A Tale of Three Signatories: Learning from the European Union, Japanese, and Canadian Kyoto Experiences in Crafting a Superior United States Climate Change Regime

As we enter the compliance years of the Kyoto Protocol, the world waits to see whether the first global effort at combating climate change will be deemed a success or failure. While there may be no clear answer to that question, an analysis of various nations’ efforts at compliance reveals a wide spectrum of approaches and obstacles to tackling this enormous challenge. This Article explores the varying successes and failures of three signatories - the European Union, Japan, and Canada - in meeting their obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. The author critically analyzes the European, Japanese, and Canadian experiences, applying the lessons learned to more effectively structure a superior U.S. climate change regime. Most significantly, the author concludes that the United States would be wise to follow Europe’s holistic model of economy-wide regulation, yet is wholly unprepared to implement an aggressive climate plan without transforming its economy first. Based on other nations’ experiences, this Article concludes that the United States should implement a greenhouse gas registry, establish stringent regulations capable of withstanding shifts in political currents, and auction rather than allocate emissions credits. To meet these challenges, the United States must upgrade its electric grid to support a renewable energy infrastructure, facilitate the growth of nuclear and natural gas co-generation power plants as a transitional alternative base-load power source to coal, and invest heavily in the technologies of tomorrow.

openalex: W1482536848 mag: 1482536848