National climate change legislation: The key to more ambitious international agreements?

The report posits that national climate change legislation acts as an enabler for international agreements by building government confidence, knowledge, and a desire for competitive parity. Using examples like South Korea, Mexico, and the UK, the authors suggest that domestic targets inform a country's international position and create the political space necessary for a global deal.

• Countries that implement ambitious domestic legislation regarding greenhouse gas emission targets tend to translate that ambition into the international arena, with South Korea, Mexico, and the UK cited as examples of nations that enacted robust domestic targets and subsequently championed collective action.
• Domestic climate leadership translates to the global stage through three primary drivers: competitiveness, confidence, and knowledge. Competitiveness drives countries that price carbon to encourage others to do the same to mitigate competitive impacts. Knowledge is gained as governments assess the costs of ambition versus inaction and identify low-carbon investment opportunities. Confidence grows as governments witness the co-benefits of legislation, such as improved air quality, energy security, and resilience.
• National climate legislation is viewed as a prerequisite and enabler for international deals rather than a result of them, potentially forming the basis of a legal outcome under the Durban Platform by 2015.

APA

Townshend, T., & Matthews, A. (2013). National climate change legislation: The key to more ambitious international agreements? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/resource/national-climate-change-legislation-the-key-to-more-ambitious-international-agreements

Chicago

Townshend, Terry, and Adam Matthews. National climate change legislation: The key to more ambitious international agreements? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/resource/national-climate-change-legislation-the-key-to-more-ambitious-international-agreements.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Townshend |first1=Terry |last2=Matthews |first2=Adam |title=National climate change legislation: The key to more ambitious international agreements? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2 August 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/national-climate-change-legislation-the-key-to-more-ambitious-international-agreements |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{townshend2013national, author = {Townshend, Terry and Matthews, Adam}, title = {{National climate change legislation: The key to more ambitious international agreements?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/national-climate-change-legislation-the-key-to-more-ambitious-international-agreements}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }