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What is the impact of the Post-2015 Agenda on the equitable development of marginalised groups? Do development interventions implemented as part of countries’ commitments to the Post-2015 Agenda ― the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction ― increase or reduce vulnerability of groups for whom impacts of climate change, climate-related disasters, and maldevelopment are felt most acutely? Our paper builds on studies that critically examine how climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects impact vulnerability of marginalised groups. Specifically, we analyse strategies, policies, plans and reports of two Southeast Asian States and donors who work there to explore how they implement these global agreements and reveal their impacts on equity outcomes. We argue that the way in which the Post-2015 Agenda is being actually implemented contributes to increased vulnerability of already-disadvantaged groups. Through literature review and content analysis, we demonstrate first, that a key concept used across the Post-2015 Agenda ― vulnerability ― is defined and operationalised differently across agreements, leading to inconsistencies in implementation. Second, projects that target “vulnerable groups” do not focus on strengthening factors that contribute to reducing the vulnerability of these groups. Thus, the ways in which the Post-2015 Agenda is being put into action are detrimental to sustainable development that is equitable. Ultimately, we demonstrate that to achieve sustainable development that does not “leave anyone behind” (United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), 2015) , it is necessary for global agreements to forge a consistent use of the term vulnerability and to prioritize vulnerability reduction with a focus on strengthening social and cultural assets.

This study aims to introduce a novel coupling coordination degree (CCD) model to evaluate the degree of coupling coordination between socio-economic development and CO2 emission of 76 contracting countries in The Paris Agreement. The efficiency of the novel CCD model is demonstrated by scenario analysis in the contracting countries during the period between 2005 and 2015 on the basis of the theory of environmental Kuznets curve. The following results are obtained. Firstly, the subjectivity of the traditional CCD model contaminates the robustness of the evaluation. Secondly, the novel CCD of contracting countries during the survey period ranged between approximately 0.35 and 0.4, which is in the overall development stage of low coordination. Thirdly, the novel CCD of the two systems at the global level is not symmetrical in spatial distribution, and the European continent is generally higher than the African, while other continents sit on an intermediate level. Lastly, the novel CCD between socio-economy and CO2 emission systems presents a positive correlation with regional resident income in groups with varied income levels. The findings of this research provide rich policy references for facilitating global climate cooperation by balancing socio-economic development with CO2 emission mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, a predominant trend in the transformation of national economies worldwide has been the extensive establishment of global value chains and the increased activities of transnational corporations (TNCs). Despite the scale of these phenomena, they have not received adequate scholarly attention, both at the level of individual countries and on a global scale. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive analysis that combines theoretical approaches with empirical investigations of the interplay between the formation and vigorous expansion of global value chains and the dynamics of national economic transformation worldwide. This relationship is examined in the context of foreign multinational corporations operating in sectors such as chemistry and pharmaceuticals, electronics, electrical equipment, and the automotive industry.To achieve the objectives of this study, a range of complementary research methods were employed, including descriptive analysis, comparative analysis, generalization and grouping techniques, and cartographic analysis. The study yields several key findings:Firstly, a global trend of progressive reduction in the share of domestic producers within the industries under consideration has been observed. This trend is most conspicuous in the countries of the former socialist bloc in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania. These countries previously maintained domestic production levels exceeding 50% of the total volume for the specific product types.Secondly, the field of automobile production exhibits the highest proportion of foreign companies contributing to the total volume of products manufactured. In 33 out of the 58 countries analyzed, foreign multinational corporations account for more than 50% of production. Thirdly, a selection of countries in Western Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region—such as Germany, Italy, France, Israel, the USA, China, Japan, the Russian Federation, India, and Korea—play a substantial role in the development of global value chains through the active expansion of their national TNCs. International companies from these countries are progressively shaping a global socio-economic framework.Lastly, recent years have seen the emergence of a new stage in the evolution of global value chains, prompted by exceptional factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade conflict between China and the United States, and the conflict in Ukraine. This stage necessitates a profound reconsideration of the strategies employed by current participants in global chains, driven by the imperative of preserving their sustainability.

