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How to build a climate agreement from the bottom up

By Matteo Gagliardi - posted Monday, 10 December 2012


Countries need to begin to commit to significantly ambitious emission reductions targets now in order to meet that goal.

Otherwise, the need to be ambitious will rise in the future, as the need to mitigate climate change will also grow.

So, if an agreement of this sort is forged, it will need to ensure ambition will grow.

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Subsequently, it will need to be built upon by further treaties and agreements, to capitalise on deepened trust and confidence.

When the world trade system was consolidated after World War II, it was difficult to come to a consolidated treaty and initially, only a loose, partial agreement focusing on tariffs and trade in manufactured goods could be formed.

But as time went on, countries grew to cooperate with one another, building treaty upon treaty to consolidate different sectors. This culminated in the formation of the World Trade Organisation almost half a century later.

Membership to the WTO has grown steadily and the commitments made by countries have gradually deepened and strengthened.

The climate regime should follow a similar incremental building blocks progression if a more bottom up approach succeeds the Kyoto Protocol.

However, it would need to evolve much faster than global trade policy system did. The climate crisis demands swift action now, or the need to combat it will become ever more intense later.

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So if this 'house with many rooms' approach to the climate regime becomes adopted, as is looking increasingly possible, there must be assurances that it will significantly perk up ambition in years to come.

We must then look to build from the groundwork of a house with many rooms up to a fortified mansion, where our nations are co-exist comfortably and prosperously. Otherwise, this little house will be blown over by the storms of climate change.

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About the Author

Matteo Gagliardi is a member of the Global Voices UNFCCC Australian Youth Delegation and a student at the University of South Australia.

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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