Compliance Critical in Climate Change Regimes

As part of its ongoing efforts to engage policymakers in the design and implementation of compliance mechanisms for multilateral environmental agreements, the INECE Secretariat sponsored a side event at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The side event featured a panel discussion of top ozone and climate officials, who were quick to recognize the stark differences both in the way in which the ozone and climate regimes have approached compliance challenges and in the results they have had so far.

The side event, entitled, "The Role of Compliance in Ensuring Environmental Integrity and Market Confidence in Climate Change Regimes," also emphasized the importance of compliance in building confidence in carbon markets.

Durwood Zaelke, Director of the INECE Secretariat, moderated the panel, which included remarks by INECE Executive Planning Committee member Kunihiko Shimada, former Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat Madhava Sarma, Swedish EPA official Husamuddin Ahmadzai, and consultant to the INECE Secretariat Ken Markowitz.

Panelists explored mechanisms for designing the next series of commitments in a way that facilitates high levels of compliance, shared lessons learned from the implementation of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, discussed a role for a compliance committee, and remarked on non-compliance responses.

Mr. Sarma described how the Montreal Protocol's compliance assistance mechanism can serve as a useful model in future discussions regarding the design of a compliance assistance program under a future climate agreement. In particular, Mr. Sarma drew attention to the fact that the Montreal Protocol's compliance mechanism emphasized compliance assistance over punitive measures, except in cases of blatant non-compliance. This contrasts the current provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, which calls on Parties unable to meet their emissions reductions commitments to reduce emissions still further, as a penalty.

The side event built on INECE's activities on compliance aspects of emissions trading programs. Outcomes of the event will help shape discussions during INECE's 8th International Conference on compliance mechanisms in climate agreements. The 8th Conference will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, in April 2008.

As the topic of one of the thematic tracks at INECE's 8th International Conference, "Climate Change and Compliance" will provide Conference participants an opportunity to consider mechanisms to assure compliance and enforcement in delivering environmental benefits. The workshops will stress the importance of enforcing effective monitoring, reporting and verification programs to promote efficient program operations under a range of regulatory approaches to greenhouse gas management, such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol.

Additional information on the 8th Conference, including the Call for Papers, is available online at http://www.inece.org/conference/8/. Conference participation is by invitation only; nominations will be made through the regional compliance and enforcement networks.