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In light of the urgent need to combat climate change and attain carbon neutrality, the development of blue carbon has emerged as a pivotal strategy for the global community. This approach offers significant potential for both mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. As a result, international collaboration on blue carbon initiatives has become a focal point in the worldwide response to the climate crisis. China, blessed with extensive blue carbon resources, recognizes the development of these ecosystems as a critical component in its efforts to make a substantial contribution to the global endeavor to curb climate change and achieve sustainable environmental goals. This article offers a comprehensive analysis of China’s opportunities and challenges in international blue carbon collaboration. Despite its vast potential, China faces significant hurdles, including the degradation of blue carbon ecosystems, a delayed start in implementing blue carbon practices, and inconsistencies in the blue carbon standard system. To enhance its participation in global blue carbon initiatives, China should pursue several key strategies, including preserving and restoring its blue carbon ecosystems, strengthening domestic protection and application mechanisms, promoting the construction of an international blue carbon system, establishing a scientific cooperation platform to facilitate capacity building and technology transfer and advocating for an international blue carbon market trading mechanism. By prioritizing these key areas, China can simultaneously foster domestic blue carbon conservation and development while solidifying its role as a pivotal contributor to global climate change mitigation efforts.

Copyright of Istanbul Journal of Economics / İstanbul Iktisat Dergisi is the property of Istanbul Journal of Economics / Istanbul Iktisat Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper covers the disclosure of information on company’s climate risks in corporate reporting, which is the urgent agenda. It was found that 16 of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) provide the opportunity for disclosing of such climate risks. However, they contain significant restrictions regarding the presentation of forecasting information. The analysis revealed the current stages of corporate reporting development under the influence of the relevant disclosure of climate risks by companies. The research data source includes the publications and statements available on the official website of the IFRS Foundation**. The research results can be useful for professional international organisations and Russian state bodies engaged in the development of financial and non-financial reporting standards, concerned users, as well as economic entities that prepare corporate reporting.

Cities are increasingly prominent on the climate change map because they are more interconnected than ever. This study investigates whether and if so, how the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) network influences corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores. Drawing upon the network embeddedness, we propose that the C40 improves the embedded firms' ESG/E scores. Our international evidence from a sample of 7206 firms across 84 countries confirms our hypotheses. Furthermore, we find that the Paris Agreement announcement can strengthen the positive relationship between the C40 and ESG/E scores, while financial slack can only enhance the C40-E score relationship. This study highlights the importance of the global city network in improving corporate sustainability performance and guides managers and policymakers to pursue a sustainability agenda. • The role of the C40 network in improving ESG performance is investigated. • Corporate ESG/E scores increase when the firm is embedded in the C40 Cities network. • The announcement of PA strengthens the positive relationship between the C40 and ESG/E scores. • Financial slack strengthens the positive relationship between the C40 and E scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international endeavour to prevent climate change requires action from all parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Many least developed countries (LDCs) have prepared nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to implement the Paris Agreement despite economic challenges; however, their level of commitment varies. Understanding the factors that underpin the variation in commitment among low-income countries would facilitate effective agreements and enhance global implementation. The study aimed to determine the degree to which 36 LDCs implemented the Paris Agreement in their NDCs, and the factors that determined the degree. We applied the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework and the Institutional Grammar Tool (IGT) developed by Elinor Ostrom and her colleagues to enable systematic assessments of institutions. To identify the determinants of the degree of implementation, national contexts, decision-making, and patterns of interaction were investigated for five case countries. The countries appeared to focus on international determinants, rather than on national political decision making. Therefore, encouraging countries to communicate changes in national institutional and economic arrangements required for effective climate change mitigation is imperative. Countries that consider the importance of structural changes and institutional strengthening, such as education and political and legislative instruments, are likely to implement the Paris Agreement to a high degree. A fair, inclusive procedure; the consequent legitimate burden; and the required criteria with synergy between mitigation and development provide the most effective mitigation. Applying the operationalised framework can benefit improvements in international climate agreements and local institutions. • Policies are challenged by lack of data, illiteracy and governance arrangements. • LDCs did not communicate how to improve institutions to facilitate mitigation. • Required criteria with synergy between mitigation and development more effective. • A fair, inclusive procedure and a legitimate burden needed for commitment. • The operationalized IAD aids to improve climate governance in LDCs and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is the most pressing concern of the world