The year 2020 was a watershed event in the history of climate change politics. It marked the end of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and the beginning of the ambitious Paris Agreement. It was also the year of the pandemic, where the disruption caused severe implications on a global scale. The pandemic also brought before the world the severity and scale of the transboundary challenges in a globally interconnected world. It exposed the weaknesses of the global institutions and governance structures in tackling the complex and imminent threat of climate change.As states prepare for the future of global climate change negotiations post the COP26 event of 2021, there has been a significant shift in the politics of climate change at all levels. The negotiations took place in the shadows of the pandemic, which has challenged the political lethargy and non-committal attitudes of states on the climate change question.Unlike in the past, climate change is now a hot issue on the political high tables. It has also spilled outside these negotiating spaces and into the public sphere. Whether it is the school strikes led by children or the indigenous struggles of marginalized populations, the politics of climate change today is far more diverse, representative, and active. At the same time, we can witness the shifts in the state's understanding of the problem, which is actively inquiring about its security and geopolitical dimensions. The boundaries between traditional and non-traditional threats to security are getting blurred as climate change, and its myriad impacts wreak havoc on ecosystem resilience, the state's welfare capacity, and people's everyday lives.Hence, this volume seeks to decipher the nature of global climate change politics in the post-pandemic and climate insecure world. Who will be its main actors, main stakeholders, and losers? How will questions of equity, sustainability, and finance interplay at the COP26 event and thereafter? How will developing and poor countries engage with the issue in the next phase of climate politics? Finally, how will the ambition of the Paris Agreement, which is reflected in the language of net-zero targets and the two degrees Celsius temperature goals, be brought into action?

The world is confronting the reality of climate change, which transcends geographical boundaries, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach. Effective mitigation strategies for climate change demand diversity, inclusion, equity, and collaboration as paramount considerations in the formulation and execution of mitigation strategies. Global Perspectives on Climate Change, Social Resilience, and Social Inclusion illuminates the interplay between climate shifts and society's complex tapestry. Authored by leading sociologists and interdisciplinary scholars, this researched volume offers an exploration of climate change through the lens of sociology, unveiling its implications for our global community. Moreover, the book spotlights the proactive voices of voluntary associations and activists dedicated to championing climate change victims' rights. Their collective message resonates throughout: mitigating climate change risks must be integrated into a broader framework of resilient development, elevating the economic standing and quality of life for disadvantaged groups while fostering equity across all strata of society. This book is ideal for scholars, policymakers, and activists seeking a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between climate change and the social fabric of our world.

Previously published as a special issue of Globalizations, this collection of essays addresses what is arguably the most pressing and urgent issue of our day - the continuing development of global environmental crises and the need for new and urgent responses to them by the world community. The contributors include social scientists, environmental historians, anthropologists, and science policy researchers, and together they give an overview of the history of the globalization of environmental crisis over the past several decades, both in terms of the science of measurement and the types of policy and public responses that have emerged to date. The specific issue areas addressed in the book cover a wide range of topics, including international environmental governance, North-South inequalities, climate change, global warming, tropical forests, air pollution, economic and paradigm shifts, sustainability, indigenous peoples and eco-conservation, EU environmental policy, the United States and politicized climate science, and more. The Globalization of Environmental Crisis will be of particular interest to all those concerned with the on-going debate over the state of the global environment and what to do about it.

For some time, the word 'crisis' has been dominating international political discourse. But this is nothing new. Crisis has always been part of the discipline of international law. History indeed shows that international law has developed through reacting to previous experiences of crisis, reflecting an agreement on what it takes to avoid their repetition. However, human society evolves and challenges existing rules, structures, and agreements. International law is confronted with questions as to the suitability of the existing legal framework for new stages of development. Ulrich and Ziemele here bring together an expert group of scholars to address the question of how international law confronts crises today in terms of legal thought, rule-making, and rule-application. The editors have characterized international law and crisis discourse as one of a dialectical nature, and have grouped the articles contained in the volume under four main themes: security, immunities, sustainable development, and philosophical perspectives. Each theme pertains to an area of international law which at the present moment in time is subject to notable challenges and confrontations from developments in human society. The surprising general conclusion which emerges is that, by and large, the international legal system contains concepts, principles, rules, mechanisms and formats for addressing the various developments that may prima facie seem to challenge these very same elements of the system. Their use, however, requires informed policy decisions.

