from International Institutions and Global Governance Program and Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Harnessing International Institutions to Address Climate Change

Report by Katherine Michonski and Michael A. Levi

March 25, 2010

Report

Overview

Most discussions about using international institutions to address climate change focus narrowly on the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, many other international institutions also have a significant role to play in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. This paper, sponsored by CFR's International Institutions and Global Governance program, examines the existing climate-related efforts and capabilities, as well as the future potential, of a variety of international institutions, including those that deal with environment, energy, and economics. While there are still major shortfalls, the paper argues that there is significant existing institutional capacity to draw from in addressing climate change.

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Renewable Energy

Why Solar Energy Needs Innovation to Reach Its Potential

Solar energy, the world’s cheapest and fastest-growing power source, could one day supply most of the world’s energy needs. But in a new book, “Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet” (MIT Press), energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that solar’s current surge is on track to stall, dimming prospects for averting catastrophic climate change. Brightening those prospects, he argues, will require innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems.

March 2, 2018 4 min

Energy and Climate Policy

Is Natural Gas the Transition Fuel for Hydrogen?

Blog Post by Amy Myers Jaffe and Guest Blogger for Amy Myers Jaffe February 6, 2018 Energy Realpolitik

Renewable Energy

Clean Energy Might Reduce Global Warming, But What Will It Do to Geopolitics?

Blog Post by Varun Sivaram January 16, 2018 Energy, Security, and Climate

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South Korea

High-Stakes Drama in Panmunjom

The first inter-Korean summit in ten years could be stage-managed by Kim Jong-un, but look for South Korea’s leaders to assert a role shaping the process for denuclearization talks.

Expert Brief by Scott A. Snyder April 25, 2018

Defense and Security

How Representative Is the All-Volunteer U.S. Military?

The U.S. military’s all-volunteer force has drawn on a shrinking pool of Americans, raising questions about the model’s viability.

by George M. Reynolds April 25, 2018

Brazil

Brazil’s Corruption Fallout

Federal investigators in Brazil have uncovered corruption at the highest levels of the government and in the country’s largest corporations.

Backgrounder by Claire Felter and Rocio Cara Labrador April 24, 2018