today, posing an existential threat to the planet's ecosystem and human society. Bold actions are necessary to meet the goal of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level under the Paris Agreement. However, the potential WTO-inconsistency of such climate measures creates legal uncertainty that hampers the state's climate change mitigation strategies. The general exceptions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Article XX (b) or (g) are frequently discussed as a way to justify climate measures under the World Trade Organization (hereinafter "WTO") Agreements. However, close scrutiny of the relevant WTO jurisprudence casts doubts over such a reconciliation strategy. This article proposes a framework for reconciliation based on the presumption of conformity for specific climate measures adopted by the parties to the Paris Agreement with WTO rules. Such presumption of conformity represents the division of competence under which deference will be paid to the respective competency of the WTO and the climate change regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IPCC stated in its special report on global warming of 1. 5°C (SR15) that meeting the temperature target of the Paris Agreement requires rapid and far-reaching changes across all aspects of society. This is called a need for transformative change. However, what is meant by transformative change? What should be changed, and how should it be changed? These questions are explored in this paper, which is structured in three steps. First, it develops a conceptual meaning of transformative change that is centered on society. Then, it analyses how the IPCC in SR15 understands transformative change. The analysis finds that the proposed pathways to reach the targets of 1.5 and 2°C have a strong technical focus on energy supply, which makes broader and deeper transformative change almost unnecessary. This finding is related to the recently published IPCC report on mitigation. Even if institutional and socio-cultural dimensions of transformative change are better covered in this report, they are insufficiently integrated into the overall assessment of necessary transformative changes. Finally, it turns to the national level, analyzing Sweden's ambition to become the first fossil-free welfare society in the world. The analysis shows, in line with SR15, that Sweden has a restricted focus on changes in energy supply, making transformative change, such as restructuring the economic system and questioning consumption patterns, unnecessary. Based on this analysis of international (the IPCC) and national (Sweden) levels, this paper identifies a need for an elaborated, consistent and deeper understanding of transformative change. It concludes that to be relevant to countries' work to achieve ambitious climate targets, the IPCC should develop a more qualified understanding of transformative change, which requires a better integration of social science research.

In our work we analyse Paris climate agreement in the context of the level of its implementation to practical life. As an input data we use an annual quantity of territorial CO2 emissions and CO2 emissions per capita in selected countries between years 2015 ‒ 2019. This data should illustrate the actual level of implementation success of Paris agreement. We work with hypothesis, that the Paris agreement is not suitable to solve the problematic of global warming, because of absence of sanction mechanism and concrete measures. Our aim is to confirm/refute our hypothesis. During the writing we use analytic, deductive, descriptive, and comparative method.

A human rights approach to climate change, which has been claimed by the Indigenous peoples, consisted of procedural and substantive demands. Their procedural demands have mostly been realized in establishing the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and the LCIP Platform Facilitative Working Group (FWG), where they can participate on equal footing with state parties. It could be argued that the LCIP Platform and the FWG have empowered Indigenous peoples who have hitherto been perceived as mere victims of climate change by making them contributors who provide their traditional knowledge related to addressing and responding to climate change. By contrast, their substantive demands have been imperfectly accepted. This might be improved in the Platform's future activities. In doing so, the Inuit leader has pointed out that it is important to distinguish between local communities and Indigenous peoples in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes. This article will argue its feasibility depends on Indigenous peoples' further efforts to convince state parties to accept such distinctions based on the applicability of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter and the largest developing country, China faces daunting challenges to peak its emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality within 40 years. This study fully considered the carbon-neutrality goal and the temperature rise constraints required by the Paris Agreement, by developing six long-term development scenarios, and conducting a quantitative evaluation on the carbon emissions pathways, energy transformation, technology, policy and investment demand for each scenario. This study combined both bottom-up and top-down methodologies, including simulations and analyses of energy consumption of end-use and power sectors (bottom-up), as well as scenario analysis, investment demand and technology evaluation at the macro level (top-down). This study demonstrates that achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 translates to significant efforts and overwhelming challenges for China. To comply with the target, a high rate of an average annual reduction of CO2 emissions by 9.3% from 2030 to 2050 is a necessity, which requires a huge investment demand. For example, in the 1.5 °C scenario, an investment in energy infrastructure alone equivalent to 2.6% of that year's GDP will be necessary. The technological pathway towards carbon neutrality will rely highly on both conventional emission reduction technologies and breakthrough technologies. China needs to balance a long-term development strategy of lower greenhouse gas emissions that meets both the Paris Agreement and the long-term goals for domestic economic and social development, with a phased implementation for both its five-year and long-term plans.

