The Paris Agreement calls for a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Energy production is the primary source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Ritchie, 2020). In 2023, Finland's energy...Show moreThe Paris Agreement calls for a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Energy production is the primary source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Ritchie, 2020). In 2023, Finland's energy production was responsible for 70% of GHG emissions (Statistics Finland, 2024, May 31). Using the theoretical framework established by David G. Victor, Kal Raustiala, and Eugene B. Skolnikoff (1998), this study explores how Finland and its energy sector have approached their nationally determined commitments (NDCs) to reduce GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. The study takes a top-down approach, analysing government legislation to identify the key factors forming what Victor et al. (1998) call systems for implementation review and the changes in these factors mean in implementing NDCs in Finland. Through this, the research illustrates Finland’s monitoring and reporting capabilities. It also shows the various political influences that have affected the implementation of the Paris Agreement in different parts of Finland’s energy sector.Show less
How have framings of climate change in European Parliamentary debates been used as a tool for attempted influence over the European Union’s long-term climate strategy in the aftermath of the 2015...Show moreHow have framings of climate change in European Parliamentary debates been used as a tool for attempted influence over the European Union’s long-term climate strategy in the aftermath of the 2015 Paris agreement? This single case study conducts a qualitative content analysis on the debates around, and the content of, the European Climate Law from 2021. The study tests the relevance and applicability of the Copenhagen school of securitisation theory, with the aim to contribute toward a deeper understanding of the European, and global, lack of effort to combat climate change. It can be concluded that framings of climate change in the European Parliamentary debates have been used as tools for attempted influence over the European Climate Law, in that the debates have been characterised by (unsuccessful) securitisation attempts.Show less
During the last decades, climate change appeared at the centre of the academic, political, and societal debate as it is a phenomenon that occurs to be increasingly urgent, given the existence of...Show moreDuring the last decades, climate change appeared at the centre of the academic, political, and societal debate as it is a phenomenon that occurs to be increasingly urgent, given the existence of environmental degradation and extreme weather events. Although developed states from the global north have contributed to climate change significantly, emerging economies that previously were part of the global south, cause rising greenhouse gas emissions as well. The problem requires a collective approach in terms of shared responsibility and multilateral cooperation; however, the architecture of global climate governance portrays to be fragmented. Resulting from the fact that the topic has not received much scholarly attention, this research seeks – by means of a thematic content analysis – to investigate how the trend towards centralised global climate governance through the Paris Agreement has changed the perspective on environmental policy. The research builds on the theoretical approach of liberalism, as well as the spectrum model that explains the degree of centralisation in climate cooperation. Based on the case of China as the world’s largest carbon dioxide emitter, it can be concluded that after the Paris Agreement entered into force, the nation’s perspective on environmental policy shifted politically/strategically and ideologically/socially.Show less
The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration...Show moreThe Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement was perceived as a blow for the environmental movement. The decision to withdraw was justified by the Trump administration on the premise that it would protect US jobs and its economy. In the span of eight years the US went from extensively regulating the fossil-fuel industry to deregulating and withdrawing from the most comprehensive international climate agreement. This drastic policy change will be explored in this thesis. More specifically, the factors that contributed to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration. By using Kingdon’s (1995) Multiple Streams Framework, it will explore how the problem, political and policy stream contributed to this decision to withdraw. Furthermore, the role of the politicisation of the policy advisory systems will be explored in the policy stream. Every stream has different indicators/concepts which will be analysed. In doing so, it will strive to explore which factors did contribute to the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement by the Trump administration.Show less
Just as the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement recognizes the fact that developing countries have fewer capabilities to combat climate change and should thus receive assistance from the developed...Show moreJust as the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement recognizes the fact that developing countries have fewer capabilities to combat climate change and should thus receive assistance from the developed world. Through the transfer of technology and monetary aid, developed countries are obliged to help developing countries in achieving sustainable growth. This structure of North-South cooperation was translated into the Clean Development Mechanism in the Kyoto Protocol. My thesis analyzes the implementation of this mechanism in Colombia and Peru and answers whether its goals of emission reduction, sustainable development and technology transfer have been achieved. Through a case study of two Clean Development Mechanism projects this dissertation shows the success of current climate change mitigation mechanisms in the context of two Latin American countries. Finally, I will study the equivalent of the “Clean Development Mechanism” in the Paris Agreement to answer whether problems encountered in the Clean Development Mechanism have been addressed in the Paris Agreement.Show less
