Building on the Kyoto Protocol : Options for Protecting the Climate

Since 1997, debates over global climate change policy have focused narrowly on the Kyoto Protocol -- an international treaty to control greenhouse gas emissions that are trapping heat in the atmosphere. According to the contributors of this volume, a wide range of other options need to be considered to promote long-term climate protection and bridge the growing divide among nations over how to take action. This compilation explores some of the best alternatives, with special attention to options that promote participation by both industrialized and developing countries. Each alternative is evaluated in terms of factors like economic cost, fairness, and development benefits -- the factors that ultimately shape political acceptability. Also included is a quantitative comparison of three approaches to differentiating climate commitments across countries.

Mr. Malik Amin Aslam is the executive director for ENVORK Mr. Kevin A. Baumert is a senior associate in the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources Institute Dr. Odile Blanchard is an associate professor of economics at the University of Grenoble, France, and a researcher at Institut d'Economie et de Politique de l'Energie (IEPE) Dr. Daniel Bouille is vice president and senior researcher at the Institute for Energy Economics at the Bariloche Foundation in Argentina Dr. Ogunlade Davidson is professor of engineering and director of Energy and Development Research Centre at the University of Cape Town Dr. Joanna Depledge is honorary research fellow at the Department of Geography, University College London Ms. Christiana Figueres is the executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development in the Americas (CSDA) Dr. Osvaldo Girardin is director of the Environmental and Development Program at the Bariloche Foundation in Argentina Dr. Nancy Kete is a senior fellow at WRI and co-director of EMBARQ -- the WRI Center for Transport and the Environment Dr. Yong-Gun Kim is a research fellow in the Global Environment Research Center at the Korea Environment Institute Ms. Silvia Llosa was formerly an associate in the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources Institute Dr. Emilio La Rovere is professor of the Energy Planning Program and coordinator of the Center for Integrated Studies on Climate Change and the Environment at COPPE/UFRJ. Mr. Stanford Mwakasonda is a senior researcher at the Energy and Development Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, focusing on energy and climate change. Mr. James F. Perkaus is a fellow in the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at WRI and a Ph.D. candidate in international relations at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Mr. Joseluis Samaniego is director of the Center for Sustainable Transport of Mexico City and Commissioner for International Affairs in the Interdisciplinary Center for Biodiversity and Environment (CeIBA) Mr. Randall Spalding-Fecher is a senior researcher at Energy and Development Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, focusing on energy, efficiency and environmental policy issues Ms. Laura Valente de Macedo is the Climate Change programme coordinator at Instituto Pro-Sustentabilidade (IPSUS) in Sao Paulo and the Latin America and the Caribbean Coordinator of the Cities for Climate Protection program at ICLEI in Rio de Janeiro Mr. Harald Winkler is a senior researcher at the Energy and Development Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, focusing on climate change (economics, mitigation, and policy) and environmental economics