International Institutions and Climate Change

1
International Institutions and Climate Change

• Ronald B. Mitchell
• Department of Political Science
• University of Oregon
• Third Annual Environmental Policy
  ConferenceAdaptive Research and Governance in
  Climate ChangeOhio State University, October
  30-31, 2003

2
Overview

• How do we devise a network of institutions that,
  collectively, promote
• Mitigation reduce behaviors that contribute to
  climate change
• Sequestration and De-coupling increase behaviors
  that disconnect climate change from existing
  behaviors
• Adaptation reduce impacts of a changed climate
  on human welfare

3
Unique nature of climate problem

• Size and cost of efforts to remedy
• Time scale of efforts to remedy
• Ubiquity of human contributors
• Ubiquity of impacts on humans
• Complex interdisciplinary problem(s)
• Implication these require broad and deep
  institutional response

4
Broad notion of institutions

• States
• International organizations
• Nongovernmental organizations
• Multinational corporations
• Religions and other social groups
• Markets
• Norms
• Etc.

5
Four major institutional functions

• Science identify environmental changes, their
  causes consequences
• Advocacy build concern commitment to need for
  action
• Technology develop technically and socially
  possible solutions
• Policy devise and implement feasible social
  solutions institutions

6
Scienceunderstanding the problem

• Identify environmental changes, their causes
  consequences
• Operate interdisciplinarily
• Integrate science with politics and vice versa
• Ask answer questions in policy-relevant ways
• Involve stakeholders with scientists
• Make science salient, credible, legitimate
• E.g., IPCC, IIASA-RAINS-LRTAP

7
Advocacydeveloping concern

• Build broad-based but deep commitment to problem
  resolution
• Transcend political issue cycle 100 year, not 4
  year, problem
• Balance framing of action as privately beneficial
  or altruistic each has risks
• Transnational issue networks (including
  religions?) social mobilization
• E.g., human rights meta-regime

8
Technologydesigning technical fixes

• Devise technically/socially viable solutions
• Focus on
• Resource use (not cost) accounting
• Effects of production, operation, disposal
• Innovation and diffusion
• Driven by policy goals and public investment as
  well as market pressures
• E.g., appropriate technology, non-fossil fuels

9
Policydesigning social fixes

• Devise social solns focused on ends, not means
• Behavior change not compliance
• Effectiveness not efficiency
• Trial and error coupled with evaluation
• Means to include sanctions, rewards, capacity
  building, prevention, information, norms
• Balancing of environmental and other goals to
  foster long-term sustainable commitment
• Government but also markets, etc.
• E.g., International Wetlands Bureau

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Trans-institutional concerns

• Network of institutions
• Embed in non-environmental institutions
• Long-term short-term perspective
• Cross-scale, cross-discipline, cross-issue
• Coordinated and integrated approach
• Participatory, transparent, accountable - foster
  uptake of ideas, policies
• Innovative and self-evaluative approach

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Conclusions

• Climate change is qualitatively different problem
• Need not just institutions but an institutional
  network that accomplishes several functions
• Requisite institutional characteristics can be
  identified