Global Public Policy

in the field of Climate change

Shadi Montaser, Tatyana Chalaya, Makhzuna Yunusova, Rimma Balan,
Svetlana Dobakhova, Silvia Owusu-Agyeman
 Challenges: Historical background

● Dr. James Hansen’s testimony in Congress (June 23, 1988), “the greenhouse effect
has been detected, and it is changing our climate now”.
● it was attributed the phenomenon to human exploitation of carbon energy sources.
● 4 years later, 165 nations signed an international treaty, UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change.
● The signatories have now held more than 25 annual UNFCCC conferences
dedicated to developing goals, timetables and methods for mitigating climate
change. The most consequential of which are encompassed in the Paris Agreement
of 2015.
 Current Global Challenges

Natural challenges
● Greenhouse gases: CO2, CH4, N2O, PFCs, HFCs, and SF6 levels continue to rise
● Disastrous wildfires and massive hurricanes
● Rising sea levels, increasing ocean acidification, the pervasive spread of tropical diseases and the
death of coral reefs.

Organizational challenges
● The cost of complying with treaties is high!
● Mutual mistrust between the major industrial countries
● The Covid pandemic
 Initiators of global policy-making

Scientists and experts (Hansen)

United Nations - In 1988, with the participation of the UN the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) was created. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

NGOs and grassroots organisations -

Greenpeace, Climate Action Network,
350.org, WWF, Fridays for Future
Agreed Policy Goals
The UNFCCC (1994):
long-term objective of “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

The Paris Agreement (2015):

Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

UN Sustainable development goals (2019-2020) :

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

A European Green Deal (2019): The goal improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations by providing:
fresh water and air, energy efficient buildings, affordable food, more public transport.

European commission “2030 climate & energy framework”:

Goal to at least 40% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels), at least 32% share for renewable energy, at least
32.5% improvement in energy efficiency
 Participants of policy networks

●International level: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change

●Civil society: Greenpeace, Climate Action Network, 350.org, WWF

●Academia: Oxford Climate Change Society, Cornell Ecology Lab

●Non-state actors: Amazon, Tesla Incorporations

●Funding: BMZ, BMUB, WRI. These organizations help countries access international funds