The rise of awareness on environmental issues has led to a shift from traditional development towards sustainable development, which includes environmentalism. Sustainable development has been...Show moreThe rise of awareness on environmental issues has led to a shift from traditional development towards sustainable development, which includes environmentalism. Sustainable development has been highly debated among countries at several UN conferences dating back to the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1992. The most recent global agreement is embodied in the Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, which is a climate agreement within the framework of sustainable development. However, the main problem of global treaties is that it is hard to satisfy all parties. The Paris Agreement includes developed and developing countries, which both have different concerns and ideas on development in general. Consequently, developing countries have come up with their own local alternatives towards sustainable development for instance Buen Vivir in Ecuador. Buen Vivir, often translated as ‘Good Life’ in English, is an Ecuadorian form of eco-politics included in Ecuador’s constitution in 2008, based on the indigenous concept of Sumak Kawsay. This paper will make a comparative analysis between the global approach (the Paris Agreement) and the local approach (Buen Vivir) in order to examine which of the two alternatives form a more feasible way for Ecuador towards sustainable development. The paper concludes that even though both approaches have their flaws, the local approach is more in line with the objectives of sustainable development in the case of Ecuador.Show less
Climate change is one of the most severe global problems of the 21st Century. China, as the biggest polluter in the world since 2007, undeniably needs to play an important role in the climate...Show moreClimate change is one of the most severe global problems of the 21st Century. China, as the biggest polluter in the world since 2007, undeniably needs to play an important role in the climate change negotiations to combat this worldwide problem. In 2017, the US (the second largest polluter responsible for global emissions) announced its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate change treaty. This made scholars wonder what China’s role in combating global climate change would be in the future. When looking at its first reaction in 2017, it seems that China’s is more willing to cooperate in combating climate change than it did before. This study shows when this changed occurred by analysing two recent climate change negotiations, the 2009 Copenhagen summit (COP15) and the 2015 Paris summit (COP 21). This study also shows how China's view has changed during these two COPs. This thesis concludes that 1) China has shifted from a realist approach to a more liberalist approach from 2009 to 2015, 2) China has recently been using the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" more as a way to protect itself from undertaking actions that are too big of a burden for the country, rather than an excuse to not have to commit to mitigation actions at all as it did before, and 3) China’s more liberal attitude seen in 2017 is already noticeable during the 2015 Paris climate change negotiations.Show less
Climate change is a controversial concept. While in the US the debate is ongoing to whether it is caused by humans, in India anthropogenic climate change is largely endorsed. Here, the dispute...Show moreClimate change is a controversial concept. While in the US the debate is ongoing to whether it is caused by humans, in India anthropogenic climate change is largely endorsed. Here, the dispute concerns the question of responsibility; they are engaged in a debate dealing with the issue of historical versus current emissions, and the concept of equity and climate justice. Media coverage of climate change in India has changed largely over the years. Firstly dominated by the concept of carbon colonialism and a nationalist discourse, it gradually shifted towards a co-benefits approach and green growth narrative. Whereas in the early 2000’s media coverage was largely framed along a risk-responsibility and North-South divide, with the Copenhagen summit in 2009 the narrative had become more nuanced and India’s growing emissions were no longer ignored. During the negotiations in Paris, both the risk-responsibility as well as the North-South divide could be observed again and much attention was given to India’s vulnerability to climate change.Show less
The Earth’s natural systems have evolved over billions of years to support the life we live today. Yet, the Earth’s innate ability to sustain the ecosystem is taken for granted. This research...Show moreThe Earth’s natural systems have evolved over billions of years to support the life we live today. Yet, the Earth’s innate ability to sustain the ecosystem is taken for granted. This research addresses on arguably the most ubiquitous issue to penetrate all aspects of the human experience – climate change. The omnipresent nature of climate change presents the challenge of approaching the issue: where does one begin? The discursive history of climate change can reveal where the current position stands, and how it may proceed in the future. The transformations in the conceptualization of climate change, including its evolutionary discourse, reveals humankind’s normative relationship with the Earth. This research aims to explore the evolution of climate discourse on an international level through a qualitative discourse analysis. It compares two important landmarks in the climate regime: the Kyoto Protocol of 1998 and the Paris Agreements in 2015. Through a coding scheme based on three discourse strands—national climate security frame, international climate security frame, and human security frame—this research uncovers that there has been a significant increase in the prominence of human security frame and international climate security framing in the Paris Agreement since the Kyoto Protocol of 1998. This is due to the increased inclusivity of international cooperation and informed awareness of the pervasive impacts on human welfare. The findings of this study contribute towards the evermore relevant and urgent field of green diplomacy and its discursive practice in policies. It surfaces normative assumptions and ideas held by the international community towards the climate threat and their strategies to combat it.Show less
