Climate negotiations beyond Kyoto: developing countries concerns and interests

Abstract

Five years down the road from Kyoto, the Protocol that bears that city's name still awaits enough qualifying ratifications to come into force. While attention has been understandably focussed on the ratification process, it is time to begin thinking about the next steps for the global climate regime, particularly in terms of a deeper inclusion of developing countries' concerns and interests. This paper begins doing so from the perspective of the developing countries. The principal argument is that we need to return to the basic principles outlined in the Framework Convention on Climate Change in searching for a north—south bargain on climate change. Such a bargain may be achievable if we can realign the policy architecture of the climate regime to its original stated goals of sustainable development.     

Considering the options: climate targets for all countries

Abstract

This paper assesses five options for targets that could be taken by all countries to meet the ultimate objective of the climate change convention: fixed, binding targets; dynamic targets; non-binding targets; sectoral targets; policies and measures. Each is evaluated according to criteria of environmental effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, contribution to economic growth and sustainable development, and equity. While fixed, binding targets continue to be viable for industrialised countries, they do not seem suitable for many developing countries in the near future. Dynamic targets could alleviate developing countries' concerns about constraining their development as well as broader concerns about possible introduction of “hot air” in a world trading regime; they could also be considered for some or all industrialised countries. Non-binding targets could be politically appealing to developing countries, alleviate fears about development and/or hot air, but might only allow conditional participation in emissions trading by developing countries. Sectoral targets could offer a pragmatic first step—although their cost-effectiveness might be questioned. Finally, targets based on commitments to implement specific policies and measures might drive mitigation action and be part of negotiated packages including financial and technological co-operation. All these options may coexist in the future.     

Sectoral targets for developing countries: combining ‘common but differentiated re-sponsibilities’ with ‘meaningful participation’

Although a global cap-and-trade system is seen by many researchers as the most cost-efficient solution to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the governments of developing countries refuse to enter into such a system in the short term. Many scholars and stakeholders, including the European Commission, have thus proposed various types of commitments for developing countries that appear less stringent, such as sectoral approaches. A macroeconomic assessment of such a sectoral approach is provided for developing countries. Two policy scenarios in particular are assessed, in which developed countries continue with Kyoto-type absolute commitments, while developing countries adopt an emissions trading system limited to electricity generation and linked to developed countries' cap-and-trade systems. In the first scenario, CO₂ allowances are auctioned by the government, which distributes its revenues as a lump sum to households. In a second scenario, the auction revenues are used to reduce taxes on, or to give subsidies to, electricity generation. The quantitative analysis, conducted with a hybrid general equilibrium model, shows that such options provide almost as much emissions reduction as a global cap-and-trade system. Moreover, in the second sectoral scenario, GDP losses in developing countries are much lower than with a global cap-and-trade system, as is also the effect on the electricity price.     

夏津县黄河故河道区土地沙化及防治

土地沙化问题的存在,不仅破坏了自然生态环境,而且对人民群众的生产和生活造成严重的影响。本文就夏津县黄河故道风蚀沙化地的发育现状、危害程度及形成原因进行分析,并提出了防治对策。     

Research on regional comprehensive development in developed regions —The case of Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou area

The developed regions are faced with the problems of regional comprehensive development, and the research on regional comprehensive development has become a trend in the world. To optimize regional industrial structure and to select and determine scientifically the spatial development strategy of regional industries are the central themes to be solved for the research on regional comprehensive development in the developed regions. This paper proposed the basis for optimizing regional industrial structure, and the main factors of selecting and determining the regional leading industries. Based on this, the paper puts forward the leading industries and the spatial development strategy in Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou area in the future ten or more years. Combined with the situation of Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou area, the paper also discusses some problems of locating superior developing axis to benefit the rational distribution of regional productive forces.     

Causes of Forest Encroachment: An Analysis of Bangladesh

Deforestation is a major cause of environmental degradation. Tropical countries with huge population pressure and widespread poverty are main frontier of deforestation. Bangladesh, being one the most densely populated country with diminishing tropical forestland, supports lowest per capita forestland. The forests are depleting mainly due to illegal logging and conversion to non-forestry uses. In this paper encroachment of forestland by individuals has been dealt with. The socioeconomic causes and pattern of encroachment have been analyzed. Limited land availability and unemployment have been identified as the major proximate causes of encroachment and, if no measures are adopted within next three decades the existing natural forests might be encroached.Part of thesis of the first author submitted for the partial fulfillment of the Master of Science in Forestry in the Khulna University, Bangladesh in 2001 (Iftekhar, 2001). Some of the findings have been presented in the World Forestry Congress XIII, Canada, held from 21 to 28 September 2003 (Iftekhar et al., 2003).     

美、日、欧、俄空间政策调整产生的机遇与挑战

冷战结束后,以军事利用为基本特征的美苏空间争夺,已经被以科技创新和经济为中心的综合国力竞争所替代,信息技术和经济全球化的发展,导致外层空间成为具有知识创新要素和技术带动能力的竞争新领域。世界经济大国已经认识空间政策的设计是事关提升综合国力和竞争优势的重大意义。近年来,美、日、欧对空间政策进行了冷战结束后的第一次,全面重大的调整,伴随着体制转型俄罗斯空间政策调整也在展开,面对即将形成的国际空间竞争与合作新的格局和带来新发展机遇,如何清晰地鉴别、定位,对空间政策做出正确的调整,抓住历史机遇应对挑战是摆在中国面前的战略性、全局性和方向性问题。     

CLUE-S模型应用进展与改进研究

土地利用变化是景观生态学重要的研究领域,通过模型模拟土地利用变化趋势是该领域的主要研究内容之一。CLUE-S模型可以全面考虑自然和人文因子,通过迭代方法综合空间分析和非空间分析,较好地模拟小尺度范围内土地利用变化情景,具有综合性、开放性、空间性、竞争效率性等特点,已经在国内外多个地区的土地利用变化研究中得到广泛应用,形...     

Delphi、MapInfo集成开发环境下 CallBack的实现

在客户程序中集成MapInfo后,客户程序可以向MapInfo发送各种指令,执行各种操作。但作为服务器的MapInfo一般不会主动向客户程序发送信息,是较为被动的角色。这里介绍了如何让客户应用程序接收MapInfo发送的消息,并进行相应处理的有效方法。     

云南高山峡谷区大型水电站建设开发性移民研究--以漫湾、大朝山电站为例

根据漫湾、大朝山电站移民安置的经验和教训,在云南省高山峡谷区建大型水电站,开发性移民主要应做到：移民安置必须和国民经济与社会发展结合起来,应尽量外迁农业安置：补偿和开发扶持相结合;正确选择移民安置区;合理确定移民的土地,给移民提供生产基地;统一规划建设适用坚固的住房和生产生活配套设施;为移民发展生产提供技术支持;引导和帮助移民进行生态环境保护和建设;建立统一有效的移民管理体制,实现依法移民。