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Which Way to U.S. Climate Cooperation? Issue Linkage versus a U.S.‐Based Agreement
Author(s) -
Hovi Jon,
Skodvin Tora
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
review of policy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1541-1338
pISSN - 1541-132X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1541-1338.2007.00315.x
Subject(s) - kyoto protocol , climate change , linkage (software) , climate policy , european union , political science , climate protection , state (computer science) , international trade , member states , political economy , international economics , economics , ecology , biochemistry , chemistry , algorithm , biology , computer science , gene
Several scholars have suggested that the United States can be compelled to reengage in the Kyoto process by linking cooperation on climate change to cooperation on trade or technology research and development. We argue that such issue linkage would likely fail and suggest that a more promising road to U.S. cooperation is to develop an alternative climate agreement based on federal U.S. climate policy. However, the question then becomes whether the Kyoto countries might be prepared to abandon the Kyoto process in favor of such a U.S.‐based agreement. We argue that if a U.S.‐based agreement were to be built on President Bush's current climate policy, the Kyoto countries (especially the European Union) would likely be reluctant to go along. However, if a U.S.‐based agreement were to be built on the many Kyoto‐like initiatives now emerging at state and local levels, the Kyoto countries might well be more favorably inclined.