Global climate adaptation governance: Why is it not legally binding?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Policy
• International Relations
• Climate Change Governance

Background:

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has shifted focus from solely mitigation to include adaptation to climate change impacts.
• Existing research on the climate regime predominantly concentrates on mitigation governance, overlooking the growing body of adaptation initiatives.
• Adaptation is crucial for enabling countries to cope with the unavoidable consequences of climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the rules and commitments related to adaptation within the UNFCCC.
• To assess the degree of legalization, specifically precision and obligation, of adaptation governance in the UNFCCC.
• To contribute to the understanding of global environmental politics and climate change adaptation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of primary UNFCCC documents and secondary literature on adaptation.
• Conducting interviews with climate change experts and negotiators.
• Participant observation at climate negotiations.

Main Results:

• Adaptation governance within the UNFCCC is characterized by low levels of precision and obligation.
• Despite increased attention, adaptation rules lack the stringent legal character often seen in mitigation commitments.
• The contested nature of adaptation as a global public good and 'package deals' with mitigation influence low legalization.

Conclusions:

• Adaptation governance within the UNFCCC is underdeveloped in terms of legal precision and obligation.
• The findings highlight challenges in governing contested global public goods within international environmental regimes.
• This study underscores the need for further research into adaptation governance and its legalization within international climate policy.