La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático

The document argues that the UN climate regime, comprising the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, is currently hindered by procedural complexity, fragmented institutional structures, and a lack of accountability. It highlights that 87% of recent decisions are merely procedural and recommends a systemic overhaul, including the formal closure of the Kyoto Protocol, the adoption of majority voting to replace consensus, and a shift toward a more active implementation role for the UNFCCC Secretariat. The authors emphasize the need for a new climate finance goal of at least $300 billion annually by 2035 and the integration of ethical considerations and structural causes of the climate crisis into future governance.

• The UN climate governance system is characterized by increasing procedural complexity and a gap between negotiation outcomes and real-world action. Between 1995 and 2023, the number of items on the provisional agendas of governing and subsidiary bodies increased by 50% and 87%, respectively.
• A systematic review of decisions from 2022 to 2024 reveals that the vast majority of outcomes are administrative rather than substantive. Approximately 87% of decisions were classified as procedural, while substantive decisions—those introducing new norms or policies—averaged only 12.9% of the total.
• The institutional infrastructure, consisting of 17 constituted bodies and 3 operational entities of the Financial Mechanism, suffers from structural weaknesses, including insufficient coordination, a lack of internal and external audits, and the prevalence of national interests over technical impartiality.
• Climate finance remains a critical barrier, with current mechanisms described as having asymmetric access and insufficient funding for priority areas. The document notes that 55% of financing is provided as loans, and only 28% is allocated to adaptation measures.
• The 2025 Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has strengthened the legal weight of the Paris Agreement by clarifying that certain decisions of the COP/CMA can generate legally binding obligations, reducing the gap between 'soft law' and 'hard law'.
• The authors recommend a formal 'dignified closure' of the Kyoto Protocol, as its second commitment period ended in 2020. Closing its remaining structures could save over 62 million euros over the next five years.
• The current consensus-based decision-making process is viewed as a bottleneck that can act as a veto. The document proposes adopting formal voting rules, such as a three-quarters majority, to allow for more ambitious and urgent decisions.
• There is a significant lack of representation for marginalized groups in COP summits despite a massive increase in total attendance. While participants grew from 970 at COP2 to 43,978 at COP28, indigenous peoples and vulnerable groups represented only 2.2% to 3.2% of attendees at the last two COPs.
• The document argues that the climate regime must address structural causes of the crisis, such as the capitalist economic paradigm, overproduction, and the role of fossil fuel companies, suggesting the integration of concepts like 'Buen Vivir' and 'degrowth'.

APA

Carbajal, A. L., Buitrago, M. F., Vargas, P. E., & Daza-Niño, N. (2025). La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/251125-PB-Reforma-Final_24nov.pdf

Chicago

Carbajal, Alejandra López, Maritza Florián Buitrago, Pamela Escobar Vargas, and Natalia Daza-Niño. La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático. Transforma, 2025. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/251125-PB-Reforma-Final_24nov.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carbajal |first1=Alejandra López |last2=Buitrago |first2=Maritza Florián |last3=Vargas |first3=Pamela Escobar |last4=Daza-Niño |first4=Natalia |title=La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático |publisher=Transforma |date=October 2025 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/251125-PB-Reforma-Final_24nov.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carbajal2025reforma, author = {Carbajal, Alejandra López and Buitrago, Maritza Florián and Vargas, Pamela Escobar and Daza-Niño, Natalia}, title = {{La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/251125-PB-Reforma-Final_24nov.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }