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Climate Change as a Flagship Villain for Domestic Governance
Yuan Xu, Department of Geography and Resource Management & Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Phone: +852-39436647, Email: yuanxu@cuhk.edu.hk
Overview
Climate change has been confirmed to be one of the greatest villains facing mankind today, while every additional degree of warming would lead to even direr consequences ADDIN EN.CITE IPCC20132540(IPCC, 2013)2540254006IPCCClimate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis2013Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USACambridge University Press(IPCC, 2013). However, the heavy costs of climate mitigation have been a high barrier for countries to adopt and faithfully implement serious commitments. The Paris Agreement was successfully negotiated in 2015 and formally entered into force on November 4, 2016, which has not only formally adopted the 2 degree C goal but also aspires for 1.5 degree C. However, the recent presidential election result in the United States may add uncertainties to the further implementation of the Paris Agreement. The potential position change of the United States may trigger other major parties, notably China, to revise their commitments accordingly.
Methods
I argue that individual countries should see climate change as a domestic, holistic governance tool but not as a global burden for reluctant sharing. In ecological conservation, a critical promotion and governance strategy is to identify a flagship species ADDIN EN.CITE IUCN/SSC20083429(IUCN/SSC, 2008)3429342927IUCN/SSCStrategic Planning for Species Conservation: A Handbook2008Gland, SwitzerlandIUCN Species Survival Commission(IUCN/SSC, 2008). Because habitat degradation threatens its natural survival, its protection then demands habitat conservation, which will benefit all other species that share the same habitat. If we won the war on climate change a flagship villain it would greatly contribute to our individual fights against many smaller villains. The Porter Hypothesis states that environmental regulations could induce innovation to compensate the costs of environmental protection ADDIN EN.CITE Porter19951625(Porter and Vanderlinde, 1995)16251625017Porter, M. E.Vanderlinde, C.Porter, Me
Harvard Univ,Sch Business,Boston,Ma 02163
Harvard Univ,Sch Business,Boston,Ma 02163
St Gallen Univ,Int Management Res Inst,St Gallen,SwitzerlandGreen and Competitive - Ending the StalemateHarvard Business ReviewHarvard Bus RevHarvard Business ReviewHarvard Bus RevHarvard Business ReviewHarvard Bus Rev120-1347351995Sep-Oct0017-8012ISI:A1995RT10000014<Go to ISI>://A1995RT10000014English(Porter and Vanderlinde, 1995). I propose a further hypothesis that if a country launched an all-out war on the flagship villain, the costs of climate mitigation and adaptation could be well compensated by even non-climate, largely domestic benefits alone. One countrys actions do not have to depend much on other countries positions.
Results
First, a dark co-impact of fossil fuel consumption is the competition for limited and unevenly distributed fossil fuel resources, especially of oil and natural gas, which could have been at least partially responsible for many hot wars and international conflicts in the past century. The world would easily break the 2 degree C goal of climate mitigation before getting close to running out of the fossil fuel resources ADDIN EN.CITE IEA20153146(IEA, 2015)3146314627IEAWorld Energy Outlook2015(IEA, 2015). If the world were serious about climate mitigation, fossil fuel prices would be significantly lower ADDIN EN.CITE IEA20153146(IEA, 2015)3146314627IEAWorld Energy Outlook2015(IEA, 2015). Unlike fossil fuels, low-carbon energy resources, especially wind and solar, are abundant in all major countries to alleviate the uneven distribution of fossil fuels resource endowments. For fossil fuel consumption, another conflict-rich resource co-impact is on water. Serious climate mitigation could then enhance water sustainability and reduce water-induced conflicts.
Second, fossil fuel consumption is responsible for the emissions of most greenhouse gases and other air pollutants ADDIN EN.CITE IEA20163191(IEA, 2016)3191319127IEAEnergy and Air Pollution2016Paris, France(IEA, 2016). Indoor and outdoor air pollution is causing millions of premature deaths annually, while climate mitigation could address the co-impacts and yield significant co-benefits ADDIN EN.CITE WHO20163192(WHO, 2016)3192319227WHOAmbient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease2016(WHO, 2016). Serious climate mitigation would address these pollution co-impacts of fossil fuel consumption and bring co-benefits of better environment. In addition, deforestation is an important source of greenhouse gases emissions. Its co-impact includes lost ecosystem and extinction of fauna and flora species. Serious climate mitigation mandates the reversal of deforestation and habitat loss, which could lead to better protection of ecosystems.
Third, climate mitigation could facilitate the transformation of the global economy to be driven more by innovation and less by natural resources. In comparison with conventional technologies, climate-friendly technologies have much greater requirements on innovation. Climate concerns are one critical driving force to accelerate their innovation paces and transform international competition to focus more on innovation and technology, rather than on the control of fossil fuel resources. The world could accordingly become more peaceful and more innovative.
Fourth, climate adaptation will tackle extreme events arising from not only human-induced climate change but from climate in general. Active adaptation to climate change could make cities and rural communities more resilient to disasters in general, regardless of their causes.
Conclusions
In conclusion, climate change offers individual countries a governance tool with an unprecedented coverage. Rather than addressing individual villains one by one, climate change presents a comprehensive opportunity to tackle them holistically. The flagship villain of climate change and the heroic actions of countries could serve as a powerful engine that propels the transformation to result in fewer conflicts, cleaner environment, more innovative economy and more resilient societies. Because the achievements of these non-climate benefits in one large country do not depend much on the actions taken in other countries, the United States, China and other major countries should individually, but not necessarily jointly, remain determined in advancing the Paris Agreement.
References
ADDIN EN.REFLIST CCAC, WHO, 2015. Reducing Global Health Risks Through Mitigation of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. Scoping Report For Policy-makers, Geneva, Switzerland
IEA, 2015. World Energy Outlook.
IEA, 2016. Energy and Air Pollution, Paris, France.
IPCC, 2013. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
IUCN/SSC, 2008. Strategic Planning for Species Conservation: A Handbook. IUCN Species Survival Commission, Gland, Switzerland.
Porter, M.E., Vanderlinde, C., 1995. Green and Competitive - Ending the Stalemate. Harvard Bus Rev 73, 120-134.
U.S. EIA, 2016. Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government, Washington, D.C.
WHO, 2016. Ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease.
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