Global environmental policy
Global environmental policy is that part of intergovernmental environmental policy that primarily relates to global environmental changes and scenarios . These include in particular desertification , global warming and transboundary air pollution, as well as the conservation of biodiversity . Often it takes place at the level of the United Nations .
Procedure
Global environmental policy usually takes place as the negotiation and conclusion (and possible further development) of an international environmental agreement , i.e. an international agreement between three or more states. The goals that can be agreed include a change in the state, such as reducing the formation of the new desert, or a change in behavior, such as reducing emissions.
Organizations
In addition to government agencies, particularly the respective ministries of the environment , numerous international organizations are involved in global environmental policy . The main actors include the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is involved in the implementation and financing of numerous projects .
Other participating organizations are:
- Commission on Sustainable Development (United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, CSD)
- the UN General Assembly
- the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- UNFF , the United Nations Forest Forum
- ECOSOC , the UN Economic and Social Council
As well as involved with cross-sectional areas :
- UNDP , the United Nations Development Program
- Regional commissions of the UN, especially ECE , the European Economic Commission
- UN specialized agencies such as UNESCO , the WTO or the WHO
In addition to the above, non-governmental organizations play an increasingly important role. Organizations active in environmental policy include both national and international groups:
Scientific support
The detection and treatment of global environmental changes requires a considerable scientific effort. The scientific part of this is carried out by large-scale international research collaborations such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
In the subsequent process in particular, social science findings are increasingly in demand, which measure the effectiveness of a newly established international regime or make suggestions for more effective implementation of the given political goals.
Milestones
Some milestones in global environmental policy are regularly noted in the literature. These are large world environmental conferences or particularly important publications. Particular mention should be made of:
- 1972: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) in Stockholm
- 1979: First world climate conference in Geneva
- 1983: The World Commission on Environment and Development chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland
- 1985: Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
- 1987: Brundtland report (definition of the definition of sustainable development )
- 1991: Founding of the Global Environment Facility
- 1992: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro with the adoption of the guidelines for the 21st century Agenda 21 and the Convention on Biological Diversity
- 1997: Kyoto Protocol on Global Climate Protection
- 2002: The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg
- 2009: REDD + forest protection initiative in Copenhagen
- 2015: Paris Agreement on Climate Change
See also
- Portal: International Politics
- Portal: Environment and nature protection
- World environmental organization
- Scientific Advisory Council of the Federal Government on Global Change
literature
- Klaus Dingwerth: Global Environmental Policy. Published by the Berlin Institute for Population and Development , April 2008 ( PDF ).
- Andreas Rechkemmer: Global Environmental Policy 2005 - Perspectives in the Context of the Reform of the United Nations , SWP Study S45, November 2004, (PDF) .
- Thorsten Schulz-Walden: Beginnings of Global Environmental Policy. Environmental security in international politics (1969–1975) , Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich, 2013, ISBN 978-3-486-72362-5
- Udo E. Simonis : World environmental policy - a lexical keyword. Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2006-005, WZB Berlin Social Science Center, 2006, (PDF; 80 kB) .
- Scientific Advisory Council of the Federal Government on Global Change (2001): World in Transition - New Structures of Global Environmental Policy. 2001, ISBN 3-9806309-6-X ( online ), ( Summary for Decision Makers , PDF ).
Web links
- Federal Foreign Office: Environment
- Sebastian Oberthür: International Environmental Policy. In: Information on political education. Issue 287.
Individual evidence
- ^ Sebastian Oberthür: International environmental policy . In: Federal Center for Political Education (Hrsg.): Information on Political Education . No. 287 , May 6, 2008, table “Milestones in international environmental policy” ( bpb.de - here only adopted globally).