Climate Change and Global Governance

This research paper by John Drexhage of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that global climate governance must evolve beyond a state-centric, environment-department-led model to better integrate environmental and development policies. The author critiques the top-down target-setting of the Kyoto Protocol and proposes a more flexible, sector-based approach to mitigation that engages industry and major economies more realistically. The paper emphasizes that a successful post-2012 regime requires a strong commitment to a development agenda for the Global South, leveraging official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI), and synergies between adaptation and mitigation to alleviate poverty.

• Climate change governance has historically been dominated by environment departments and specialists, which the author argues is insufficient for the multifaceted nature of the challenge. This trend was reinforced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), where even Working Group III, focused on mitigation, was often led by individuals with climate change backgrounds rather than "pure" energy specialists.
• The Kyoto Protocol's primary weakness was its top-down process for establishing targets, which the author claims were based on G8 leaders attempting to "outgreen" one another rather than rigorous analysis. Despite this, the author acknowledges Kyoto's success in establishing a global value for carbon and creating architecture for reporting, monitoring, and market mechanisms like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
• The author proposes a transition where the UNFCCC acts as a "bellweather" for monitoring emissions and effectiveness, while a separate, more flexible regime handles mitigation. This mitigation regime would involve expert tables and sector groups—including industry and academics—committing to specific contributions, such as target dates for carbon capture and storage (CCS) or renewable energy penetration.
• To secure the participation of major economies reluctant to accept strict binding commitments, the author suggests a flexible approach to the UN regime, stating it should be "outside the UNFCCC if necessary, but not necessarily outside the UNFCCC." This could include relaxing absolute legally binding targets to allow countries to determine what is actually achievable.
• Effective climate governance for developing countries must be integrated with a sustainable development pathway focused on poverty alleviation. The author argues for synergies between adaptation and mitigation, particularly those supporting ecosystem-oriented poverty alleviation, rather than treating them as independent options.
• The author highlights a gap in the integration of climate change into the mainstream activities of development agencies. While some successes exist in helping G77 and China with National Communications and Adaptation Strategies, these have not translated into "normal" technical assistance at the field level.
• The paper suggests that the international carbon market's registry and approval tasks, currently handled by the UNFCCC, should eventually be divested to external entities or an independent oversight body managing national and private registries as standards become codified.

APA

Drexhage, J. (2007). Climate Change and Global Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_which_way_ahead.pdf

Chicago

Drexhage, John. Climate Change and Global Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2007. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_which_way_ahead.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Drexhage |first1=John |title=Climate Change and Global Governance |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2007 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_which_way_ahead.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{drexhage2007climate, author = {Drexhage, John}, title = {{Climate Change and Global Governance}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2007}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/geg_which_way_ahead.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }