From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism

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dc.contributor.advisorGlazewski, Janen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSteenkamp, Lee-Annen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-05-25T07:42:52Z
dc.date.available2018-05-25T07:42:52Z
dc.date.issued2018en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe climate change timeline is at critical juncture as policymakers, academics and other climate-related stakeholders are contemplating the transition from the Kyoto era to the advent of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change (the Paris Agreement). The study focuses in particular on tracing the development of and learning from past experience with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - one of the flexible mechanisms provided for in the Kyoto Protocol and tailored specifically for reducing emissions in developing countries. This is undertaken with a view to drawing lessons for its apparent successor, the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) provided for in the Paris Agreement. The study is undertaken against the backdrop of the theoretical framework of market-based instruments supplementing the traditional command-and-control approach to reducing carbon emissions, specifically in the area of environmental taxes and carbon offsets. While it is acknowledged that the major difference between the proposed SDM and the existing CDM is that carbon markets will no longer be limited to developed country parties in that developing countries will also be able to participate, many uncertainties remain. Moreover, while it is uncertain at the time of writing (mid-2017) whether the CDM will continue to exist alongside the SDM or will be replaced by it, the study investigates, among other things, questions around if and how the SDM refines and streamlines the CDM. It considers these questions in the context of not only the relevant international instruments, but more specifically against the backdrop of South Africa's climate-related laws and policy frameworks. It is posited that the CDM - and by extension the SDM - will come increasingly under the spotlight in South Africa, as it will serve as a useful mechanism for reducing (or offsetting) the impending carbon tax liability. The thesis finds that many of the principles listed for the SDM mirror those of the CDM. Yet, some sort of transition from Kyoto to Paris will be required to ensure that the SDM will realise its potential to mitigate emissions and support sustainable development.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationSteenkamp, L. (2018). <i>From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Institute of Marine and Environmental Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28118en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSteenkamp, Lee-Ann. <i>"From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28118en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSteenkamp, L. 2018. From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Steenkamp, Lee-Ann AB - The climate change timeline is at critical juncture as policymakers, academics and other climate-related stakeholders are contemplating the transition from the Kyoto era to the advent of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change (the Paris Agreement). The study focuses in particular on tracing the development of and learning from past experience with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - one of the flexible mechanisms provided for in the Kyoto Protocol and tailored specifically for reducing emissions in developing countries. This is undertaken with a view to drawing lessons for its apparent successor, the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) provided for in the Paris Agreement. The study is undertaken against the backdrop of the theoretical framework of market-based instruments supplementing the traditional command-and-control approach to reducing carbon emissions, specifically in the area of environmental taxes and carbon offsets. While it is acknowledged that the major difference between the proposed SDM and the existing CDM is that carbon markets will no longer be limited to developed country parties in that developing countries will also be able to participate, many uncertainties remain. Moreover, while it is uncertain at the time of writing (mid-2017) whether the CDM will continue to exist alongside the SDM or will be replaced by it, the study investigates, among other things, questions around if and how the SDM refines and streamlines the CDM. It considers these questions in the context of not only the relevant international instruments, but more specifically against the backdrop of South Africa's climate-related laws and policy frameworks. It is posited that the CDM - and by extension the SDM - will come increasingly under the spotlight in South Africa, as it will serve as a useful mechanism for reducing (or offsetting) the impending carbon tax liability. The thesis finds that many of the principles listed for the SDM mirror those of the CDM. Yet, some sort of transition from Kyoto to Paris will be required to ensure that the SDM will realise its potential to mitigate emissions and support sustainable development. DA - 2018 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2018 T1 - From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism TI - From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28118 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/28118
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSteenkamp L. From Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanism. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, 2018 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/28118en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentInstitute of Marine and Environmental Lawen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Lawen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMarine and Environmental Lawen_ZA
dc.titleFrom Kyoto to Paris - a review of South Africa's climate change response with particular emphasis on the Clean Development Mechanism and envisaged transition to the Sustainable Development Mechanismen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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