Action for Climate Empowerment under the UNFCCC:: Implications for Global Climate Empowerment

Leidescher, Susanne

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2016

2016-07-27

106

Internationalt samarbejde om effektive klimaløsninger er blevet mere presserende, især efter Parisaftalen fra 2015. UNFCCC er FN’s ramme for klimaforhandlinger. Dens artikel 6, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), handler om at sætte mennesker i stand til at handle gennem uddannelse, træning, folkelig oplysning, adgang til information, deltagelse og internationalt samarbejde. Specialet analyserer ACE’s rolle under UNFCCC og betydningen for global klimastyring, hvor indsatser ofte er fragmenterede. Det beskriver tidligere udviklinger, den aktuelle situation og fremtidige anbefalinger og tydeliggør rollerne for forskellige aktører og aktiviteter. For at adressere et forskningshul – ACE er relativt underbelyst, især efter Parisaftalen – anvendes kvalitative metoder og både primære og sekundære kilder. Kilderne omfatter politiske dokumenter (fx Doha-arbejdsprogrammet for artikel 6), rapporter fra UNFCCC’s sekretariat, UNFCCC’s website, akademisk litteratur samt landenes tilsigtede nationale bidrag (INDCs). Fem semistrukturerede personlige interviews blev gennemført for at styrke de praktiske indsigter. Analysen identificerer begrænsninger for ACE i national og subnational implementering. Mange steder er ACE-elementer ikke fuldt integreret på lokalt niveau. Barrierer er særligt tydelige i nogle udviklingslande, herunder begrænset finansiering og teknologi, uddannelsesmæssige mangler samt udfordringer med politisk stabilitet, fred og samarbejde mellem ministerier. Specialet konkluderer, at ACE-sekretariatet bør intensivere både top-down- og bottom-up-tilgange og forbedre teknisk og finansiel støtte, især for at fremme udveksling mellem i- og udviklingslande.

International cooperation on climate change has become more urgent, especially after the 2015 Paris Agreement. The UNFCCC is the UN framework that hosts climate negotiations. Its Article 6, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), focuses on enabling people to act through education, training, public awareness, access to information, participation, and international cooperation. This thesis analyzes the role of ACE within the UNFCCC and its implications for global climate governance, where efforts are often fragmented. It reviews past developments, the current situation, and future recommendations, and clarifies the roles of different stakeholders and activities. To address a research gap—ACE is relatively under-studied, especially after Paris—the study uses qualitative methods and both primary and secondary sources. These include policy documents (such as the Doha Work Programme on Article 6), UNFCCC secretariat reports, the UNFCCC website, academic literature, and countries’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Five semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to strengthen practical insights. The analysis identifies constraints on ACE in national and sub-national implementation. In many places, ACE elements are not fully integrated at community level. Barriers are pronounced in some developing countries, including limited funding and technology, gaps in education, and challenges related to political stability, peace, and cooperation between ministries. The thesis concludes that the ACE secretariat should intensify both top-down and bottom-up approaches and improve technical and financial support, especially to facilitate exchange between developed and developing countries.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

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Leidescher, Susanne:

• Action for Climate Empowerment under the UNFCCC: Implications for Global Climate Governance (2016)