Does Doha’s Decision Treat Transition Economies Unequally?
Climate Policy, Vol 13, No 3, 2013, pp. 403-407.
Climate Policy, Vol 13, No 3, 2013, pp. 403-407.
Doha Amendment allows surplus AAUs to be carried over from the first commitment period but limits their use for offsetting emission growth beyond commitment levels. Amendment 7ter simultaneously ‘shaves’ AAU allocation to level equivalent of the average 2008-2010 emissions for countries which pledged a growth target under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. In sum this means that economies in transition (EITs) are not allocated headroom for growth, and makes their commitments starkly different from their original pledges. The bubble arrangement of the EU adds uncertainty to whether member states avoid the ‘shaving’ of 7ter due to their pooled target. This would put Annex I EITs into unequal position as a result of the Doha Amendment.