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Chapter Seven Regional Studies on Climate Change Response

Chapter Seven Regional Studies on Climate
Change Response

Section 1 Climate Change Policies and Practices in Devel-
oped Countries

I. Evolution and Characteristics of Climate Policies in Developed
Countries

Since the 1990s, as global ecological and environmental issues have become increasing-
ly prominent, climate change has gradually emerged as a key focus of international attention.
In addressing this global challenge, climate policies in developed countries have undergone a
series of complex and profound evolutions, demonstrating distinct characteristics at different
developmental stages while continuously adjusting their policy priorities over time.
(1) Early Exploration and Initial Commitment Phase (Marked by the “United Na-
tions Framework Convention on Climate Change” and the “Kyoto Protocol”)
In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
was formally signed, marking a milestone international treaty that established the
fundamental framework for global collaboration in addressing climate change. Its core
objective was defined as “stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a
level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”
The proposal of this goal signified the initial global consensus on climate change mitigation.
Under this framework, developed countries - as entities that industrialized earlier and bear
greater historical cumulative greenhouse gas emissions - began to gradually recognize their
substantial responsibilities in addressing climate change.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol emerged as a pivotal turning point in this phase. As the
world’s first legally binding climate agreement, the Kyoto Protocol explicitly established
specific emission reduction targets for developed nations during the first commitment period
(2008-2012), requiring developed countries as a whole to reduce their anthropogenic green-
house gas emission levels by an average reduction of 5.2% compared to 1990 levels. The es-
tablishment of this quantified emission reduction target provided clear direction and binding
constraints for climate actions in developed countries.
During this period, the distinctive feature of climate policies in developed countries
manifested primarily in their initial assumption of quantified emission reduction obligations,
initiating substantive actions to address climate change through legally binding frameworks.
To implement emission reduction goals, nations successively formulated and implemented
domestic policies across multiple sectors. In the energy domain, countries undertook com-

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