This study aims to improve our understanding of the response of precipitation to forcings by proposing a physically-based equation that resolves simulated precipitation based on the atmospheric energy budget. The equation considers the balance between latent heat release by precipitation and the sum of the slow response by tropospheric temperature changes and the fast response by abrupt radiative forcing (RF) changes. The equation is tuned with three parameters for each climate model and then adequately reproduces time-varying precipitation. By decomposing the equation, we highlight the slow response as the largest contributor to forcing-driven responses and uncertainty sizes in simulations. The second largest one to uncertainty is the fast-RF response from aerosols or greenhouse gases (GHG), depending on the low or highest Coupled Model Intercomparison Projection 6 future scenarios. The likely range of precipitation change at specific warming levels under GHG removal (GGR) and solar radiation management (SRM) mitigation plans is evaluated by a simple model optimizing the relationship between temperature and decomposed contributions from multi-simulations under three scenarios. The results indicate that GGR has more severe effects from aerosols than GHG for a 1.5 K warming, resulting in 0.91%–1.62% increases in precipitation. In contrast, SRM pathways project much drier conditions than GGR results due to the tropospheric cooling and remaining anthropogenic radiative heating. Overall, the proposed physically-based equation, the decomposition analysis, and our simple model provide valuable insights into the uncertainties under different forcings and mitigation pathways, highlighting the importance of slow and fast responses to human-induced forcings in shaping future precipitation changes.

This study aims to describe and explain the form of Indonesia's responsibility for climate change due to deforestation based on the Paris Agreement. As a form of contribution to climate problems, the Government has adopted the Paris Agreement with the instrument Law Number. 16 of 2016. However, the commitment to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has encountered problems in its implementation. On this basis, this study discusses the state's responsibility for climate change due to deforestation. The main emphasis will be on the forestry sector. This problem is the biggest obstacle in Indonesia's commitment to meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction target. This research method uses normative or doctrinal, the data collection process is carried out by reviewing literature that is relevant to the problems written by the author. The result of this research is that regulations on how to overcome the climate crisis in Indonesia are seen as not being able to implement changes in substance with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions as desired. The issue of effectiveness, especially the problem of legal requirements, is still a principle constraint, even some administrative arrangements contain decisions that contradict the declared responsibilities. In line with that, it is proposed the importance of strong guidelines, implementation of the law and balance of responsibilities through the environmental strategy that is carried out.

This article examines two important conditions for achieving the Paris Agreement's (PA) ambitious goals. The first is the actions of the largest emitters—China, the European Union (EU) and the USA whose combined share of global emissions is near 50%. The second condition is the bottom–up design of the PA itself. Drawing on the policy mix literature and comparison of the three major emitters examined in this special feature (see Bang, Heggelund and Skjærseth), we first conclude that the EU has the most ambitious climate targets and policy mixes needed for achieving net zero emissions. Second, the PA has contributed to more ambitious targets and policy mixes mainly in the EU but also in China. Ambitious EU actors have actively invoked the PA goals to further their interests and legalize the Agreement's dynamic five-year cycles. With Biden as president the USA will again be a party to the PA and is set to join the EU and China in upgrading ambitions. Looking towards the future, the USA and particularly China will have to, in one way or another, to follow the EU if net zero emissions are to be achieved. This may necessitate actual EU leadership by example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective analysis of contemporary both theoretical and practical economy growing trend demonstrates account social factors and life support on Earth on a global scale. It is expected that in the near future this trend will occupy a major position in the global economy and will significantly determine the international economic relations. At the forefront of a globalizing world economy and international economic relations serves full priority to ensure the future world society. In the article is proposed a modified balance ecological and economic "input-output" model, which is based on established by the Paris Agreement limits on greenhouse gas emissions. It is determinated the conditions for the existence of the productivity model, which provides non-negativity of the economic and environmental performance. It is offered the mathematical apparatus of determining the change in the volume of gross output of primary and secondary production in the event of changes in the sector structure.

