pollution was the key goal of signing the relevant agreement. At the end of the 20th century, this measure was topical due to a heightened ecological situation. However, as Grunewald and Martinez-Zarzoso (2016) note, even if the ultimate goals of reducing emissions were achieved, this would be one of the stages of collaborative activities and not the outcome of the work done.

The authors also emphasize that in the participating countries that ratified the Protocol provisions, the percentage of reducing the proportion of pollution was lower by 7%, which indicates a partial success of the entire campaign (Grunewald & Martinez-Zarzoso, 2016, p. 14). However, as practice shows, some large states did not sign the agreement, and the reasons for this may lie in the unfair principle of sharing quotas.

1 hour!
The minimum time our certified writers need to deliver a 100% original paper

Even though at the beginning of the 21st century, the number of signatories to the Protocol increased significantly, not all states had equal conditions for reducing emissions. As Almer and Winkler (2017) argue, the greatest responsibility was distributed among developed countries, while states with developing economies had no specific obligations. Besides, quotas also varied, which gave rights to different Protocol participants to adjust their working regime and not to experience significant obstacles for the continuation of business development in the same direction. These nuances indicate an underdeveloped system to enforce the terms of the agreement.

The success of the Protocol

Since the aim of the initiators of signing the Kyoto Protocol was the fight against environmental pollution, the results of the work done need to be considered based on positive environmental impacts. Despite some improvements in this area, controversial issues still exist regarding the rationality of the agreement. In particular, according to Miyamoto and Takeuchi (2019), the plan of decisions envisaged by the Protocol did not affect the improvement of the technological base of enterprises. Also, aviation emissions were not considered in the provisions of this agreement, which is an omission. Rosen (2015) states that the Protocol “was the wrong solution at the right time” (p. 32).

The author argues that it incurred high financial costs, while its success was insignificant and did not have a positive environmental impact (Rosen, 2015). In the end, the world began to stick “to an ineffective path-dependent model for solving climate change,” and this omission led to the need for a review of the problem (Rosen, 2015, p. 32). The Paris Agreement became an alternative to an insufficiently advanced and unfair Kyoto Protocol.

Role of the Paris Agreement in Addressing Climate Change

Since too an ambitious and unreasonably expensive Kyoto Protocol demonstrated its lack of effectiveness in addressing the issues of climate change, the Paris Agreement was signed. According to Bodansky (2016), this 2015 document contains more modest provisions than its predecessor. In particular, as the author notes, the key focus is on striving to regulate temperature limits to avoid global warming and disruption of the Earth’s ecosystem (Bodansky, 2016).

Since the Paris Agreement does not impose strict quotas and obligations, its impact is milder and does not cause significant criticism. The features of this document allow calling it a relevant solution to the current environmental situation.

Specifications of the Agreement

The agreement that replaced the Kyoto Protocol has other goals and objectives and is intended to change the system of state participation in addressing the issue of environmental protection. As Falkner (2016) argues, this document provides countries with significantly greater freedom and encourages voluntary participation in the climate change program. Now, every state has an opportunity to act based on internal resources and capabilities, and the degree of intervention does not depend on the condition of the economy or other internal factors.

Moreover, the new agreement concluded in Paris has opened up possibilities for accounting for aviation emissions as one of the sources of greenhouse gases (Falkner, 2016). At the same time, those harmful wastes produced by national airlines are not determined as part of countries’ contributions, which saves the treasury money.

Remember! This is just a sample
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers

The key objective of the Paris Agreement is to combat global temperature increases. Schleussner et al. (2016) note that the initiators of the treaty set themselves the goal of reducing the average growth to no more than 2 °C and, as the authors state, in the next decade, mitigation measures will be promoted wide-spread. The assessment of the productivity of the work done is planned for 2023, and the quality of the efforts made by participants will be evaluated (Schleussner et al., 2016). However, at the moment, success is evident, and real results are available for analysis.

Reasons for Success

The willingness to regulate the number of harmful emissions without serious obligations and economic restrictions is a successful initiative compared with the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, as Dimitrov (2016) remarks, according to the Paris Agreement, market arrangements address the issue of the aviation sector, which was not affected in the previous document. Participating countries can allocate resources equally and not incur costs caused by the forced shutdown of enterprises and the cessation of passenger flights.

In addition to issues related to climate change and, in particular, global warming, the Agreement also establishes “international cooperative mechanisms,” thereby strengthening ties among states and making fuel again one of the main trading products (Dimitrov, 2016). Such an integrated approach will have positive results even if there are no significant changes in the mitigation policy.

