Event Title
Conference on China and Global Climate Change : Reconciling International Fairness and Protection of the Atmospheric Commons
Location
AM308, Lingnan University
Start Date
18-6-2009 9:45 AM
End Date
18-6-2009 10:30 AM
Language
English
Description
Global warming and the resulting climate change present the world with major and potentially devastating challenges. They lead to environmental degradation/scarcity and a radical reform of the energy mix among industrial countries, in addition to other nontraditional security concerns.2 From the 1992 Rio Summit through the Kyoto Conference and the Bali Roadmap, a generation has passed since the world's governments began to seriously consider the problems of global warming and the resulting climate change. It is now patently clear that the world should get together to combat the climate disaster. However, we are always confused with two questions: why has global climate governance been so difficult, and what factors hamper the effectiveness of international cooperation. This article will give an explanation to two logics of climate change games by linking environmental governance and know-how competition.
For those concerned about climate change, collective actions and regimes designed to limit carbon emissions are at the core of global warming concerns. However, preventing catastrophic climate change is actually an energy challenge that leads to dramatic know-how competition in both new and alternative energy. In the international collective action against global warming, on the one hand, the pursuit of rational common goods leads to cooperation; on the other hand, the pursuit of rational self-interest or preference (in carbon emissions and energy know-how) among different states often frustrates international cooperation. Thus there are two logics of the climate change games: the logic of collective action in international environmental cooperation; and the logic of power competition in energy innovation, which is the foundation of power transition in this century. The energy revolution induced by global warming includes the discovery and exclusive possession of new energy sources, along with revolutionary progress in the promotion and application of new energy technology, improved social and economic efficiency, and government control over energy use. Not surprisingly, the transition of power and hegemony in the future will most likely be connected to energy.
In the fight against global warming, Western countries not only need to deal with the failure of collective action among Annex I countries (developed countries),3 but also resolve interest conflicts between themselves. They also have to encourage developing countries to share concrete responsibilities in global governance on global climate change. Particularly, the rich countries—the European Union, Japan and the United States—have and will continue to achieve domination in the process of climate change politics, and they will compete for leadership in new and alternative energy, which is at the core of a low-carbon economy.
China, which is the world's largest economic powerhouse and polluter, is central to both regional and global efforts against global warming, particularly in the post-Kyoto climate negotiations. The two-layer games in global climate change politics will pose double challenges on the country’s domestic political economy and diplomacy. China’s current development route is still a growth-oriented, unsustainable and resource-constrained economic model, and the country faces the crucial need to promote development while joining the global struggle against global warming and contributing to global economic growth. The government in Beijing seeks to act as a “responsible stakeholder in the international system,” while pursuing a “scientific outlook on development” in its national economic development. On the one hand, given the growing absolute carbon emissions, China has turned into an “environmental superpower;”4on the other hand, its energy-intensive economy is not only pushing up growth rates in the United States, Japan, the EU and other economies, but also strengthening the capacity building for low-carbon and new energy. With these considerations in mind, in this paper, I look at some of the consequences and characteristics of the two-layer games in global climate change politics. Then I describe international and domestic implications for China.
Document Type
Discussion
Recommended Citation
Yu, H. (2009). Two logics of climate change games: Environmental governance and know-how competition. In China and global climate change: Proceedings of the conference held at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, 18-19 June 2009 (pp. 61-77). Centre for Asian Pacific Studies and the Environmental Studies Programme, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
Included in
Two logics of climate change games : environmental governance and know-how competition
AM308, Lingnan University
Global warming and the resulting climate change present the world with major and potentially devastating challenges. They lead to environmental degradation/scarcity and a radical reform of the energy mix among industrial countries, in addition to other nontraditional security concerns.2 From the 1992 Rio Summit through the Kyoto Conference and the Bali Roadmap, a generation has passed since the world's governments began to seriously consider the problems of global warming and the resulting climate change. It is now patently clear that the world should get together to combat the climate disaster. However, we are always confused with two questions: why has global climate governance been so difficult, and what factors hamper the effectiveness of international cooperation. This article will give an explanation to two logics of climate change games by linking environmental governance and know-how competition.
For those concerned about climate change, collective actions and regimes designed to limit carbon emissions are at the core of global warming concerns. However, preventing catastrophic climate change is actually an energy challenge that leads to dramatic know-how competition in both new and alternative energy. In the international collective action against global warming, on the one hand, the pursuit of rational common goods leads to cooperation; on the other hand, the pursuit of rational self-interest or preference (in carbon emissions and energy know-how) among different states often frustrates international cooperation. Thus there are two logics of the climate change games: the logic of collective action in international environmental cooperation; and the logic of power competition in energy innovation, which is the foundation of power transition in this century. The energy revolution induced by global warming includes the discovery and exclusive possession of new energy sources, along with revolutionary progress in the promotion and application of new energy technology, improved social and economic efficiency, and government control over energy use. Not surprisingly, the transition of power and hegemony in the future will most likely be connected to energy.
In the fight against global warming, Western countries not only need to deal with the failure of collective action among Annex I countries (developed countries),3 but also resolve interest conflicts between themselves. They also have to encourage developing countries to share concrete responsibilities in global governance on global climate change. Particularly, the rich countries—the European Union, Japan and the United States—have and will continue to achieve domination in the process of climate change politics, and they will compete for leadership in new and alternative energy, which is at the core of a low-carbon economy.
China, which is the world's largest economic powerhouse and polluter, is central to both regional and global efforts against global warming, particularly in the post-Kyoto climate negotiations. The two-layer games in global climate change politics will pose double challenges on the country’s domestic political economy and diplomacy. China’s current development route is still a growth-oriented, unsustainable and resource-constrained economic model, and the country faces the crucial need to promote development while joining the global struggle against global warming and contributing to global economic growth. The government in Beijing seeks to act as a “responsible stakeholder in the international system,” while pursuing a “scientific outlook on development” in its national economic development. On the one hand, given the growing absolute carbon emissions, China has turned into an “environmental superpower;”4on the other hand, its energy-intensive economy is not only pushing up growth rates in the United States, Japan, the EU and other economies, but also strengthening the capacity building for low-carbon and new energy. With these considerations in mind, in this paper, I look at some of the consequences and characteristics of the two-layer games in global climate change politics. Then I describe international and domestic implications for China.