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International Options for a Post-2012 Climate Regime

Project Snapshot

• Time frame: April 2008 to March 2009

• Summary: Giving particular attention to issues related to the major developing economies, IISD examined options for encouraging developing countries to be more actively engaged in the development and implementation of an effective and sustainable post-2012 international climate regime.

• Main Outputs:

  • Encouraging Developing Country Participation in a Future Climate Change Regime (PDF – 1 MB)

  • Financing Mitigation and Adaptation in Developing Countries: New Options and Mechanisms (PDF – 842 KB)

  • State of the Carbon Market: How the Future Market Can Encourage Developing Country Participation (PDF – 1.5 MB)

• Funder: Environment Canada

The international community will meet at COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009 to decide on an agreed outcome to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) beyond 2012, the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The new regime will need to encourage deep reductions in the release of greenhouse gases to prevent an increase in the Earth's average temperature that will result in serious negative impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. At the same time, it will need to ensure continued economic development in all countries and promote significant energy development in developing countries. Interwoven with all these considerations is the need to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Engaging developing countries will be critical to global success in reaching the goal of the UNFCCC. While greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to anthropogenic climate change have historically come mainly from developed countries, an increasing share of emissions is coming from developing nations—especially the large developing countries that are experiencing powerful economic growth. Incentives will be required to convince developing countries to undertake the required emission reductions.

IISD has been an active participant in exploring options for an international climate regime after 2012 through independent analysis and participation in collaborative partnerships with international partners. In 2008 and 2009 it specifically examined options for encouraging developing countries to be more actively engaged in the development and implementation of an effective and sustainable future international climate regime. The output of this research was a series of three reports that examined how to engage developing countries in a post-2012 climate regime. The three papers should be read in conjunction with each other.

• Encouraging Developing Country Participation in a Future Climate Change Regime (PDF – 1 MB)
  Published in March 2009 This paper explored how major developing economies might become effectively engaged in a post-2012 climate change regime. It set out a synthesis of how an international climate deal might play out and proposed a phased approach within an international climate regime that would encourage deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Under this phased approach, advanced developing countries would only take on commitments after 2020 if developed countries meet a collective 2017 emission-reduction goal.

• Financing Mitigation and Adaptation in Developing Countries: New Options and Mechanisms (PDF – 842 KB)
  Published in March 2009 Mitigation and adaptation will require major finance and investment estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars per year. This paper reviewed financing issues under the UNFCCC related to mitigation and adaptation.

• State of the Carbon Market: How the Future Market Can Encourage Developing Country Participation (PDF – 1.5 MB)
  Published in March 2009 This paper examined the impact the carbon market could have on funding mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. It presented a number of options that would fit into the framework of the UNFCCC and discussed their advantages, disadvantages and applications.

IISD's work on encouraging developing country participation in a post-2012 climate change regime was supported by Environment Canada. In parallel, IISD also engaged in exploring post-2012 options for Canada.

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