Introduction
Climate change proves to be an alarming environmental issue tackled by several international bodies since the late 20th century. Studies have identified its potentially harmful effects to the environment and pointed out to increasing carbon emissions as the key cause of the problem. Organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Climate Program have agreed that there must be a ratification of an institutionalized set of anti-climate change policies for compliance by the international community. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol treaty emerged, but not all nations signed it (McCright & Dunlap, 2003).
Contentions on the Kyoto Protocol
Several contentions have challenged the integrity of the Kyoto Protocol in fighting climate change. The Conservative Movement of the United States (US), credited as the one highly responsible for the US Senate’s decision not to ratify the Protocol, emerged as among the most controversial entities in the anti-climate change issue. From the outright denial of the existence of climate change by some factions to the touted lobbying of the fossil fuels industry of the US, the Movement mobilized to derail legislative efforts to observe the Kyoto Protocol successfully – much to the chagrin of the rest of the international community (McCright & Dunlap, 2003).
Similarly, pressing arguments on the construction of climate change fueled further contentions on the issue. Some parties argued that climate change is a massive environmental problem and not just a political or economic problem. There are also arguments calling out for the environmental origins of climate change, which contends that it emerged directly from the accumulation of greenhouse gases from industrial activities than by lapses in political and economic regulations. Verily, those constructions call for a better examination of the circumstances surrounding climate change, as the issue itself seeks for proper resolutions (Demeritt, 2001).
Questions on policy implications of the Kyoto Protocol have emerged, with many directed against the demand side nature of the treaty. There is an understanding that the Protocol seeks to lower the demand of fossil fuels and other main causes of climate change. Yet, there is a concern on the reduction of fossil fuels supply. If the supply of fossil fuels does not face regulation to extents favorable to the Protocol, there is a greater chance that global warming could grow worse as oversupply triggered by lowered demand could force suppliers to release their products at lower prices to recover profits (Sinn, 2008).
Research Question and Rationale
The foregoing shows that the issue of climate change is highly controversial in the policy realm. The Kyoto Protocol is contentious to the extent that several parties have explored on variables such as the construction of climate change, policy implications and effects on stakeholders like the fossil fuel industry. This study aims at looking for a consensus on climate change policies that would seek to introduce compromises, if not resolve all of them, on the preceding controversies. An appropriate research question for this study would be the following: What particular factors does an overarching climate change policy need in order to become optimal for observance by the international community? Verily, this study directly challenges the universal optimality of the Kyoto Protocol based on the presented contentions.
Hypotheses
This study presents three hypotheses testable using qualitative data from previously published studies, as there is a wealth of established information on controversies aimed at the Kyoto Protocol. Such renders weighty considerations due to their implications.
- Expansive considerations for the fossil fuels industry, as they are the inevitable losers in the fight against climate change.
- Clearer and context-based construction of climate change, as such would prevent disagreements within the international community based on maligned understandings.
- Addition of a supply-side approach in regulating fossil fuels, for lack of such could be perilous to the long-term prospect of eliminating climate change.
Analysis
Considering the Fossil Fuels Industry
The fossil fuels industry is perhaps the largest victim in the fight against climate change, for climate change happens through excessive accumulation of greenhouse gases produced by the use of fossil fuels. While it may sound perfectly understandable at first that fossil fuels users and producers are to be accountable for climate change, an ideal climate change policy for the international community should hear out more from said sector. In other words, there must be a dialogue between climate change advocates and fossil fuels producers. Such is to ensure that advocates would get results favorable to their cause and fossil fuels producers to abide accordingly with their concerns addresses. Such dialogue could produce provisions favorable for eliminating climate change without harming the fossil fuels energy sector (McCright & Dunlap, 2003).
Clearer Construction of Climate Change
Several parties have argued on particular constructions needed for solving the climate change problem. Others have viewed the topic as being political or economic in nature while some establish that the problem is environmental and threatening to the existence of humankind. Nevertheless, such should trigger a possible review of the Kyoto Protocol or lead to the introduction of a treaty that provides a clearer construction of particular terms and concepts in climate change. With that, the international community could become less divisive on the matter, as there is an understanding that each nation has particular interests to fulfill that may run counter to certain interpretations on climate change, as presented in the in-effect Kyoto Protocol (Demeritt, 2001).
Expanding on the Supply-Side Approach
The Kyoto Protocol gives great notice against high demand on fossil fuels. Yet, it is equally noticeable that said treaty lacks greater attention to the supply of fossil fuels. A comprehensive climate change policy for the international community should place high regard to refining supply-side measures for fossil fuels. Without such regulation, there is a higher tendency that suppliers could take on measures to lower their prices to sell their products to regain profits easily in the face of thinning demand. Oversupply could trigger a surplus in fossil fuels that could bring emissions to higher levels, thus making the climate change problem worse (Sinn, 2008).
Conclusion
There is an understanding that at the time of the Kyoto Protocol, awareness on the climate change is not yet high. Thus, with several parties having explained their side on the issue, there must be an introduction of a new internationally binding consensus on climate change. The study has considered three important points – expansive considerations for the fossil fuels industry, clearer constructions on climate change concepts and consideration of supply-side approaches lacking in the Kyoto Protocol. While there may be more considerations fit for the purpose of this study, the foregoing is nevertheless crucial for uniting the international community against climate change and its perils.
References
Demeritt, D. (2001). The construction of global warming and the politics of science. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 91(2), 307-337.
McCright, A. & Dunlap, R. (2003). Defeating Kyoto: The Conservative Movement’s impact on US climate change policy. Social Problems, 50(3), 348-373.
Sinn, H. (2008). Public policies against global warming: A supply-side approach. International Tax Public Finance, 15, 360-394.
