VCE Politics (Year 12) · Unit 3 — Global Cooperation and Conflict · 13m read

Global Issues, Global Responses — Climate Change

Unit 3 Area of Study 1 asks you to study one global issue in depth — climate change, global economic instability, development or weapons. Climate change is a popular choice and a model for analysing any global issue.

Learning objective: Analyse the causes, consequences and significance of climate change as a global issue, and evaluate the effectiveness of global responses.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can explain why climate change transcends national boundaries.
• I can describe key global responses such as the Paris Agreement and COP negotiations.
• I can evaluate the effectiveness of cooperation and the obstacles to it.

The atmosphere is a shared house. Everyone pays for the heating bill, but some use far more than others — and the leaking roof affects everyone.

Causes, consequences, significance

CAUSES: greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture and industry.
CONSEQUENCES: rising temperatures, more extreme weather, sea-level rise threatening low-lying Pacific states, food and water insecurity, displacement and economic costs.
SIGNIFICANCE: it is a TRANSNATIONAL problem — no state can solve it alone, and those least responsible (e.g. small island developing states) are often most affected, raising questions of climate justice.

Global responses and their effectiveness

• UNFCCC (1992) — the framework convention; annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs).
• KYOTO PROTOCOL (1997) — binding targets for developed countries only.
• PARIS AGREEMENT (2015) — almost all countries agreed to keep warming well below 2 °C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C, through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are reviewed and strengthened over time.
• Climate finance (e.g. funds for adaptation; agreement at COP27 in 2022 to establish a loss and damage fund).

OBSTACLES: national interests (fossil-fuel economies), free-riding, the non-binding nature of NDC targets, tension between developed and developing states over responsibility, and leadership changes that reverse commitments.

EVALUATION: Paris achieved near-universal participation and a shared goal, but current national pledges are widely assessed as insufficient to meet the 1.5 °C goal.

Worked example (Medium)

Evaluate the effectiveness of the Paris Agreement.

1. Strengths. Near-universal membership; flexible NDCs bring in developing states; regular ratcheting and transparency.
2. Weaknesses. Targets are nationally set and not enforceable; current pledges fall short of 1.5 °C.
3. Judgement. Effective as a framework for cooperation, less effective in securing sufficient action.

Answer: The Paris Agreement is effective in building broad cooperation and a common goal, but only partially effective because voluntary, unenforceable targets have not yet delivered the emissions cuts needed.

Common mistakes

• Treating the issue as only scientific Politics focuses on actors, interests and power. Fix: Explain why states disagree and how they cooperate.
• Out-of-date examples Recent evidence is expected. Fix: Use developments from the last few years.

Practice questions

1. Under the Paris Agreement, countries set their own emissions targets known as:

   1. Security Council resolutions
   2. Nationally Determined Contributions
   3. Tariffs
   4. Vetoes

   (1 marks)

2. Explain two obstacles to effective global cooperation on climate change.

   (4 marks)

Summary

• Climate change is transnational and raises justice questions.
• Responses: UNFCCC, Kyoto, Paris (NDCs), climate finance.
• Obstacles: national interest, free-riding, unenforceable targets, divisions.
• Evaluate with recent evidence.