Toward a New Climate Agreement

"Climate change is arguably one of the most pressing problems facing the global community. While most nations agree that climate change is occurring and is largely the result of humans' reliance on fossil fuels, managing a changing global climate is an impressive challenge. Underlying this challenge is the fact that nations are sovereign, and thus governed by their own rules and regulations. Sovereignty requires that nations address global problems, like climate change, through voluntary institutions typically referred to as international environmental agreements (IEAs). This book examines the challenges of sustaining meaningful cooperation among countries striving to manage global climate change through international environmental agreements. The first part of the book looks backwards to learn from climate diplomacy's past experience concerning the UNFCCC, the Kyoto protocol, and the Asia-Pacific Partnership.^ It considers the political process of international climate negotiations, provides critiques of existing climate agreements and also includes analyses of climate policy for large carbon-emitting countries (e.g., United States and China). It analyzes issues such as the streng