Foreword

Beyond Kyoto: Advancing the International Effort Against Climate Change

Eileen Claussen, President, Pew Center on Global Climate Change

Our success in confronting the challenge of global climate change depends in large measure on the ability of national governments to forge an effective global strategy—one that is environmentally sound, fair, and affordable. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol represent important steps in that direction. Yet whether or not the Protocol enters into force, the same fundamental challenge remains: engaging all countries that are major emitters of greenhouse gases in a common long-term effort. We need a durable strategy that can take us beyond Kyoto.

This Pew Center report looks at core issues in crafting such a strategy. It represents the combined efforts of a dozen authors plus extensive input from policymakers, experts, and stakeholders who commented on drafts or participated in workshops in China, Germany, and Mexico. The six “think pieces” in this volume do not draw definitive conclusions about the best way forward; those can come only through further analysis and dialogue. Yet there do emerge from the papers, and from the discussions around them, some common themes and insights.

First is the realization that while the climate challenge is ultimately one of mobilizing technology, it is in the first instance one of mustering political will. This depends in part on the resourcefulness of governments in fashioning common approaches. It also means not allowing scientific and economic uncertainties to obscure the urgent need for action. Indeed the analyses here conclude that, to the contrary, uncertainty is itself a reason to act now.

Second, there is no getting around national interest. Climate change is a common challenge, but countries will engage in collective action only if they perceive it to be in their interest. A multilateral approach must therefore recognize and reflect domestic concerns such as competitiveness and development. It also must be flexible enough to accommodate different types of commitments and national strategies. Engaging actors beyond the climate circle is essential, both to build domestic support for action and to extend climate efforts to non-climate forums such as trade and development.

Finally, advancing the international effort will require new types of mitigation strategies. The approach thus far has focused principally on reducing emission “outputs.” An alternative or complementary approach is to frame commitments in terms of “inputs”—the activities that generate emissions. If carefully crafted, this can help drive mitigation by focusing on the actions needed and by highlighting synergies between climate protection and core development concerns such as energy and transportation.

These points are neither firm principles nor prescriptions. Rather they are offered as broad themes worth considering as the dialogue on next steps moves toward a closer examination of specific options for moving forward. The Pew Center looks forward to engaging further with the many participants in this vital dialogue.