Introduction

The global regime for climate change consists of two agreements, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, neither of which adequately addresses the real challenge. Certainly, neither agreement has had much effect so far. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased every year since the UNFCCC was negotiated in 1992. The trend did not change after the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997. Although Kyoto is still some way from being implemented, its short comings are already apparent. A new approach is needed.

In this paper I sketch out an alternative treaty system – a new “architecture,” in the language of this book. Taking the objective to be sustainable development that reduces climate change risk, this new system consists of four parts: first, protocols that promote research and development (R & D) into new energy, air capture, and geoengineering technologies; second, protocols that encourage the development and diffusion of new mitigation technologies emerging from this R & D; third, cooperation in financing investments that will make the poorest countries less vulnerable to climate change (an example being investments that reduce malaria prevalence or that improve malaria treatment); and, fourth, agreements on the deployment of geoengineering technologies, particularly in response to the first warning signs of abrupt or catastrophic climate change.

This is a fundamentally different approach, and to understand the reason for it, it is best to begin by outlining the limitations of the current treaty arrangement.