- Jahrgang 8 (2014), Ausgabe 1
- Vol. 8 (2014), Nr. 1
- >
- Seiten 23 - 34
- pp. 23 - 34
To provide an effective response to climate change over time, the 2015 Agreement needs to incorporate dynamic elements, including a possibility for adjusting Parties‘ commitments over time. A dynamic adjustment mechanism could help to adjust commitments to the necessary ambition level and to changing circumstances. The challenge is to design such amechanism in a way that would make it objective and stringent while being agreeable for Parties. This article provides a structured approach for developing and evaluating options for a dynamic adjustment mechanism in the 2015 Agreement, drawing from previous experience in the climate regime, other multilateral environmental agreements, and from literature. We explore possible design elements of a mechanism, namely triggers, process, consequences, and derogations, assessing their assets and drawbacks.We argue that an automatic ratchet-upmechanismdoes not appear to be a viable option, and that an adjustmentmechanism based on a procedural approach negotiations currently seems more realistic. However, in order to ensure a certain degree of objectivity in the process, it is essential that commitments in the 2015 agreement are quantifiable and comparable in their mitigation impact across countries and commitment types.