Environmental governance

• Anthroprocentrism - people centred - the belief that human needs and interests are of overriding moral and philophical importance.
• Ecocentrism - nature centred - the belief that all living things have an intrinsic value, regardless of their usefulness to humans
• Sustainability is about meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• The Brundtland report (1987) defined sustainable development as 'development which meets the needs of present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.
• Materialism - material possessions
• consumerism: the protection or promotion of the interests of consumers
• Spaceship earth was the idea that emphasised the notion of limited and exhaustible wealth.
• According to Kenneth Boulding humans behaved as they live in a cowboy economy - an economy with unlimited resources
• Spaceship earth is a closed system meaning that all systems tend to exhibit evidence of entropy - tends towards decay.
• Awareness of the finite supply of 5 variables in particular led to a focus on resource problems, world population, industrialisation, pollution, food production , depletion of world oil by 1992.
• New paradigm - biocentrentic equality
• enlightened anthroprocentrism are humans being more sustainable.
• Rio earth summit achievements - First international conference to give significant attention to the issue of climate change. FCCC as a framework convention, calling for greenhouse gases to be stabilised.
• Rio summit disagreements - It was accepted by 181 governments, it was a framework and not legally binding

  Carbon emissions continued to rise during the 1990s

  The exclusion of developing states like China and India rate of increase got steeper.
• COP 3 Kyoto Achievements: Set binding targets for developed states to reduce total emissions from the developed word to at least 5.2% below 1990 levels.

  Flexibility mechanics, that introduced a system of carbon trading - cap and trade - targeted 41 states "annex states"
• Kyoto promoted carbon as a commodity binding targets saw this as more acceptable.
• Kyoto failures: Targets set were inadequate in terms of achieving the protocol goals - Dangerous anthropogenic interference

  15% cut in greenhouse by 2010 - EU
• Kyoto failed because US didnt ratify so only 167 countries signed up.
• Paris agreement is an agreement within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas-emitting countries committed to keeping global warming below 2 degrees celsius above pre industrial levels.
• tragedy of the commons : Atmosphere - commons , tipping point - 2 degrees

  Anthroprocentrism drives the materialism and consumerism - sustainable ways of production through the use of factories - the states pursuing policies of economic growth.
• COP 15 Copenhagen achievements : Brought 115 states together - pathway towards a legally binding agreement in 2010

  Influence of science, acceptance of the scientific basis setting limits on temperature

  Acceptance of 2 degree limit.

  Agreement included provisions for funding developing countries - 30 billion allocated , 100 billion committed annually by 2020.
• COP 15 Copenhagen failures : Fell short of ambitious targets sought by many countries

  Lack of inclusiveness - undermining the principles of multilateralism in international negotiations

  China overtook in carbon emissions
• COP 21: Paris agreement, legally binding and universal treaty to limit global warming - below 2 degrees but aim for 1.5 degrees

  Financial commitment of 100 billion to support climate related projects In developing countries, promoting international solidarity.

  Long - term emission reduction strategies committees to developing long term low greenhouse gas emissions development.
• COP 21: Challenges in implementation - ambitious goals , goals failed such as 2.45 degrees since 2023

  Ambiguities in finance definitions - issues over counting climate finance

  Ongoing fossil fuel industry concerns: the agreement was criticised for not directly addressing key issues

  Trump pulls out - America first

  China 2657 million tonnes of carbon emissions