Abstract
This concluding article derives six major findings from the contributions to this special issue. First, the barriers and challenges to decarbonisation vary significantly across sectoral systems. Second, and similarly, the need and potential for the five functions of international governance institutions to contribute to effective climate protection also vary widely. Third, while the pattern is uneven, there is a general undersupply of international climate governance. Fourth, the sectoral analyses confirm that the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement play an important overarching role but remain limited in advancing effective sectoral governance. Fifth, while non-environmental institutions may present important barriers to decarbonisation, more synergistic effects are possible. Sixth, our sectoral approach provides a sound basis on which to identify sector-specific policy options. The paper then offers reflections on the merits and limitations of the sectoral approach, before identifying avenues for future research to further advance the agenda.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 100105 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Earth System Governance |
| Volume | 8 |
| Early online date | 21 Apr 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful feedback of two anonymous referees, and those who commented helpfully at a panel session presenting concepts and evidence informing this Special Issue, held at the Earth Systems Governance conference in Utrecht, Netherlands, 5–8th Nov 2018. Any remaining factual errors are the authors' own responsibility. Research for this and other articles in the Special Issue was funded through the Horizon 2020 COP21 RIPPLES project (grant agreement No 730427 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)
Keywords
- Climate policy
- Paris agreement
- Polycentric governance
- Sectoral systems
- UNFCCC