The success factors of the Paris Agreement include such aspects such as a diplomatic approach, the assessment of all the participating countries’ economic opportunities, and coherence. Following the terms of the arrangement, the transformation of the fossil fuels market takes place in the context of governments’ initiatives (Dimitrov, 2016; Kinley, 2017). The systematization of all processes in the industrial and transport fields will take several years. Nevertheless, when assessing the success of the Agreement, one should take into account the fact that the adaptation of the participating states to a new regime is controlled, and no crucial measures are taken.

Control over Aviation Industry Emissions

The aviation industry is the area where emissions are also taken into account, and potential environmental damage is considered. However, in the Kyoto Protocol that is designed to regulate the issues of comprehensive ecological impact, this issue is not affected, which is a significant omission (Timmis et al., 2015). Greenhouse gases generated by the combustion of fuel are not included in the range of problems of this document, which proves its lack of focus on the integrated protection of the environment.

However, emissions from the aviation industry are the problem that is discussed in the Paris Agreement. According to Brewer (2019), both Western and Eastern countries have taken some measures to regulate civil aviation flights and the amount of fuel burned. In particular, the author cites an example of European states that approach emission estimates, starting from control overflights within the European Union and coordinating those that depart outside (Brewer, 2019).

Such a solution contributes to obtaining comprehensive data on the impact of civil aviation on the state of the atmosphere and its pollution, thereby providing interested agencies with relevant information on potential impact measures. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the Paris Agreement is a more focused arrangement aimed at regulating aviation emissions issues than the Kyoto Protocol.

ICAO States’ 2016 CORSIA Agreement

Disputes concerning the issue of including greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation industry have become a serious topic for discussion. Since the Kyoto Protocol did not consider this theme significant enough, additions were made to the Paris Agreement. At the same time, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) also took part in resolving this problem when in 2016, it adopted a special system called the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (Schneider & La Hoz Theuer, 2019).

We will write
a custom essay
specifically for you
Get your first paper with
15% OFF

This plan is created to control emissions in civil aviation and involves the development of a netting method based on reducing the amount of combustible fuel to prevent serious air pollution and harm to ecology. The features of this system are slightly different from those supported in previous arrangements and are designed to support the terms of the Paris Agreement.

Specifications of the Agreement

The CORSIA plan in question involves future work on emissions from the aviation industry. Erling (2018) clarifies that the program will start functioning in 2021, and companies involved in the air transportation system may join this project. Starting from 2027, the results of the work carried out will be analyzed, and it is assumed that harmful gases produced by large participants in this industry will not exceed those they had at the time of joining the project (Erling, 2018; Brewer, 2019).

The order of activities for those carriers whose emissions will exceed the established limit provides for the need to improve energy efficiency to reduce these indicators, and financial compensations may be an alternative.

ICAO members will have to comply with these conditions starting from 2027, but at the moment, participation in CORSIA is not mandatory. Scheelhaase, Maertens, Grimme, and Jung (2018) argue that today, 71 states that accept the terms of the agreement voluntarily provide about 87.7% of all global flights, which is a significant indicator (p. 57). These numbers indicate that if the provisions of CORSIA are successfully implemented, much work will be done.

The new standards that will come into force in 2020 will imply a transition to a more economical system of fuel consumption and the utilization of sustainable alternative energy sources with lower air pollution characteristics (Scheelhaase et al., 2018.). The evaluation of the results of the work done will be carried out by real indicators. As Scheelhaase et al. (2018) note, at the moment, a preliminary forecast implies a reduction in fuel consumption of about 4% compared with the current level (p. 58). If this expectation justifies itself or exceeds the predicted result, it will be an important step towards maintaining climate security.

Affecting the Aims of the Paris Agreement

Applying the principle of compensation and reimbursement promoted by CORSIA is the logical outcome of the Paris Agreement. According to Deane and Pye (2018), the search for alternative fuel sources is evidence of the interest of the world government in climate pollution issues and, in particular, the role of the aviation industry in this process.

Based on the objectives of the Paris Agreement that is aimed at expanding the number of member countries involved in the overall strategy to control harmful emissions, the scheme developed by ICAO can be an effective addition as a useful guideline for intervention. Voluntary participation in the project gives states the right to prove their concern about climate change, and CORSIA is the framework that may stimulate a gradual and productive solution to the problem.

Since the Paris Agreement addresses the impact of the aviation industry on air pollution, the provisions of CORSIA will certainly support the previously adopted arrangements. Larkin, Kuriakose, Sharmina, and Anderson (2018) argue that “emissions from bunker fuels are highly influential,” which proves the relevance of the measures proposed as a mitigation policy (p. 699).

