The International Climate Change Regime: A Guide to Rules, Institutions and Procedures

This book presents a comprehensive, authoritative and independent account of the rules, institutions and procedures governing the international climate change regime. Its detailed yet user-friendly description and analysis covers the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and all decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties up to 2003, including the landmark Marrakesh Accords. Mitigation commitments, adaptation, the flexibility mechanisms, reporting and review, compliance, education and public awareness, technology transfer, financial assistance and climate research are just some of the areas that are reviewed. The book also explains how the regime works, including a discussion of its political coalitions, institutional structure, negotiation process, administrative base, and linkages with other international regimes. In short, this book is the only current work that covers all areas of the climate change regime in such depth, yet in such a uniquely accessible and objective way.

• Offers a uniquely comprehensive, detailed and up-to-date analysis of the area. The only book on the market covering all areas of the climate change regime in any depth • Independent and authoritative - very important in such a highly politicized area as climate change. All chapters have been reviewed by experts in the field • Accessible and user-friendly: complex legal terms, political concepts and jargon are explained in plain English

Foreword; Preface and acknowledgments; 1. Introduction; 2. Overview; 3. Regime participants; 4. Objective and principles; 5. Mitigation commitments; 6. Flexibility mechanisms; 7. Research, systematic observation, education and public awareness; 8. Adaptation; 9. Impacts of response measures; 10. Finance, technology and capacity-building; 11. Reporting and review; 12. Compliance; 13. Institutions; 14. The negotiation process; 15. Scientific and technical input; 16. Administering the regime; 17. Linkages; 18. Evolution of the regime; 19. Conclusion: taking stock and moving forward; Appendix I: List of parties, their groups and key statistics; Appendix II: Annex 1 - parties’ emissions and projections; Appendix III: Tables of articles, COP decisions and issues; Bibliography.

‘Climate change is one of today\'s most serious global threats, requiring urgent action. This very timely guide on the many rules, institutions and procedures of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will definitely assist Governments, researchers, policy makers, civil society and the public to learn more about and to implement activities designed at addressing climate change. The authors are to be commended for their thorough and insightful job!’ Late Joke Waller-Hunter, Executive Secretary (2002–2005), UNFCCC Secretariat

\'The book by Farhana Yamin and Joanna Depledge, two highly respected authors in the field of international climate change law and policy, provides a timely and well-needed overview of many of the key aspects of the international climate regime, thereby providing negotiators, newcomers, specialists, researchers and other stakeholders with a valuable took for understanding and analysing one of the most challenging topics in the international arena … Yamin and Depledge succeed in providing the reader with a great source of knowledge on the various elements of the climate regime and they present the information in a well-structured manner. It is to be hoped that the book\'s target audience, including international climate policy-makers, takes the author\'s recommendations seriously while deciding on the future of the climate regime.\' International Environmental Agreements

\'The authors provide fascinating detail … The overall result is a volume which is certainly comprehensive, and should leave no one with a question about the current state of the rules, procedures, and institutions of the climate-change regime that cannot be answered by consulting this text. … Yamin and Depledge have provided a volume which will be worth its weight in gold.\' Environment and Planning A

\'In aiming for a complete and therefore \'neutral\' view of the UNFCC, Yamin and Depledge provide more than a description of the related institutions and processes of the regime. First, they increase the access of those outside of the regime by helping them to navigate through a set of abbreviations, graphs, and specific terms. Second, they establish a starting point for researchers to inquire about certain rules or procedures, make future projections, or seek to apply the same problematic areas of issue - that is, to identify areas of potential research interest and carry out further analyses.\' Environment and Planning C