CiR2P Option 19 | Adherence to regimes and treaties

DISCUSSION:

Regimes and treaties help guide what is considered appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in international relations. They both involve states coming together in a formalised way to advance a particular issue of international concern. The key difference is that a treaty has a legal quality to it.

Western governments could help protect vulnerable populations from climate-related harm by  

• (re)committing themselves to existing treaties and regimes such as the Paris Agreement and its temperature goal of limiting warming to under 2 degrees Celsius

• encouraging other developed and developing countries to adhere to the full range of existing regimes and treaties that limit damage to natural systems

• working with fragile countries in climate hot-spots to help resolve resource sharing issues and secure appropriate frameworks to manage those resources

• developing new regional regimes and treaties to deal with emissions at their source for example by establishing a non-fossil fuel proliferation regime

• leading by example on existing and new climate-related certifications and standards such as those related to forest protection and hydrogen development