Moreover, compared with the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement is more equitable because the share of emission reductions does not depend on the capacity of the economies of the countries involved and their contribution to the aviation industry. Therefore, the scheme developed by ICAO will support the conditions for voluntary and equal participation in the program aimed at combating air pollution and, as a result, global warming. This approach is consistent with the modern principles of democracy and is a potentially successful solution.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis performed, not all international agreements aimed at maintaining the safety of the environment and reducing the impact of harmful emissions take into account the activities of the aviation industry. In particular, the Kyoto Protocol proved to be an ineffective document with an insufficiently thought-out system for resolving issues relating to the topic under consideration. The Paris Agreement that was adopted later became a more effective arrangement implying the voluntary participation of states in addressing the issue of climate change.

The special CORSIA program developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization may be a valuable tool in eliminating the harmful effects of aviation fuel combustion products on the environment. The principles promoted by the initiators of this plan also imply voluntary participation and compensation for active transportation by searching for alternative sustainable energy resources. The results of the work done will be known in 2027, and at the moment, countries are preparing to implement appropriate programs to control local airlines and their activity.

References

Almer, C., & Winkler, R. (2017). Analyzing the effectiveness of international environmental policies: The case of the Kyoto Protocol. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 82, 125-151. Web.

Bodansky, D. (2016). The Paris climate change agreement: A new hope? American Journal of International Law, 110(2), 288-319. Web.

Brewer, T. L. (2019). Black carbon emissions and regulatory policies in transportation. Energy Policy, 129, 1047-1055. Web.

Deane, J. P., & Pye, S. (2018). Europe’s ambition for biofuels in aviation – A strategic review of challenges and opportunities. Energy Strategy Reviews, 20, 1-5. Web.

Dimitrov, R. S. (2016). The Paris agreement on climate change: Behind closed doors. Global Environmental Politics, 16(3), 1-11. Web.

Erling, U. M. (2018). How to reconcile the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for aviation with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)? Air and Space Law, 43(4), 371-386.

Falkner, R. (2016). The Paris Agreement and the new logic of international climate politics. International Affairs, 92(5), 1107-1125. Web.

Grunewald, N., & Martinez-Zarzoso, I. (2016). Did the Kyoto Protocol fail? An evaluation of the effect of the Kyoto Protocol on CO2 emissions. Environment and Development Economics, 21(1), 1-22. Web.

Kinley, R. (2017). Climate change after Paris: From turning point to transformation. Climate Policy, 17(1), 9-15. Web.

Larkin, A., Kuriakose, J., Sharmina, M., & Anderson, K. (2018). What if negative emission technologies fail at scale? Implications of the Paris Agreement for big emitting nations. Climate Policy, 18(6), 690-714. Web.

Miyamoto, M., & Takeuchi, K. (2019). Climate agreement and technology diffusion: Impact of the Kyoto Protocol on international patent applications for renewable energy technologies. Energy Policy, 129, 1331-1338. Web.

Rosen, A. M. (2015). The wrong solution at the right time: The failure of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Politics & Policy, 43(1), 30-58. Web.

Scheelhaase, J., Maertens, S., Grimme, W., & Jung, M. (2018). EU ETS versus CORSIA – A critical assessment of two approaches to limit air transport’s CO2 emissions by market-based measures. Journal of Air Transport Management, 67, 55-62. Web.

Schleussner, C. F., Rogelj, J., Schaeffer, M., Lissner, T., Licker, R., Fischer, E. M.,… Hare, W. (2016). Science and policy characteristics of the Paris Agreement temperature goal. Nature Climate Change, 6(9), 827-835. Web.

Schneider, L., & La Hoz Theuer, S. (2019). Environmental integrity of international carbon market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. Climate Policy, 19(3), 386-400. Web.

Shishlov, I., Morel, R., & Bellassen, V. (2016). Compliance of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol in the first commitment period. Climate Policy, 16(6), 768-782. Web.

Timmis, A. J., Hodzic, A., Koh, L., Bonner, M., Soutis, C., Schäfer, A. W., & Dray, L. (2015). Environmental impact assessment of aviation emission reduction through the implementation of composite materials. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 20(2), 233-243. Web.

Print
Need an custom research paper on International Climate Change Agreements written from scratch by a professional specifically for you?
808 writers online
Cite This paper
Select a referencing style:

Reference

IvyPanda. (2024, February 4). International Climate Change Agreements. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-climate-change-agreements/

Work Cited

"International Climate Change Agreements." IvyPanda, 4 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/international-climate-change-agreements/.

References

IvyPanda. (2024) 'International Climate Change Agreements'. 4 February.

References

IvyPanda. 2024. "International Climate Change Agreements." February 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-climate-change-agreements/.

1. IvyPanda. "International Climate Change Agreements." February 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-climate-change-agreements/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "International Climate Change Agreements." February 4, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/international-climate-change-agreements/.

Powered by CiteTotal, easy bibliography maker
If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Request the removal
More related papers
Cite
Print
1 / 1