POSC 2200 – International Political Economy

1. POSC 2200 – International Political Economy Russell Alan Williams Department of Political Science

2. Unit Six: International Political Economy “Environmental Cooperation" Required Reading: • Globalization of World Politics, Chapter 21. • David Layfield, “International policy on climate change: after Kyoto, what next?” Environmental Politics, 19:4, (2010), Pp. 657-661. (Available from e-journals, or from the instructor.) Outline: • Sovereign States and the Tragedy of the Commons • Theoretical Issues • Practical Environmental Challenges: • The Impact of the Trade Regime • Ozone Depletion and CFC’s • Carbon Emissions and the Kyoto Protocol • Conclusions

3. 1) Sovereignty & the Tragedy of Commons: Environmental issues highlight problematic legacy of “Westphalian” system of sovereignty: • “Sovereignty”: provides states with right act within their own territory as they wish, but . . . . • Environmental issues do not respect territoriality • E.g. “Acid Rain”

4. “Tragedy of the Commons”: • Much like “Prisoners’ Dilemma” – individual self interested rationality leads to collective outcomes that make everyone worse off. • Concept has become a metaphor for global environmental issues: • E.g. Clean air, water and the depletion/damage of “open access” resources

5. 2) Theoretical Issues: As awareness of globalization and environmental problems grew after the 1970s, IR scholars speculated that there were two types of problems . . . . 1) The “Race to the Bottom” dynamic • Increased economic integration and competition, made it “rational” for states to reduce costly environmental regulations. • Since all states understood this, all would act in the same way. =More pollution and more environment and health problems Record suggest the “race to the bottom” has not materialized . . .

6. 2) Theoretical Issues: As awareness of globalization and environmental problems grew after the 1970s, IR scholars speculated that there were two types of problems . . . . 2) States have different “Ecological Footprints” • “Ecological Footprint”: System for measuring the load placed on natural systems by human activity. • Assumes: • Some loads may not be sustainable over the long term • Loads go up as standards of living increase • E.g. “Globalization” and “development”, by increasing standards of living will create unsustainable ecological footprints

7. Concern over “Ecological Footprints” reflect emerging “norms” . . . . • “Sustainable Development”: Development that meets people’s current social and economic needs without depleting the ability of people in the future to meet their needs. • Supported by: • Bundtland Commission (1987) • United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) • Many NGO’s Very challenging – suggest the need to limit growth . . . somewhere!

8. Key point: • Both potential “race to the bottom” problems and challenges of “ecological footprints” that meet “sustainable development” require international cooperation . . . . • E.g. “International Law” “International Regimes” • Lessons from IR . . . ? • Depends on your perspective! Do regimes and international law “work” in other areas . . . .

9. 3) Practical Environmental Challenges: a) The impact of the “trade regime”: • WTO and trade law encourages globalization and discourages states from creating barriers to trade – E.g. “Liberalization” • Includes domestic standards about how products are created – States are not allowed discriminate on the basis of environmental concerns • E.g. The “Tuna-Dolphin” Cases . . . . = Obstacle to internationalizing environmental standards based on consumption

10. 3) Practical Environmental Challenges: b) Ozone Depletion & Chlorofluorocarbons(CFC’s): • CFC’s were a standard and highly valued industrial product, however . . . • After 1980s scientific consensus emerged that their emission was eroding the ozone layer exposing humans to harm. • Result = “Montreal Protocol”: States create a regime to ban the use of CFC’s – highly effective • Illustrates role of a scientific “Epistemic Community”

11. 3) Practical Environmental Challenges: c) Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change: • After 1980s many scientists argued that the emission of some forms of pollution were creating a “greenhouse” effect that would contribute to global warming = Uncertain environmental consequences (rising seas, droughts in some regions, habitat collapses) – potentially very $$$$$

12. Result: Long running international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (primarily carbon) • “Kyoto Protocol” (1997): International Regime designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • Developed states were supposed to implement systems to reduce emissions by approx. 5% between 1990 and 2008. • Many developing states were not included in limits (E.g. to allow increases in development) • Widely perceived as a failure . . . ?

13. David Layfield: International Policy on Climate : After Kyoto, What Next? • Piece is a review of contemporary literature on the problems with the “Kyoto Protocol” - Written in period when standards were not being met and the protocol had not been renewed • Arguments about what was “wrong” with the deal: 1) Lessons in IR theory: Sovereign statehood was going to make this hard. • No one state is responsible for the system as a whole and there is no way to enforce standards(!) 2) International Political Economy: Demand for carbon emissions continue to increase(!) • States developing new, dirtier sources of energy to support economy (Coal or “Tar/Oil Sands”) 3) Regime focused on producers that caused carbon emissions rather than consumers of final product. • Unfair! Made Europe look good since they don’t make anything, but their real carbon producing consumption has gone up.

14. David Layfield: International Policy on Climate : After Kyoto, What Next? • Arguments suggest need for a reformed system, but obstacles are steep(!) • States have “cheated” • Some states (including several of the worst polluters) have left the system • E.g. Canada? • Scientific “debates” different from “Montreal Protocol” = absence of “consensus” . . . .

15. 4) Conclusions: Environmental issues illustrate many of the dynamics of international politics: • “Anarchy” • Collective action problems • Weaknesses in regimes and law • And . . . the problematic implications of “sovereignty” and “globalization” • However, some of the obstacles to better cooperation are the products of successful international regimes (e.g. Trade) • Suggests problems should be manageable . . . .

16. 5) For Next Time . . . Unit Six: International Political Economy “Poverty, Development and Human Security” Required Reading: • Globalization of World Politics, Chapters 28 and 29. • Bruce R. Scott, “The Great Divide in the Global Village,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 1 (Jan. - Feb., 2001), Pp. 160-177. (Available from e-journals, or as an excerpt, from the instructor).