Tag: Sarah Crown

Placing the Burden: Obligations of Fast-Developing States to Adopt Climate Mitigation Policies

Presenter(s): Lauren Scott − Political Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 183

Research Area: Social Science

As demonstrated by the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, one of the most adversarial issues in international climate change politics is whether developed countries have the responsibility to assume the global burden of mitigating climate impacts. Without an authoritative body to enforce international law, negotiations have devolved into developing states demanding that developed states reduce their emissions first, whilst refusing to set limits on their own emissions. However, quickly developing states, like China, India, and Brazil, now diverge substantially from their developing peers in their emissions levels and their increasing capacity to lower them. Therefore, the international community must question when a developing country should assume responsibility for its emissions. A dissonance exists between prioritizing fast development and making an effort to mitigate driving factors of climate change. By temporally examining the policies and stances of these quickly developing states versus other developing and developed states involved in climate talks, it becomes increasingly clear that the international community lacks a consensus on a clear responsibility that these states should assume.

Does A Country’s Level of Development Affect or Determine Their Commitment to Climate Change Mitigation Efforts?

Presenter(s): Valeska Ramirez − General Social Science: Globalization, Environment And Policy

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 178

Research Area: Social Science

It is known that climate change is an ever pressing issue, and that countries around the world face different levels of vulnerability associated with their abilities to mitigate climate change issues. The research will analyze if a country’s level of development affects or determines their commitment to climate change mitigation. I will be researching this question by analyzing theory in relevant literature that allows us to quantify level of development of different countries being researched. The theory in turn will allow us to categorize a country as developed or developing. There will be control for variation by researching four countries, two developing and two developed, that are a part of the Cartagena Dialogue, a negotiating group of alliances that were formed at the Paris climate conference. Countries within the Cartagena Dialogue are working towards an ambitious, legally binding agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention. Mitigation levels will be researched and measured for each country, with the Cartagena Dialogue serving as a baseline year for each of the four countries researched. Levels of mitigation will be looked at before and after to conclude if the countries joining the dialogue have taken initiative in climate change mitigation efforts. People should have the opportunity to mitigate and adapt to climate change regardless of where in the world it is happening. There are interests to investigate how environmental impacts vary across a country’s level of development and who bares the cost of climate change. Possible implications or conclusions I hope to find based on analysis is whether or not a country’s level of development motivates climate change mitigation efforts through policy.

Individualistic countries lack of commitment to Climate Change Mitigation

Presenter(s): Emma Palen − Earth Sciences – Environmental Geoscience Track

Faculty Mentor(s): Ronald Mitchell, Sarah Crown

Poster 176

Research Area: Social and Natural Science

Climate Change mitigation is discussed globally by groups of countries that have chosen to bond together. Preliminary research was conducted to identify which countries were considered individualistic and which were considered to be more community-based. For the purposes of this research, the Geert Hofstede model was used to categorize these countries into one or the other. The question that is addressed in this paper is are countries with individualistic culture less committed to climate change mitigation efforts? Policy makers are interested in this question because Climate change is an imperative issue that should be taken seriously and one of the first steps is identifying why certain countries have less commitment. The methods used to analyze this question included looking at the countries CO2 emissions 10 years before and 10 years after the Kyoto climate change agreement. It is expected that those countries who are identified as individualistic will be less committed to mitigating Climate change and this will be shown with no change or an increase in their CO2 after the Kyoto agreement. Those who demonstrate a more community-centered culture will have lower CO2 emissions after the agreement displaying their commitment to mitigating the issue. The primary results indicate that individualistic countries are less committed to climate change mitigation.

An examination into the Success or Failure of the EU Negotiating Group’s Climate Policy on Lowering Emissions

Presenter(s): Marie Moore − Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Sarah Crown, Ronald Mitchell

Poster 172

Research Area: Political Science

For my poster project I have chosen to research the climate policy of the European Union (EU) negotiating group. The EU negotiating group consists of 28 countries that have collaborated on one official climate policy. For my research I am investigated what carbon dioxide emission reduction commitments the EU negotiating group have established. I am exploring which European countries have met their goals or if they were unsuccessful in lowering emissions and why that is. I am researching variables, such as clean energy sources, that have led to countries successfully lowering emissions. By gaining a deeper understanding of what has worked for other countries in combating climate change, we as a country would have an effective template on how to successfully lower our emissions.