This book discusses African migration and the refugee crisis. Economic, political and social tension in the Middle East and in many parts of the Global South has induced historic mass migration across national and international borders. The situation is especially dire in Africa, where a sizable number of Africans have chosen or have been forced to leave their countries of origin for Europe and North America. Written by an international team of scholars, this edited book traces the refugee crisis around the world, telling the necessary story of forced migration, intentional exclusion, and human insecurity from an Afrocentric lens. The volume is divided into three sections. Section I places African migration within the broader contexts of international history, law, economics, and policy. Section II discusses cases of African migration to Europe, Latin America, and the Mediterranean. Section III considers negative consequences of mass African migration, including the restriction and criminalization of migration, post-traumatic stress disorder, and gender-based violence. A compelling account of risk, resilience, and global power dynamics, this volume will be useful to students and researchers interested in African studies, migration, peace and conflict studies, and policy as well as professionals, practitioners, NGOs, IGOs, governmental and humanitarian organizations.

Although the science of climate change is well-established and there are well-known policy instruments that could significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without prohibitive economic costs, political obstacles to more determined action remain despite heightened concern among mainstream politicians and the public. This book analyses the political dynamics of climate policy in affluent democracies from a number of different theoretical angles in order to improve our understanding of which political strategies would be likely to enable national governments to make deep cuts in GHG emissions while avoiding significant political damage. The authors argue that different conceptual and logical theories highlight different features of political situations. Describing the politics of climate policy in this way will result in different conceptual, logical views of this phenomenon. And to some extent the inferences drawn from such differing views about the nature of political obstacles to more vigorous action on climate change - and the best ways of overcoming them - will also be different. Singly and together, these analyses reveal a more detailed, nuanced view of the political options open to activist governments. This book was previously published as a special issue of Environmental Politics.

Taking a critical perspective and providing a comprehensive framework on globalization and governance, this book examines what institutional mechanisms and arrangements will enable people to achieve sustainable environmental governance.

This two-volume book offers a broad range of discussions on the immense challenge of climate change, one confronting every country on the planet and forcing them to find a path towards a sustainable future that will not have disastrous consequences in relation to our chances of survival. It also presents a snapshot of the status quo, which reflects all the decisions and measures taken to date. Analyzing the consequences of the steps that will shape our future, the two volumes also reflect on important decisions at a global level that have already been taken. This second volume on risks assessment and the political and social dimension of the green energy transition is structured into 14 chapters. International renowned scholars discuss the inherent risks that arise in consequence of the transition to the intensive use of low carbon energy sources and global warming, risks related to food and water security, as well as risks of social and political conflicts. They further examine the dependence on individual countries' industrial structures and on their socio-economic development level as challenges to climate change solutions and to the global energy policy agenda. This book is a must-read for scholars, researchers and students, as well as policymakers interested in a better understanding of climate change, present scenarios, and alternative solutions and measures.

Without resolute counteraction, climate change will overstretch many societies' adaptive capacities within the coming decades. This could result in destabilization and violence, jeopardizing national and international security to a new degree. However, climate change could also unite the international community. This is provided that we recognize climate change as a threat to humankind and so set the course for adopting a dynamic and globally coordinated climate policy. If we fail to do so, climate change will draw ever-deeper lines of division and conflict in international relations, triggering numerous conflicts between and within countries over the distribution of resources - especially water and land, and over the management of migration, or over compensation payments between the countries mainly responsible for climate change and those countries most affected by its destructive effects. With Climate Change as a Security Risk, WBGU has compiled a flagship report on an issue that quite rightly is rising rapidly up the international political agenda. The authors pull no punches on the likelihood of increasing tensions and conflicts in a climatically constrained world and spotlight places where possible conflicts may flare up in the 21st century unless climate change is checked. The report makes it clear that climate policy is preventative security policy.

First Published in 2009. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.