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Climate change, in the end, is a risk management problem. A lot of it has to do with buying insurance against worst-case outcomes. Published as Letter to the Editor in the Financial Times on April 3rd, 2014.

Solving the climate change problem by limiting global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will necessitate action by the world's two largest emitters, the United States and China. Neither has so far committed to quantitative emissions limits. Some argue that China cannot be engaged on the basis of its national interest in climate policy, on the ground that China's national net benefits of limiting greenhouse gas emissions would be negative, as a result of significant GHG abatement costs and potential net gains to China from a warmer world. This premise has led some observers to advocate other approaches to engaging China, such as appeal to moral obligation. This Article argues that appeal to national net benefits is still the best approach to engage China. First, appealing to China's asserted moral obligation to limit its GHG emissions may be ineffective or even counterproductive. Even if climate change is a moral issue for American leaders, framing the issue that way may not be persuasive to Chinese leaders. Second, the concern that China's national net benefits of climate policy are negative is based on older forecasts of costs and benefits. More recent climate science, of which the Chinese leadership is aware, indicates higher damages to China from climate change and thus greater net benefits to China from climate policy. Third, the public health co-benefits of reducing other air pollutants along with GHGs may make GHG emissions limits look more attractive to China. Fourth, the distribution of climate impacts within China may be as important as the net aggregate: climate change may exacerbate political and social stresses within China, which the leadership may seek to avoid in order to maintain political stability. Fifth, the costs of abatement may decline as innovation in China accelerates. Sixth, as China becomes a great power in world politics, and as climate change affects China's allies, leadership on climate policy may look more favorable to China's elites. Seventh, the design of the international climate treaty regime itself can offer positive incentives to China. Taken together, these factors point to a potential and even ongoing shift in Chinese climate policy. They illustrate how the international law and politics of climate change depend on domestic politics and institutions. And they suggest that the United States, if it too takes effective action, can make the case for enlightened pragmatism as a basis to engage China in a cooperative global climate policy regime.

The threat posed by climate change has not yet been matched by international agreements and economic policies that can deliver sharp reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. Although the Kyoto Protocol has now been ratified by Russia and hence come into legal effect, the USA, China, and India are all outside its emissions caps. Few European countries are on course to meet their own national targets, and even if fully implemented, it is widely acknowledged that the Kyoto Protocol. would make little difference to the carbon concentrations in the atmosphere. In consequence, there is a search for a

N/A ; In facing one of the largest environmental challenges in human history, climate change, it has become increasingly obvious that we cannot avoid its consequences, but need to find ways in adapting to them. One predicted change lies in the increased risk of floods. This thesis investigates how adaptation to this particular change is developing in western Sweden. Based on policy documents and interviews with policy-makers on the national, regional and local level, it aims to shine light upon how climate change adaptation is integrated in flood management. The research focus lies on the division of responsibilities and the level of policy integration currently achieved, and it identifies the motivating factors that have induced adaptation in flood protection. The thesis also pays attention to the EU Floods Directive, in particular to how it addresses climate change adaptation, and how it influences Swedish flood management. The results show that the main responsibility for flood protection in Sweden lies with the municipalities, and that national policies on the topic are still weak. Climate change adaptation is high on the agendas of regional authorities, which has contributed to a diverse range of adaptation measures on the local level. Motivation to integration can be ascribed to eye-opening events, an undisputed perception of scientific findings about climate change vulnerabilities, and to the efforts of particularly engaged individuals. The implementation of the EU Floods Directive instigated the Swedish legislation and a new ordinance was adopted, but it does not have any direct influence on the municipalities and has therefore not yet significantly changed flood management practices in Sweden. Overall, the thesis adds to the understanding of how adaptation to climate change of a certain policy area is executed across scales, from the EU to municipal levels, and it shows where there is still room for policy improvement. ; submitted by: Sköld Palmquist, Alexandra ; Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Masterarbeit, 2016 ; (VLID)1935600

Statistics for Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Earth Sciences; Climate Change Management and Policy; Quality Control, Reliability, Safety and Risk

The influence of framing on approaches to climate change adaptation is receiving increased attention. Using case study data, this paper proposes that appreciating how a policy sector currently frames itself can not only facilitate insights into how that sector may frame adaptation but also into a sector's adaptive capacity. From a new institutional perspective, this paper argues therefore that a frame reflective practice can aid policy sectors in building their capacity for adaptive, robust approaches to adaptation planning. A frame reflexive practice could enable policy sectors to appreciate how their current framing directs action towards particular policy options, potentially ignoring others, and how exploring the sector's issues through different frames could reveal a greater array of policy options than currently considered.

Abstract
Lack of local information on climate change impacts is increasingly recognized as an important barrier to progress in adaptation. However, simply providing decision makers with higher-resolution climate information will not ensure successful adaptation. In order for there to be appropriate information uptake and use, it is essential to understand the political constraints and conditions under which decision makers operate. A detailed examination of the current regulatory context in relation to climate and weather impacts can provide insight into the barriers and obstacles affecting decision makers in adaptation endeavors.
This study examines the experiences of the municipalities of Tompkins County, New York, as they attempt to manage stormwater in compliance with federally mandated regulations. The current policies fail to adequately address the fundamental problems affecting local government in New York: fragmented jurisdiction, interagency communication, inability to cope with unfunded mandates, enforcement, and the promotion of informed decision making. The way forward may be the adaptive governance approach for the management of complex environmental issues. This article is intended to serve as an initial model for other university-based researchers that are interested in serving their local communities with weather, climate, and policy research and are willing to engage in the complexities involved.