The Evolution of the UNFCC

Posted: 26 Oct 2018

See all articles by Jonathan Kuyper

Jonathan Kuyper

University of Oslo

Heike Schroeder

University of East Anglia (UEA)

Björn-Ola Linnér

Linkoping University

Date Written: October 2018

Abstract

This article takes stock of the evolution of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through the prism of three recent shifts: the move away from targeting industrial country emissions in a legally binding manner under the Kyoto Protocol to mandating voluntary contributions from all countries under the Paris Agreement; the shift from the top-down Kyoto architecture to the hybrid Paris outcome; and the broadening out from a mitigation focus under Kyoto to a triple goal comprising mitigation, adaptation, and finance under Paris. This review discusses the implications of these processes for the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of the UNFCCC's institutional and operational settings for meeting the convention's objectives. It ends by sketching three potential scenarios facing the UNFCCC as it seeks to coordinate the Paris Agreement and its relationship to the wider landscape of global climate action.

Suggested Citation

Kuyper, Jonathan and Schroeder, Heike and Linnér, Björn-Ola, The Evolution of the UNFCC (October 2018). Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 43, pp. 343-368, 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3273326 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102017-030119

Jonathan Kuyper (Contact Author)

University of Oslo ( email )

PO Box 6706 St Olavs plass
Oslo, N-0317
Norway

Heike Schroeder

University of East Anglia (UEA) ( email )

Norwich Research Park
Norwich, NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom

Björn-Ola Linnér

Linkoping University ( email )

Överstegatan 30
Linkoping, 581 83
Sweden

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