Kyoto versus the Montreal Protocol

In a recent essay, Scott Barrett, a professor at Johns Hopkins, offers some insights on why the Kyoto Protocol was impotent from the start. All gums, no teeth.

What is the Montreal Protocol’s secret of success? One difference between Montreal and Kyoto is that Montreal imposed restrictions on all countries from the start. A second difference is that Montreal created strong incentives for participation and compliance – a combination of carrots and sticks. A final difference is that Montreal created a system for positive feedback, with each step in reducing ozone depletion creating incentives for countries to take yet another step.

Read the full article here.

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