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An International Relations perspective on the global politics of carbon dioxide capture and storage

de Coninck, Heleen and Bäckstrand, Karin LU (2011) In Global Environmental Change 21(2). p.368-378
Abstract
With the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS), CCS has emerged as a focal issue in international climate diplomacy and energy collaboration. This paper has two goals. The first goal is to map CCS activities in and among various types of intergovernmental organisations; the second goal is to apply International Relations (IR) theories to explain the growing diversity, overlap and fragmentation of international organisations dealing with CCS. Which international organisations embrace CCS, and which refrain from discussing it at all? What role do these institutions play in bringing CCS forward? Why is international collaboration on CCS so fragmented and weak? We utilise realism, liberal... (More)
With the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS), CCS has emerged as a focal issue in international climate diplomacy and energy collaboration. This paper has two goals. The first goal is to map CCS activities in and among various types of intergovernmental organisations; the second goal is to apply International Relations (IR) theories to explain the growing diversity, overlap and fragmentation of international organisations dealing with CCS. Which international organisations embrace CCS, and which refrain from discussing it at all? What role do these institutions play in bringing CCS forward? Why is international collaboration on CCS so fragmented and weak? We utilise realism, liberal institutionalism and constructivism to provide three different interpretations of the complex global landscape of CCS governance in the context of the similarly complicated architecture of global climate policy. A realist account of CCS's fragmented international politics is power driven. International fossil fuel and energy organisations, dominated by major emitter states, take an active role in CCS. An interest-based approach, such as liberal institutionalism, claims that CCS is part of a "regime complex" rather than an integrated, hierarchical, comprehensive and international regime. Such a regime complex is exemplified by the plethora of international organisations with a role in CCS. Finally, constructivism moves beyond material and interest-based interpretations of the evolution of the institutionally fragmented architecture of global CCS governance. The 2005 IPCC Special Report on CCS demonstrates the pivotal role that ideas, norms and scientific knowledge have played in transforming the preferences of the international climate-change policy community. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), International organisations, International Relations, Climate governance, Energy, Fossil fuels
in
Global Environmental Change
volume
21
issue
2
pages
368 - 378
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000292177500010
  • scopus:79956287481
ISSN
0959-3780
DOI
10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.03.006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9260fc85-0324-45b1-b14e-4eaa76e00f7c (old id 2032286)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:12:28
date last changed
2022-03-27 23:07:59
@article{9260fc85-0324-45b1-b14e-4eaa76e00f7c,
  abstract     = {{With the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS), CCS has emerged as a focal issue in international climate diplomacy and energy collaboration. This paper has two goals. The first goal is to map CCS activities in and among various types of intergovernmental organisations; the second goal is to apply International Relations (IR) theories to explain the growing diversity, overlap and fragmentation of international organisations dealing with CCS. Which international organisations embrace CCS, and which refrain from discussing it at all? What role do these institutions play in bringing CCS forward? Why is international collaboration on CCS so fragmented and weak? We utilise realism, liberal institutionalism and constructivism to provide three different interpretations of the complex global landscape of CCS governance in the context of the similarly complicated architecture of global climate policy. A realist account of CCS's fragmented international politics is power driven. International fossil fuel and energy organisations, dominated by major emitter states, take an active role in CCS. An interest-based approach, such as liberal institutionalism, claims that CCS is part of a "regime complex" rather than an integrated, hierarchical, comprehensive and international regime. Such a regime complex is exemplified by the plethora of international organisations with a role in CCS. Finally, constructivism moves beyond material and interest-based interpretations of the evolution of the institutionally fragmented architecture of global CCS governance. The 2005 IPCC Special Report on CCS demonstrates the pivotal role that ideas, norms and scientific knowledge have played in transforming the preferences of the international climate-change policy community. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{de Coninck, Heleen and Bäckstrand, Karin}},
  issn         = {{0959-3780}},
  keywords     = {{Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS); International organisations; International Relations; Climate governance; Energy; Fossil fuels}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{368--378}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Global Environmental Change}},
  title        = {{An International Relations perspective on the global politics of carbon dioxide capture and storage}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.03.006}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.03.006}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}