Exploding the myths of sectoral approaches (and renaming them sectoral approaches, agreements and measures)

The paper argues that sectoral approaches (SAs) are often misunderstood and suggests renaming them 'Sectoral Approaches, Agreements and Measures' (SAAMs) to avoid pejorative connotations. Based on case studies of the steel sector in China, India, and Japan, the author finds that practical climate measures must be built upon existing domestic policies and national priorities rather than imposed via top-down international agreements, as sovereignty concerns remain high.

• The term 'sectoral approaches' is viewed as pejorative by some key stakeholders, making a renaming to 'Sectoral Approaches, Agreements and Measures' (SAAMs) or a similar variant preferable.
• Case studies of the steel sector in China, India, and Japan indicate that effective SAAMs must be designed based on current domestic policies and measures before considering international components, as these countries prioritize national sovereignty over internationally agreed common solutions.
• Developing climate measures from a domestic base is more efficient than 'top down' international agreements, which introduce complexity and cause delays.

APA

Wooders,, P. (2011). Exploding the myths of sectoral approaches (and renaming them sectoral approaches, agreements and measures). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/exploding-myths-sectoral-approaches-and-renaming-them-sectoral-approaches

Chicago

Wooders,, Peter. Exploding the myths of sectoral approaches (and renaming them sectoral approaches, agreements and measures). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2011. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/exploding-myths-sectoral-approaches-and-renaming-them-sectoral-approaches.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wooders, |first1=Peter |title=Exploding the myths of sectoral approaches (and renaming them sectoral approaches, agreements and measures) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 May 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/exploding-myths-sectoral-approaches-and-renaming-them-sectoral-approaches |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wooders2011exploding, author = {Wooders,, Peter}, title = {{Exploding the myths of sectoral approaches (and renaming them sectoral approaches, agreements and measures)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/exploding-myths-sectoral-approaches-and-renaming-them-sectoral-approaches}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }