The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: A Risk Regulation Perspective. (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bergkamp, Lucas
• Is Part Of: European journal of risk regulation. Volume 7:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 41
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: Risk management -- Periodicals; Risk management -- Europe -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 363.102
• DOI: 10.1017/S1867299X00005353
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1867-299X

Abstract

Abstract : This mini-symposium of the European Journal of Risk Regulation focuses on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was concluded at COP-21 in December 2015. It has been called the 'world's greatest diplomatic success' and a 'historic achievement, ' but also an 'epic failure' and even a 'fraud' and 'worthless words.' Disappointed with the Paris Agreement, a group of eleven climate scientists signed a declaration stating that it suffers from "deadly flaws" and gives "false hope;" they argue that the time for "wishful thinking and blind optimism" is over, and "the full spectrum of geo engineering" should be considered. The broad disagreement over the outcome of COP-21 in Paris (in particular, over its binding effect) illustrates not only the diverging expectations of interest groups, but also the antagonisms that arise in all areas of policy-making between the dogmatic and the pragmatic, the idealistic and the realistic, and the internationalists and nationalists.