Contributions to the climate governance literature have highlighted the importance of recognizing its new polycentric nature, which includes roles for non-state and subnational actors in climate change mitigation and in leadership for climate action. Yet, the literature is missing a normative cartography—that is, a mapping of the distribution of moral duties in the real world—which is tailored to a context of polycentric governance. This paper answers the question: how can moral duties be distributed in a context of polycentric climate governance such as to diminish the problem of non-compliance? This implies the following question: do duties change in situations of non-compliance in a context of polycentric governance, and if so how? Acknowledging polycentric governance is the key to an effective distribution of moral duties, as it allows for a more accurate mapping of non-state and subnational actors' duties in leading the charge against climate change. Correspondingly, a normative cartography fitted to this context will be instrumental in showing how morally informed climate governance can diminish the problem of non-compliance. This paper focusses on the distribution of moral duties in a context of polycentric governance as a contributing factor to inducing agents to act according to the collective goal. It argues that a more fine-grained distribution of climate duties, tailored to polycentric climate governance, contributes to addressing the problem of non-compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drylands are one of the most sensitive areas to climate change. Many previous studies assessed the impact of 1.5 °C and 2 °C warming targets using transient warming scenarios by representative concentration pathways of CMIP5. Here we compared the climate changes over global drylands in transient and stabilized 1.5 °C and 2 °C warmer worlds using Community Earth System Model simulations. The projections indicate a warming of 2.3 °C (1.6 °C) over drylands could occur in a stabilized 2 °C (1.5 °C) warmer world by the end of this century. The warming in drier regions is higher and the hyper-arid areas would experience warming of 2.4 °C (1.8 °C). Comparing the 2 °C to 1.5 °C warming targets, the additional 0.5 °C warming will lead to ~ 1.0 °C warming in drylands of Eurasia and North America. Responding to the 2 °C warming, the increased precipitation (21.8–42.6 mm/year) is not enough to offset the increased PET (88.3–101.7 mm/year) over drylands, resulting in the drylands expansion, and the additional 0.5 °C global warming will aggravate the drought in drylands in southern North America and North Africa. Compared to the stabilized 2 °C warming target, controlling the global warming to within 1.5 °C will reduce the warming in drylands by 0.7 °C, and reduce the drylands expansion relative to 1961–1990 by ~ 44%. Compared to the stabilized warming scenarios, the temperature response and drylands area coverage increase are higher in the transient warming scenarios, but the difference of temperature caused by additional 0.5 °C global warming and the precipitation increase in drylands are lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this study is to analyse impacts of renewable energy sources in achieving Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) targets of Turkey. INDCs as a part the Paris Agreement are based on national circumstances of countries on climate change. In order to reach the global goal of the Paris Agreement, countries shall monitor, update and upgrade their INDCs. The overall target of Turkish INDC is to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 21 per cent from the Business as Usual (BaU) level by 2030. In this study, three scenarios are developed namely Low-INDC, Reference-INDC and High-INDC. These scenarios are used to analyse impacts of utilization of renewable energy on INDC target of Turkey. It is projected that Low-INDC, Reference-INDC and High-INDC can reduce cumulative 566, 511 and 428 million tons of CO 2 emissions respectively. These mitigation amounts could correspondingly provide 32, 29 and 24 per cent of the cumulative emission reduction targets in Turkey's INDC. Total additional costs of Low-INDC, Reference-INDC and High-INDC scenarios are estimated as 12.52, 11.80 and 10.73 billion USD for the period of 2018–2030. Average unit costs of emissions reduction vary between 6.36 and 61.13 USD per reduced ton of CO 2 emissions. In order to guarantee INDC target, Turkey should set new renewable energy targets for the INDC period. Highlights • INDC of Turkey is to reduce GHG emissions up to 21 per cent from BaU level by 2030. • In 2018-2030, reduced CO 2 emissions in scenarios vary between 428-566 million tons. • Total additional costs of INDC scenarios are between 10.73 and 12.52 billion USD. • Average costs of reduction vary between 6.36 and 61.13 USD per ton of CO 2 emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the UNFCCC 1992 mandated technology transfer commitments, how to fulfil the commitments and effectively facilitate the international transfer of climate-friendly technology in reality has been the subject of debate. In theory, climate change policymakers provide a broad framework for technology transfer through the UNFCCC regime. The 2015 Paris Agreement commits the Parties to strengthening cooperation on climate technology. In practice, however, the dynamic transfer of these technologies on an international scale does not take place fast enough to reach the full potential required by the UNFCCC. This shortcoming is partly due to intellectual property rights, which pose a significant obstacle to quick and efficient technology transfer. This article examines the kinds of changes in intellectual property laws needed to promote accessible, affordable and adaptable technology transfers and to help prepare host countries for potentially mandatory emission reductions in the post-Paris era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This thematic issue of Politics and Governance serves as a Festschrift in honor of Professor Dr. Philos. Arild Underdal on his 70th birthday. In this editorial, the guest editors summarize a few of Professor Underdal’s many academic merits and achievements. They also provide a synopsis of each of the ten contributions to the Festschrift, which focuses on climate governance in general and the 2015 Paris Agreement in particular.

