China International Analysis and Evaluation Reports: Budgeting Carbon for Equity and Sustainability (Hardcover)

Climate change is a controversial topic worldwide today and the international regime and corresponding actions will inevitably have a lasting and profound influence on the world economy and international politics. As the largest developing country in the world, China plays an important role in international climate negotiations and is under increasing international pressure.

The existing Kyoto Protocol model takes the level of emissions in 1990 as a base and determines the emission reduction obligations of each developed country through negotiation. The findings gathered in this book break through the fixed pattern of thinking of the Kyoto Protocol and, based on the theory and methodology of the basic carbon emissions needed for human development, it studies a carbon budget proposal for global greenhouse gas emission reductions.

This proposal not only better embodies the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" established by the Climate Convention, but will also be able to realize global goals for mid- and long-term emission reductions. It represents a comprehensive proposal for developing a more equitable and more effective international climate regime.

The book puts forward constructive approaches to climate security and justice, building upon the inputs from the wide-ranging debates that took place at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Forum on Climate Justice and the Carbon Budget Approach in Beijing (April 2010).

The purpose of this prestigious international conference was to construct an international climate regime and to help promote climate justice. It also called on governments - particularly governments in developed countries - to bear the historical responsibility of climate change.

The key factors in the negotiations are a shared vision of global long-term cooperative actions, mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance. The core issue is how to reach an agreement for equitable burden-sharing of obligations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or allocation of emission entitlements. (Series: China International Analysis and Evaluation Reports)