The Paris Agreement’s differentiation architecture is a key feature of the international climate regime,enabling countries to submit climate action plans based on their unique national circumstances.The study is desi...The Paris Agreement’s differentiation architecture is a key feature of the international climate regime,enabling countries to submit climate action plans based on their unique national circumstances.The study is designed to investigate the impact of the Paris Agreement differentiation architecture on LDCs from Africa engagement in the UNFCCC process.The study adopted an exploratory research design and adopted a census approach to get a sample size of 66 negotiators from 33 LDCs in the Africa Group of Negotiators(AGN)for questionnaire administration.This paper presents part of the results of the research focused on how the Paris Agreement differentiation architecture inad vertently prevails over the unity of the developing countries and consequently drives collective ambition.The study notes the divide and rule elements of the Paris Agreement through strategic coordination challenges between AGN and LDCs from Africa;the LDCs from Africa’s divergent interests from AGN and G77 and China;and the LDCs’appropriation of new friends and partnerships.Consequently,LDCs from Africa are covertly and unassumingly redefining the concept of climate justice by transcending the traditional divide between developed and developing countries that characterized the preParis climate regime in calling for accountability for climate action.The study reveals that the Paris Agreement differentiation system contributes to the weakening of the unity of developing nations in their negotiations in the UNFCCC process,as revealed by how LDCs from Africa participate in the climate negotiations un der the current climate regime.The study further found that LDCs from Africa’s positions and tactics differ from those of other developing countries by opting to use nonstate actors and sometimes collaborating with developed countries.LDCs from Africa have tactfully been indifferent to Africa Group of Negotiators(AGN)interests such as the African Special Circumstances Agenda.While most developing countries have opposed the agenda,the position taken by LDCs from Africa is interesting because these parties come from AGN,which originated and owns this position.The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC)growing role in climate discussions,with aspirations to become a formal negotiating group,adds to the diplomatic complexity of the developing countries,which is mainly attributable to the Paris Agreement differentiation framework.The Paris Agreement has resulted in fractured solidarity among developing nations,with developing country groups split into subtle selfinterested entities that only use formal coalitions when it suits them.However,the unintended impact of the fissure is that LDCs from Africa and the rest of the LDCs are constantly pushing both developed and emerging economies for enhanced ambition,which is the primary purpose of the Paris Agreement.The deepened association with developed countries and nonstate actors,especially civil society organizations,is helping LDCs from Africa to push for ambition through lobbying advocacy and enhancing their capacity in negotiations through the inclusion of nonstate actors.Further,this development has enabled LDCs from Africa and others to reshape and redefine the concept of climate justice by advocating for a combined consideration of both historical responsibility and the current actions which ultimately brings emerging developing countries into the fold of accountability The study draws recommendations for LDCs from Africa to ensure unity of developing countries to keep negotiating as one for climate ambition while maintaining flexibility for individual parties to pursue their interests in alignment with the new climate regime.展开更多
Equity and fairness are fundamental principles in climate negotiations under the UNFCCC,essential for incentivizing active and effective participation of all parties involved.Historically,the principle of Common But D...Equity and fairness are fundamental principles in climate negotiations under the UNFCCC,essential for incentivizing active and effective participation of all parties involved.Historically,the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities(CBDR-RC)has been used to define the fairness and equitability of the international climate process which placed considerable accountability on developed nations on account of their historical responsibility for climate change and their capacity to address the problem.However,the Paris Agreement marked a shift toward a more inclusive global approach,requiring all countries to submit climate action plans tailored to their unique circumstances.Under the Paris Agreement,developing countries which were historically inculpable are also required to take comparable climate action alongside developed countries albeit in accordance with their socio-economic uniqueness.The study examined how Least Developed Countries(LDCs),from Africa,a sub-set of the developing countries within the African Group of Negotiators(AGN)perceive fairness and equity within the Paris Agreement framework.Using exploratory research,focused informant interviews and questionnaire to LDCs negotiators from Africa found that these countries acknowledge the retention of preferential provisions—such as flexible reporting requirements and targeted financial support—in the Paris Agreement as an important element in their consideration of fairness and equitability of the regime given their socio-economic status,vulnerability,and susceptibility to negative impacts to climate change have not improved since 1997.On the other hand,the study found that LDCs from Africa continue to face an avalanche of structural and systematic challenges in international climate negotiations which include inadequate representation,limited access to scientific information,and power imbalances with developed and emerging developing countries which necessitated the retention of the flexibilities and preferential conditions in the current climate regime.About 75% of the LDCs from Africa negotiators think that the retention of flexibilities enables them to participate in climate action in accordance with their abilities while allowing space to participate in their sustainable development and socio-economic pursuits without any restraining obligations.Despite these challenges,African LDCs from Africa,have developed ambitious NDCs,with 80% adopting economywide and long-term low-carbon strategies.Their