Global response to climate change has entered the phase of full implementation of the Paris Agreement. To control the global temperature rise below 2°C, all countries must make more efforts to reduce emission. China has combined its goal of emission reduction for combating climate change with its domestic sustainable development strategy to promote energy revolution and the transition of economic development to low-carbon patterns. Through reinforcing the commitment and action before 2020, the CO2 intensity of GDP can decrease by more than 50% by 2020 compared with that of 2005, and the external commitment target of a 40%-45% decrease can be over fulfilled. Currently, under the new economic normal, China further strengthens the policy measure, vigorously saves energy, enhances energy use efficiency and the economic output benefit, and simultaneously develops new and renewable energy and accelerates energy structural decarbonization, so that the annual decrease rate of the CO2 intensity of GDP keeps a high level of more than 4% and remains increasing. Thus, the decrease rate of the CO2 intensity of GDP will exceed the GDP growth rate, and then CO2 emission will peak around 2030. This will promote the fundamental turning of economic development mode, and lay a foundation for the establishment of a sustainable energy system with near-zero emissions and with new and renewable energy as the main body in the second half of this century. China implements the concept of green low-carbon development and accelerates the low carbon transition of energy and economy to achieve win-win results in economic growth and CO2 emission mitigation, and these policies and actions will also provide experiences for many other developing countries. On the other hand, China will continue to play a positive and constructive leading role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement internationally, and promote the construction of new mechanisms of win-win cooperation, fairness and justice and common development for global climate governance. Moreover, China will make an effort to build a community of common destiny for mankind, promote pragmatic cooperation among countries, especially among developing countries, and take combating climate change as a new development opportunity for jointly moving toward climate-friendly low-carbon economic development path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Avoided risks in a 1.5°C warmer world as opposed to a 2°C one become urgent to be assessed after the Paris Agreement, especially at regional scales. To provide an observable analog, this study quantified detectable impacts of the past 0.5°C global warming on summertime hot extremes in China. The half‐degree global warming has preferentially facilitated the emergence and prevalence of complex hot extremes (sequential hot day‐night), which experienced a twofold‐fourfold increase in their frequency in Southeast China, lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and northern China, along with a doubling to tripling of duration and intensity. The past global warming of 0.5°C further exacerbated the vulnerability of above hot spots by exposing them to drastically augmented (over 300%) excess heat accumulated during the severest complex events. These observation‐based solid evidences imply that a 0.5°C reduction in future global warming does matter for China to avoid excessively escalated risks of complex hot extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid expansion of exotic bamboos has lowered species diversity in Japan's ecosystems by hampering native plant growth. The invasive potential of bamboo, facilitated by global warming, may also affect other countries with developing bamboo industries. We examined past (1975-1980) and recent (2012) distributions of major exotic bamboos ( Phyllostachys edulis and P. bambusoides) in areas adjacent to 145 weather stations in central and northern Japan. Bamboo stands have been established at 17 sites along the latitudinal and altitudinal distributional limit during the last three decades. Ecological niche modeling indicated that temperature had a strong influence on bamboo distribution. Using mean annual temperature and sun radiation data, we reproduced bamboo distribution (accuracy = 0.93 and AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) = 0.92). These results infer that exotic bamboo distribution has shifted northward and upslope, in association with recent climate warming. Then, we simulated future climate data and projected the climate change impact on the potential habitat distribution of invasive bamboos under different temperature increases (i.e., 1.5°C, 2.0°C, 3.0°C, and 4.0°C) relative to the preindustrial period. Potential habitats in central and northern Japan were estimated to increase from 35% under the current climate (1980-2000) to 46%-48%, 51%-54%, 61%-67%, and 77%-83% under 1.5°C, 2.0°C, 3.0°C, and 4.0°C warming levels, respectively. These infer that the risk areas can increase by 1.3 times even under a 1.5°C scenario and expand by 2.3 times under a 4.0°C scenario. For sustainable ecosystem management, both mitigation and adaptation are necessary: bamboo planting must be carefully monitored in predicted potential habitats, which covers most of Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper puts forward a normative framework to differentiate between the climate-related responsibilities of different countries in the aftermath of the Paris Agreement. It offers reasons for applying the chief moral principles of ‘historical responsibility’ and ‘capacity’ to climate finance instead of climate change mitigation targets. This will (i) provide a normative basis to realize the goal of climate change mitigation while allowing for developing and newly industrialized countries to develop economically and (ii) offer an account of the distributive principles that can regulate climate finance. This is a real-world interpretation of the 1992 UNFCCC principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ that takes into account the progress accomplished at the COP21 in Paris and offers a solution to the still unsolved problem of differentiated responsibilities. This paper offers an application of this proposal to the Green Climate Fund. