The Way Forward in International Climate Policy: Key Issues and New Ideas 2014

The document explores diverse strategies to advance international climate policy, including the adoption of a 'green growth' narrative, the application of social psychology to fairness and equity disputes, and the use of 'clubs' or public-private technology pools to bypass traditional negotiation impasses. It specifically examines the legal interpretation of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' (CBDR), the potential of green bonds to mobilize private finance, and the 'Quisqueya Platform' for creating synergies between mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.

• The conventional framing of climate policy as a 'mission impossible' or a cost-benefit analysis of burden-sharing often fails to generate political will; instead, a 'green growth' narrative that pursues 'win-win options' may be more effective in solving global coordination problems.
• To resolve equity disputes, climate policy should move away from zero-sum burden-sharing and instead balance 'backwards-looking justice' (historical responsibility) with 'forwards-looking peace' (transformational development pathways).
• The International Law Association suggests that while industrialised countries are accountable for historical emissions, a flexible framework is needed that moves beyond formal binary differentiation between developed and developing countries.
• A proposed 'hierarchical approach' to the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle would maintain the developed/developing divide but introduce a new category of 'capable developing countries' who could voluntarily commit to absolute mitigation targets.
• The 'club goods' approach, illustrated by the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) fuel efficiency regulations, allows like-minded actors to achieve climate-positive outcomes through excludable benefits that still provide public-good mitigation effects.
• The 'Quisqueya Platform' is proposed as a mechanism to exploit synergies between mitigation and adaptation, allowing countries to blend domestic and multilateral finance while aligning climate action with national development priorities.
• To overcome the impasse in technology transfer, the report proposes 'public-private technology pools' based on 'technological integration,' where stakeholders collaboratively conduct research and development in regional centers within developing countries.
• Green bonds represent a significant opportunity to mobilize private finance, with issuances increasing fivefold in 2013 to over $11 billion, though they currently lack a common definition of 'greenness' and consistent environmental verification.

APA

de Coninck, H., Lorch, R., & Sagar, A. D. (2014). The Way Forward in International Climate Policy: Key Issues and New Ideas 2014. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-strategies-cdkn-the-way-forward-in-international-climate-policy-2014.pdf

Chicago

de Coninck, Heleen, Richard Lorch, and Ambuj D. Sagar. The Way Forward in International Climate Policy: Key Issues and New Ideas 2014. Climate Strategies, 2014. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-strategies-cdkn-the-way-forward-in-international-climate-policy-2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Coninck |first1=Heleen |last2=Lorch |first2=Richard |last3=Sagar |first3=Ambuj D. |title=The Way Forward in International Climate Policy: Key Issues and New Ideas 2014 |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=September 2014 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-strategies-cdkn-the-way-forward-in-international-climate-policy-2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{deconinck2014way, author = {de Coninck, Heleen and Lorch, Richard and Sagar, Ambuj D.}, title = {{The Way Forward in International Climate Policy: Key Issues and New Ideas 2014}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2014}, month = sep, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-strategies-cdkn-the-way-forward-in-international-climate-policy-2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }