Page 204 - NOVOPAZARSKI ZBORNIK 44-2021

204 I. Lukarčanin, Global Environmental Issues: Discussing the politics of ...

of stratospheric ozone was one of the most developed and most effective regimes.
“The ozone regime is the set of integrated principles, norms, rules, and procedures
that nation-states have created to regulate and coordinate action in an attempt to
protect stratospheric ozone from human-made chemicals such as CFCs and methyl
bromide” (p. 72, Axelrod).
The negotiations and framework of regimes are done under United Nations
General Assembly mandate, through the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change that took place at the 1992 United Nations Conference on En-
vironment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. During this period, the formation
of the FCCC was recognized and ratified by 194 countries. The FCCC is dedicated
to “objectives, principles, commitments and the creation of an organizational struc-
ture for the regime” (p. 116, Axelrod).The objective of FCCC is the stabilization of
greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The division of negotiating blocks on account-
ability of GHGs is a debatable topic,where even the FCCC hesitates to put the
emphasis on the level of reduction needed for climate stabilization. The principles
are another contentious topic since it is interpreted as the principle of common but
different responsibilities. The case for the division is that developing countries feel
their commitment will be unfair to their economic development, since the devel-
oped countries carry the heaviest burden on the environment. The technological
lack and financial capacity control their emissions contributes to this division. This
is viewed by some developed countries as a free ride for the developing world.
The U.S. has withdrawn their participation, feeling thatChina being the largest de-
veloping economy is going for a free ride. The FCCC has put forth equity to be a
guiding principle toward climate change. Many developing countries favor a more
per capital-based allocation of GHG emissions rights that improves their living
standards, and decreases the economic vulnerability of the climate change impact.
The principles of FCCC embrace the precautionary principle, where scien-
tific uncertainty is not the obstacle on taking action against environmental threats.
Preceding principles try to bridge the gap between climate change and econo-
my. When dealing with climate change, the measures in place are projected to be
cost-effective. The E.U. Member States and Umbrella Groups are in favor of this
low cost and great benefit measures. The sustainable development is promoted by
FCCC aimed at achieving their objective. Sustainable development (SD) is gener-
ally defined as a pattern of economic growth in which resource usage aims to meet
human needs while preserving the environment, so that these needs can be met not
only in the present, but for generations to come (sometimes taught as ELF-Envi-
ronment, Local people, Future). The term ‘sustainable development’ was used by
the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted
definition of sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. Similarly, there are emphases on maintaining open international economic
systems, to improve and stabilize international economy, with environmental con-