A video lecture that discusses international climate change policy and governance by Navroz Dubash, Center for Policy Research. This video lecture is part 1 of a 2-part lecture series titled ‘Climate Change: Policy and Governance: Global Negotiations and Domestic Policy Making’ of a MOOC. This MOOC has been developed by the National Resource Center on Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India.

1. Understanding climate change science: This section discusses the basics of climate science and focuses on two main questions- “why is climate change a problem?” and “how does climate science shape climate politics and policy?”
2. Challenges of tackling climate change: This section largely focuses on why climate change is a difficult issue for countries to tackle.
3. History of climate change negotiations: This section discusses the various climate change negotiations that have taken place over the last 20 years and a structure for future international negotiations and policies.
4. The Paris Agreement of 2015: This section discusses the 2015 international climate change agreement.

Through the use of global and regional data, the lecture discusses global warming and international agreements and treaties. The lecture discusses the concept of “zero-sum allocation” which highlights the finite nature of carbon dioxide that can be emitted into the atmosphere. Here, Dubash poses the question of “who gets to emit this carbon?”. Through the use of the example of air pollution, he also highlights the concept of “positive-sum approach” that discusses the possibility of increasing development as well as reducing carbon emissions. The lecture then discusses how countries believe that climate change is a “zero-sum” problem that would negatively impact economic development and often leads to reduced responsibility for their climate actions. Dubash discusses how this may influence economic and foreign policy. The lecture also discusses the term “polycentric governance” that describes the climate problem as a net problem of actions and choices by individuals, communities, corporations, cities, states and countries, where mitigation would involve understanding the root of those choices. The video describes the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), The Kyoto Protocol ( 1997), the Copenhagen Climate Convention (2009) and the Paris Agreement (2015) and their implications on geopolitical alliances, competition between countries, global development and international negotiations.

Students will be introduced to the history, frameworks and challenges of international climate change policy and governance. They will also learn about the implications and debates about concepts such as “zero-sum allocation” and “positive-sum approach” on a regional and national level. Students will further learn how the various international climate change agreements have shaped geopolitical alliances, global development, foreign policy and the overall global climate context. They will also learn about the negotiations that developed and developing countries have put forth to ensure maximisation of their economies without compromising on development. Additionally, students will learn about the need to understand the fundamentals of climate change science to ensure efficient policy and decision making.