Global Environmental Governance

- 1972: UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm Environmental Summits - 1972: UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm - 1992: Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro - 2002: World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg - 2012: Rio+20 Summit, Rio de Janeiro UN Millennium Declaration, 2000 - „responsibility to protect the environment“ as MDG No. 7 - recognition that environmental protection is crucial to achieve other MDGs (HIV/AIDS, food security, etc.)

No overarching organisation responsible for environmental protection Key Mechanisms Key difference: No overarching organisation responsible for environmental protection - UNEP (UN Environmental Programme)  founded in 1972 during the UN Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm  main tasks: promote international cooperation / provide advice  main mechanism of international cooperation but without a global mandate - two additional organisations:  UN Commission on Sustainable Development (created in 1992, Rio)  The Global Environment Facility(created in 1991, World Bank)

- Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs): (more than 500 MEAs with own secretariat and summits) The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), The UN Convention to Combat Desertification(UNCCD), The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (MP) The Antarctic Treaty, The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, The Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Barcelona Convention), …………………………………………………………………………………….. . . .

- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)  created in 1992 (Rio de Janeiro)  194 member states (almost universal)  reducing greenhouse gas emissions  PROBLEM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWNt-NjpGVU - Kyoto Protocol  created in 1997, 192 member states  main objective: “committed to reducing their emissions by an average of 5 per cent by 2012 against 1990 levels”  in Doha 2012, the states agreed on a post-Kyoto framework

Let‘s find some solutions!!! Which are the pros and cons in the debate on the creation of a World Environmental Organisation? How to save the rainforests? How to reform the UNFCCC climate talks? Think about an institutional structure, the actors involved (civil society, the particular role of the states, the private sector) and the proper discourse to convince all actors to finally take meaningful action.