Pure Common Sense

The Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in 1997, is a multilateral treaty that was made by several countries in order to solve the impending problem of climate change.  The goal was to hold nation-states to standards regarding emission levels after a decade of dialogue.  The first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stating that human activity was a factor in global warming had been released in 1990.  The process was planned to take place in Kyoto, Japan.

The negotiations at Kyoto involved a tremendous amount of time pressure, positional bargaining between states and a visibly large role of non-state actors.  Scientists and environmentalists had been stressing the nature of the problem for years and pressured for a quick and decisive solution to a problem that was sure to grow worse over time if left unchecked.  The negotiations themselves were only given a ten-day time frame in which to take place.  Some felt that this was not sufficient, but it imposed an added artificial time pressure on the states involved.  For some countries, especially the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the issue was seen as not a mere matter of environmental well-being, but of personal survival, since a theoretical rising sea-level could wipe out their countries and their homes.  Positional bargaining occurs when a negotiating actor centers themselves around a single desirable outcome and projects little or no flexibility in compromising away from it.  Each section of the globe had their own desired reduction level (and who would participate) and the negotiating states did not trust one another to follow through in the end.  The debate turned emotional as states began shifting blame for who was at fault.  Many blamed the United States, which garnered a large chunk of all previous emissions while the United States pointed out the role of larger developing nations such as China, India and Brazil, in the process of climate change.  But the non-state actors had a lot to say as well.  The city of Kyoto felt the presence of lobbyists for environmental and business causes alike from around the globe for and against the protocol, as well as offering their own take on the issue.

An “epistemic community” is defined as a network of professionals with recognized expertise and competence in a particular domain.  With regards to the Kyoto Protocol, the IPCC is the relevant epistemic community.  The IPCC evaluates scientific studies and data to produce reports for the global community.  The IPCC has done reports relevant to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Since it is regarded as an authority in the field and carries some influence, the IPCC can play a role in further negotiations on climate change, possibly by establishing a new position on emission level standards.