commitment to implementation of the critical parts of the Paris Agreement relies heavily on targeted and preferential provision of international cooperation,reflecting both their trust in the UNFCCC and the crucial role that perceptions of fairness and equity play in sustaining this trust.To address the structure and system challenges,African LDCs have adopted innovative negotiation strategies to enhance their influence and achieve significant breakthroughs in climate diplomacy.African LDCs hold mixed views on the Paris Agreement’s approach to differentiation.While they acknowledge the Paris Agreement’s efforts to mobilize climate ambition through NDCs and provide flexibilities and preferential support for implementation,many strongly believe it falls short in delivering true fairness and equity.The research identified the Paris Agreement’s Achilles heel as its inability to effectively and practically incentivize climate ambition among parties as anticipated by the objectives of the treaty.Sixty-five percent(65%)of respondents attribute this failure to the lack of enforcement mechanisms and self-differentiation which leaves parties without sufficient motivation to independently and ambitiously determine their contributions.When asked whether the shortcomings of the Paris Agreement could lead to frustration among parties and questioning its effectiveness and pushing for a new treaty,70%of African LDCs viewed this scenario as unlikely.However,Papua New Guinea’s recent decision to boycott climate negotiations in Baku,Azerbaijan,due to unfulfilled climate finance commitments,highlights the growing frustration among parties over the gap between the promise of the Paris Agreement and its actual delivery especially to developing countries.The study found that African LDCs generally view the Paris Agreement as equitable,given its recognition of their vulnerabilities and its emphasis on broadening global climate action to include emerging economies and nonstate actors.Though LDCs from Africa welcome the inclusion of the emerging developing countries to take up enhanced commitments almost comparable to developed countries,though they also feel that treating these countries as developed is equally unfair.The study found that the agreement falls short in critical areas,particularly in failing to mobilize climate ambition particularly mitigation and climate finance to support the achievement of the 1.5℃ temperature goal and efforts to build adaptation and resilience of the most affected.These challenges significantly impede the efforts of LDCs to implement their ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs),particularly in mitigation,which is almost entirely reliant on international cooperation and support.To bridge these gaps,the study is making recommendations for urgent reforms in the UNFCCC process that would ensure meaningful inclusion of LDCs and the successful achievement of global climate goals.展开更多
文摘The Paris Agreement’s differentiation architecture is a key feature of the international climate regime,enabling countries to submit climate action plans based on their unique national circumstances.The study is designed to investigate the impact of the Paris Agreement differentiation architecture on LDCs from Africa engagement in the UNFCCC process.The study adopted an exploratory research design and adopted a census approach to get a sample size of 66 negotiators from 33 LDCs in the Africa Group of Negotiators(AGN)for questionnaire administration.This paper presents part of the results of the research focused on how the Paris Agreement differentiation architecture inad vertently prevails over the unity of the developing countries and consequently drives collective ambition.The study notes the divide and rule elements of the Paris Agreement through strategic coordination challenges between AGN and LDCs from Africa;the LDCs from Africa’s divergent interests from AGN and G77 and China;and the LDCs’appropriation of new friends and partnerships.Consequently,LDCs from Africa are covertly and unassumingly redefining the concept of climate justice by transcending the traditional divide between developed and developing countries that characterized the preParis climate regime in calling for accountability for climate action.The study reveals that the Paris Agreement differentiation system contributes to the weakening of the unity of developing nations in their negotiations in the UNFCCC process,as revealed by how LDCs from Africa participate in the climate negotiations un der the current climate regime.The study further found that LDCs from Africa’s positions and tactics differ from those of other developing countries by opting to use nonstate actors and sometimes collaborating with developed countries.LDCs from Africa have tactfully been indifferent to Africa Group of Negotiators(AGN)interests such as the African Special Circumstances Agenda.While most developing countries have opposed the agenda,the position taken by LDCs from Africa is interesting because these parties come from AGN,which originated and owns this position.The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States(CELAC)growing role in climate discussions,with aspirations to become a formal negotiating group,adds to the diplomatic complexity of the developing countries,which is mainly attributable to the Paris Agreement differentiation framework.The Paris Agreement has resulted in fractured solidarity among developing nations,with developing country groups split into subtle selfinterested entities that only use formal coalitions when it suits them.However,the unintended impact of the fissure is that LDCs from Africa and the rest of the LDCs are constantly pushing both developed and emerging economies for enhanced ambition,which is the primary purpose of the Paris Agreement.The deepened association with developed countries and nonstate actors,especially civil society organizations,is helping LDCs from Africa to push for ambition through lobbying advocacy and enhancing their capacity in negotiations through the inclusion of nonstate actors.Further,this development has enabled LDCs from Africa and others to reshape and redefine the concept of climate justice by advocating for a combined consideration of both historical responsibility and the current actions which ultimately brings emerging developing countries into the fold of accountability The study draws recommendations for LDCs from Africa to ensure unity of developing countries to keep negotiating as one for climate ambition while maintaining flexibility for individual parties to pursue their interests in alignment with the new climate regime.
