Consensus

• Scientific Basis– Pros– Cons

• The Impact of Reducing Greenhouse Gases on Industries – Energy related industries

• Coal• Electricity• Automobile

International Environmental Law Issues

• Global Climate Change– Ozone Depletion– Antarctica – Global Health

• Toxic and Hazardous Substances– Legal and Illegal Dumping

• Pollution– Land Based Pollution – Vessel Based Pollution – Trans-boundary Water/Air Pollution

• Desertification • Nuclear Damage • Population• Biodiversity• Conservation of Marine Living Resources Reference: Guruswamy, International Environmental Law (West, 2003)

Implementation • International Organizations

– UN Environment Development (UNED)– World Bank– International Court of Justice– International Law Commission– IAEA

• Regional Organizations– EU– OECD (Economic Cooperation and Development)– OAS (Organizations of American States)– South Pacific Regional Organizations

• Specific Treaty Organizations – Conferences of parties

• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)– World Conservation Union– The World Wildlife Fund– Green Peace

Compliance Mechanisms

• Judicial Remedies

• Diplomatic Avenues

From UN Convention to Kyoto Protocol

• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), The Conference of Parties (COP-1, Rio de Janeiro, 1992)

• COP-2, Geneva, 1996

• COP-3, Kyoto, 1997

• …

• COP-12, Nairobi, 2006

UNFCCC website http://unfccc.int/2860.php

Kyoto Protocol The provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and its rulebook

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol shares the Convention’s objective, principles and institutions, but significantly strengthens the Convention by committing Annex I Parties to individual, legally-binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Only Parties to the Convention that have also become Parties to the Protocol (i.e by ratifying, accepting, approving, or acceding to it) will be bound by the Protocol’s commitments. 165 countries have ratified the Protocol to date. Of these, 35 countries and the EEC are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below levels specified for each of them in the treaty.  The individual targets for Annex I Parties are listed in the Kyoto Protocol’s Annex B. These add up to a total cut in greenhouse-gas emissions of at least 5% from 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008-2012.

Emission Trading System

Two sources for the explanation of ET system• UK

http://www.defra.gov.uk/Environment/climatechange/trading/index.htm

• EU http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/84&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Waste Dumping

Ivory Coast Tragedy Exposes Toxic Flow to Poor

Environmental Degradation in China

Songhua Spill

• China's Government Cracks Down After Toxic Spill