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August 23, 2007
In a paper delivered to the recent Oceanic Conference on International Studies that is entitled Compliance, effectiveness, legitimacy, and the climate regime Dr Peter Christoff examines the concepts of compliance, effectiveness and legitimacy, which together might be used to interpret and assess the present condition of the climate regime (particularly, the Kyoto Protocol) and predict its future status.
He addresses the problem of global governance of climate change in terms of compliance with international laws:
At present, there is a gulf between what climate scientists recognize as the need for rapid and effective action, and the views of those who advise or inform policy makers and who are often poorly informed about the possible ecological consequences of their caution and believe there is still time for delay. In short, there is a chasm between what is required, scientifically speaking, and current national policies, measures and targets. Only a very few states have accepted that emissions targets for the second commitment period and beyond will need to be far more robust, and have set themselves what presently seem to be ambitious national targets.
The regime is one of compliance or adherence by states to their international legal obligations.
He asks: 'How then to encourage ‘cultures of compliance’ at both international and domestic ‘levels’?'
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