文摘Equity and fairness are fundamental principles in climate negotiations under the UNFCCC,essential for incentivizing active and effective participation of all parties involved.Historically,the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities(CBDR-RC)has been used to define the fairness and equitability of the international climate process which placed considerable accountability on developed nations on account of their historical responsibility for climate change and their capacity to address the problem.However,the Paris Agreement marked a shift toward a more inclusive global approach,requiring all countries to submit climate action plans tailored to their unique circumstances.Under the Paris Agreement,developing countries which were historically inculpable are also required to take comparable climate action alongside developed countries albeit in accordance with their socio-economic uniqueness.The study examined how Least Developed Countries(LDCs),from Africa,a sub-set of the developing countries within the African Group of Negotiators(AGN)perceive fairness and equity within the Paris Agreement framework.Using exploratory research,focused informant interviews and questionnaire to LDCs negotiators from Africa found that these countries acknowledge the retention of preferential provisions—such as flexible reporting requirements and targeted financial support—in the Paris Agreement as an important element in their consideration of fairness and equitability of the regime given their socio-economic status,vulnerability,and susceptibility to negative impacts to climate change have not improved since 1997.On the other hand,the study found that LDCs from Africa continue to face an avalanche of structural and systematic challenges in international climate negotiations which include inadequate representation,limited access to scientific information,and power imbalances with developed and emerging developing countries which necessitated the retention of the flexibilities and preferential conditions in the current climate regime.About 75% of the LDCs from Africa negotiators think that the retention of flexibilities enables them to participate in climate action in accordance with their abilities while allowing space to participate in their sustainable development and socio-economic pursuits without any restraining obligations.Despite these challenges,African LDCs from Africa,have developed ambitious NDCs,with 80% adopting economywide and long-term low-carbon strategies.Their commitment to implementation of the critical parts of the Paris Agreement relies heavily on targeted and preferential provision of international cooperation,reflecting both their trust in the UNFCCC and the crucial role that perceptions of fairness and equity play in sustaining this trust.To address the structure and system challenges,African LDCs have adopted innovative negotiation strategies to enhance their influence and achieve significant breakthroughs in climate diplomacy.African LDCs hold mixed views on the Paris Agreement’s approach to differentiation.While they acknowledge the Paris Agreement’s efforts to mobilize climate ambition through NDCs and provide flexibilities and preferential support for implementation,many strongly believe it falls short in delivering true fairness and equity.The research identified the Paris Agreement’s Achilles heel as its inability to effectively and practically incentivize climate ambition among parties as anticipated by the objectives of the treaty.Sixty-five percent(65%)of respondents attribute this failure to the lack of enforcement mechanisms and self-differentiation which leaves parties without sufficient motivation to independently and ambitiously determine their contributions.When asked whether the shortcomings of the Paris Agreement could lead to frustration among parties and questioning its effectiveness and pushing for a new treaty,70%of African LDCs viewed this scenario as unlikely.However,Papua New Guinea’s recent decision to boycott climate negotiations in Baku,Azerbaijan,due to unfulfilled climate finance commitments,highlights the growing frustration among parties over the gap between the promise of the Paris Agreement and its actual delivery especially to developing countries.The study found that African LDCs generally view the Paris Agreement as equitable,given its recognition of their vulnerabilities and its emphasis on broadening global climate action to include emerging economies and nonstate actors.Though LDCs from Africa welcome the inclusion of the emerging developing countries to take up enhanced commitments almost comparable to developed countries,though they also feel that treating these countries as developed is equally unfair.The study found that the agreement falls short in critical areas,particularly in failing to mobilize climate ambition particularly mitigation and climate finance to support the achievement of the 1.5℃ temperature goal and efforts to build adaptation and resilience of the most affected.These challenges significantly impede the efforts of LDCs to implement their ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions(NDCs),particularly in mitigation,which is almost entirely reliant on international cooperation and support.To bridge these gaps,the study is making recommendations for urgent reforms in the UNFCCC process that would ensure meaningful inclusion of LDCs and the successful achievement of global climate goals.
