IS THERE A WAY FORWARD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?

Čavoški PhD Aleksandra (Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham), a.cavoski@bham.ac.uk

The latest iPCC report finally confirmed human activity to be the cause of global warming. Despite this firm scientific evidence climate change, law is still not sufficiently developed and does not promptly respond to emerging climate changes. We are still reduced to two international agreements, namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol with very limited reach. Efforts were made to set out a second commitment under Kyoto and to launch a new negotiation framework for adoption of a new legally binding instrument within the UN Climate Change Convention. To what extent these new negotiations will be successful will mostly depend on the willingness of rapidly developing countries to be imposed with legally binding emission reduction targets but also the will of developed countries to meet more stringent targets and offer adequate assistance to developing countries, especially those vulnerable to climate change. it will also require all parties to understand and interpret the UN Climate Change Convention in a new and dynamic context where the Convention will be regarded as a living instrument.

Keywords: Climate change, greenhouse gases, iPCC, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Bali Action Plan, Copenhagen Accord, Durban Platform for Enhanced Action