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses Europe's climate change policies with an insight into the targets of 2015 Paris Agreement (keeping global temperature below 2°C and achieving zero carbon emissions in the second half of the century). Even though the European Union (EU) member states have increased their consumption of renewables and reduced their greenhouse gas emissions, oil remains the biggest energy source for Europe. This article argues that while the EU member states can achieve the targets of their climate pledges under the Paris climate mechanism with their current climate change policies, the large share of oil in European energy consumption may keep Europe from reaching its goal of zero-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Capability Approach is adopted to critically analyse, in the interests of Climate Justice, whether the Paris Agreement is likely to adequately protect human and non-human Capabilities from the worst impacts of climate disasters. The mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage provisions of the Paris Agreement are not convincing. Adaptation offers only a modest response to climate change, compared with mitigation, and current financial commitments to fund adaptation in developing countries are far too low. Consequently, the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have a long way to go in their negotiations before they have any hope of meeting their agreed temperature goals, and protecting human and non-human Capabilities from climate disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The election of Donald Trump as the next president of the US has caused much international consternation and anxiety. Reactions have been based on distrust and rejection of Trump’s political ideology, behavioural disposition and unpredictable policy positions. His campaign speeches were filled with provocative utterances which were racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-environment and self-centred. This article examines some possible impacts of Trump’s presidency on the Pacific island countries (PICs). The first issue refers to how Trump’s proposed isolationist and militarisation policies may affect regional geopolitics. The two policies tend to contradict each other because while isolationism means pulling back on US economic and strategic presence in the Pacific, a reversal of the pivot to Asia-Pacific policy, militarisation implies greater strategic reach, regionally and globally. What does this seemingly contradictory approach mean for the PICs? Second, the article looks at the impact of Trump’s climate change denial stance and the responses by PICs, given the fact that climate change is the single most significant foreign policy and development initiative of the PICs since their independence. The third issue deals with the potential impact of Trump’s restrictive migration policies on remittance flow to the PICs and how these affect the small island economies and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Scientific Proceedings of Ostroh Academy National University Series, Economics is the property of National University of Ostroh Academy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work modifies the dynamic GTAP model by incorporating the production and sales structure of the biobutanol industry to forecast the path of the development of biobutanol by continent. The results reveal that developed countries should focus on biobutanol technological advances and developing countries should concentrate increasing the flexibility of the structure of biobutanol industry for the development of bioenergy. The production of biobutanol is highly sensitive to the elasticities of energy substitutes. The long-term rebound effects on biobutanol will range from 58.2% to 89.6%. Developed continents are more energy-efficient. Improving energy efficiency increases production of production. Investment in the early stage of a new bioenergy industry will increase the value of the production of bioenergy. The Paris Agreement without green investment may reduce industrial energy production except in South America and parts of North America. The IEA's Bridge Strategy is effective in keeping global warming to less than 2 °C, but will decrease economic growth globally. This study provides useful information for biobutanol investors and decision makers in the field of who are affected by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I set out some of the key aspects of the Paris COP 21 Climate Change Agreement. The Paris Agreement was initially reported as a major success. However, this was in so far as many thought any kind of agreement at all was unlikely, and because the Agreement includes Article 2: an aspiration to maintain average global temperature increases to significantly less than 2°C. I then ask the question: if the Paris Agreement is a success of sorts, has anything fundamental changed in order to translate the conditional success of achieving an agreement into an actual success that will realise the goals of the Agreement? I address this in terms of early assessment of trends and the Nationally Determined Contributions, how responsibility is positioned in the Agreement, and the political economy context, which has called forth the need for an agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]