Summary: Yanniek's Flashcards

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• Why is there a need for International Environmental Policy?

  Many environmental problems are transboundary, requiring global rules and cooperations between countries

• What are the unique challenges of international environmental policy? (Name five)

  1. Constraint by national sovereignty
  2. Collective action and free rider problems
  3. North-South conflicts
  4. Economy versus environment
  5. Absence of a (global) government (aka "anarchy")

• What is the collective action problem?

  Getting everyone to cooperate despite incentives of each to over-use resources.

• What is the free-riding problem?

  Letting others take costly action to reduce harm (from which everyone profits), whilst avoiding to take action one-self (compromising the results of the efforts of the group)

• In which policy making challenge do the free-riding problem and the collective action problem result?

  Everyone profits from reduced harm to the global commons, also those who do not act.

• Name the two dimensions of the North-South divide.

  1. Unequal contribution: North historically has had a bigger influence but also wants the South to act. South finds this unfair and a hurdle to growth.
  2. Unequal capacity: North has a bigger capacity to act, South might be worse affected by environmental degradation.

• Name the two opposing views within the North-South divide

  Environment vs. poverty alleviation
  Overconsumption vs. overpopulation

• What are the two consequences of no enforcing authority?

  1. Getting wider participation might result in least common denominator agreements.
  2. International agreements can be paper tigers

• Why is international environmental policy a scientific challenge?

  Because of the scientific uncertainties about causes and consequences.
  Long time lags between action and effect.

• Name seven trends in International Environmental Policy since the Stockholm conference in 1972

  1. Growing number of international environmental agreements
  2. Many more countries participating
  3. A shift in emphasis on nature conservation and species protection to trade, pollution and global commons problem.
  4.  Shifting participation from powerful states
  5. Moving away from a simple North/South divide
  6. A growing role for non-state actors and rise of private governance
  7. Global gatherings (summits) to move the international agenda forward.