- Volume 19 (2021), Issue 4
- Vol. 19 (2021), No. 4
- >
- Pages 330 - 341
- pp. 330 - 341
Leistungskraft und Regelungstechniken des internationalen Klimaschutzrechts
Over the last three decades, climate change law has been transformed into a complex system of multi-level governance where global decisions are supposed to result in local action and to determine local behaviour. In practice, however, the impact of international law is rather limited. While the international community managed to conclude three legally binding instruments, the present treaty law does not enshrine binding obligations to reduce emissions. Therefore, environmental activists increasingly seek recourse to abstract principles of customary international law. All these debates focus on establishing binding quantitative targets for states and neglect the instrumental dimension of their implementation. The European Commission in its „fit for 55”-package, on the other hands, seems to recognize that it is not enough simply to fix targets and to leave implementation to the Member States. All in all, decision makers on the state level need international coordination and guidance which is more specific and predictable.