GraSPP
Reading the Kyoto Protocol
Faculty
TANI, Midori
Credit / Semester / Schedule / Language
2 Credits / Summer / Tuesday Period: 3 / English
Objectives/Overview
This course aims at stimulating and realizing the potentials of the students for future international communications, using the real negotiation which the lecturer participated.
In order to acieve this goal, we will follow the negotiation process of the Framework Convention on Climate Change after COP3, when the Kyoto Protocol was agreed, till COP7, when the agreements about the details of the Kyoto Protocol were reached. The text of the Kyoto Protocol left a number of issues to be discussed later, and intensive negotiations were necessary during this period to have the Protocol ratified.
After some introductory lectures on the global warming and the Framework Convention on Climate Change as a background, we will read and discuss the text of the Kyoto Protocol, Article by Article, with special emphasis on Joint Implementation, Clean Development Mechanism, Emissions Trading and Compliance. We will first look for issues which need clarification in the text of the Protocol, and then look into the Marrakesh Accords which were reached at COP7. After lectures on related issues in environmental policies and energy policies, each student will make a speech as a Minister or a negotiator at COP6.
Keywords
Negotiation, Environment, International, Presentation, Climate, Energy
Schedule
1. Introduction. A brief history of international negotiations on climate change.
2. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
3. Reading the Kyoto Protocol from the Preamble to Article 6. Discussion on issues to be clarified about Joint Implementation (Article 6).
4. Reading the Kyoto Protocol from Article 7 to Article 12. Discussion on issues to be clarified about Clean Development Mechanism (Article 12).
5. Reading the Kyoto Protocol from Article 13 to Article 17. Discussion on issues to be clarified about Emissions Trading (Article 17).
6. Reading the Kyoto Protocol from Article 18 to Article 28. Discussion on issues to be clarified about Compliance (Article 18).
7. Reading and discussing the Marrakesh Accords about Compliance.
8. Reading and discussing the Marrakesh Accords about Emissions Trading.
9. Reading and discussing the Marrakesh Accords about Clean Development Mechanism.
10. Reading and discussing the Marrakesh Accords about Joint Implementation.
11. History of environmental policies in Japan, focusing on quality of water and air.
12. Environmental policies and energy policies to mitigate the Climate Change.
13. Speeches by students as Ministers or negotiators
14. Discussion about the speeches and related policies
Teaching Methods
Except for the initial two classes, the students will be divided into several negotiion groups. Following a lecture, the groups are to discuss upon some items, and the chair of each group is to make a presentation on the results. Each student is asked to prepare for the discussion. Each student is often asked to read the text and write his/her brief talking points before the class.
The class will be in English and active participation in the discussion will be encouraged, but fluency in English is not required.
Grading
Grading will be based on class participation, short papers and the final speech text. Active class participation will be highly evaluated, but fluency in English will not be reflected in the grading.
Required Text
The Kyoto Protocol
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Marrakesh Accords (including a negotiation text which copy is to be handed out)
Japan's Environmental Policy (a paper by the lecturer)
Reference Books
Annual Report on the Environment
Annual Energy Report
Publications by the International Energy Agency (copies are to be handed out)