CBDR as a Principle of Inspiring Actions rather than Justifying Inaction in the Global Climate Change Regime

Abstract

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) recognises the existence of a common environmental global need to differentiate between countries in the actions requires to achieve that goal. The CBDR principle is at the centre of the current negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change's Ad-hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, which deliberates on multilateral arrangemeNts for the post-2020 period. This contribution analyses the CBDR principle in the context of the current climate change regime, and discusses the ways in which the principle can be applied in order to encourage increased global actions to address climate change in the post-2020 regime. It argues that the CBDR principle can be operationalised for increased climate action by focusing not only on differentiated responsibilities, but also on the respective intrinsic and supported capabilities of countries in the new regime.