Cambridge Journal of Climate Research - Articles

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Open Access
An Orchestrated Governance Approach: Tracing the International Maritime Organization’s Development and Adoption of the Polar Code
(2024-12) Pham, Khang Minh
The increase in Arctic maritime traffic induced by climate change has prompted the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to develop and adopt the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). While previous research on the governance of the IMO in the Arctic has addressed topics such as plastic waste management, the normative influence of international bureaucracies, and the implementation of the Polar Code from state and industrial perspectives, no study has specifically applied the concept of orchestration to Arctic maritime shipping and the development and adoption of the Polar Code. This paper seeks to fill this gap by using orchestration as an analytical framework to examine how the IMO orchestrated the development and adoption of the Polar Code, especially in response to climate-induced challenges. The analysis draws on documents from the IMO and Arctic Council (AC), along with previous research on Arctic shipping. Qualitative discourse analysis and process tracing are used to explore the data. Findings suggest that the IMO’s orchestration was facilitated by its recognised leadership in maritime governance, but was constrained by capability deficits in Arctic-specific issues. The organization navigated divergent stakeholder interests and sovereignty concerns by engaging the AC and Arctic states as key intermediaries. Orchestration enabled the creation of a comprehensive regulatory framework balancing safety, environmental protection, and commercial interests. However, the article also reveals limitations in addressing critical issues such as the use of heavy fuel oil. These findings contribute to the array of empirical evidence on transnational environmental governance and the evolving regulatory landscape in polar regions.
Open Access
Analysing Singapore’s Recent Carbon Credits Initiative
(2024-05) Cheong, Ben Chester
Open Access
Can Acceptance Be Bought? Enhancing Local Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Projects Through Financial Participation: Insights from Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Germany
(2024-12) Gotz, Paulina
In the wake of the global energy transition, local opposition towards the installation of renewable energy plants among neighbouring municipalities and residents is an increasingly relevant issue. Economic tools to financially engage residents living close to renewable energy projects are considered one solution to alleviate opposition and foster local social acceptance. However, the effectiveness of such financial participation tools in doing so is yet to be proven. The Citizen and Municipal Participation Law (Bürger- undGemeindenbeteiligungsgesetz) is a policy in the German state of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania which mandates the financial participation of citizens and municipalities. Drawing on this policy, the study at hand seeks to contribute to closing this prevailing empirical research gap. Insights from seven semi-structured interviews with eight experts on this policy from municipalities, project developing companies, and superordinate public bodies in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania are used to shed light on the factors influencing the choice, implementation and success of financial participation tools for increasing local social acceptance towards wind farms. The study thus generates knowledge and recommendations for the effective future design and application of different financial participation tools.
Open Access
Conflict and Dependence in Mineral Mining: The Case of Venezuela
(2024-05) Goldblatt, Jenna
Open Access
Decarbonisation Dilemma: The Role of Nuclear Energy in Europe’s Net Zero Ambitions
(2024-12) Radford, James
On June 24th, 2021, the European Parliament passed the EU Climate Law, legally binding itself to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Central to this challenge is deciding the future role of nuclear energy. While nuclear power is a critical component of the net zero strategies in countries like China and India—valued for its ability to provide reliable, low-carbon baseload power—its use in the EU had declined by 35.2% between 2004 and 2022. This article investigates how the slowdown in nuclear power, driven by safety concerns, waste disposal challenges, and rising costs, may hinder the EU’s path to net zero. It will explore whether advancements in renewable energy generation and energy efficiency can fully compensate for the reduction in nuclear power. Additionally, it will compare the financial costs and feasibility of nuclear power versus renewable energy in the context of meeting the EU’s decarbonisation targets. Finally, the article will assess the challenges of replacing nuclear power’s stable baseload energy production with intermittent renewable sources.
Open Access
Displaced by Rising Tides: Legal Insights and Policy Imperatives for Climate Refugees in the Sundarbans Region of India
(2024-12) Ghose, Anuttama; Ali, S M Aamir
The Sundarbans, among the biggest and most susceptible mangrove ecosystems globally, face escalating threats from rising sea levels, unpredictable monsoons, and increased storms attributable to climate change. These environmental disruptions are displacing thousands of inhabitants, turning them into climate refugees. This article critically examines the legal and policy frameworks addressing climate-induced displacement in India, with a specific focus on the Sundarbans region. The absence of formal legal recognition for climate refugees in India leaves displaced populations in a precarious situation. Through the lens of the doctrine of state obligation, this paper explores the state’s legal and moral responsibilities to safeguard citizens from climate-induced harm and displacement. Indian constitutional provisions, particularly Article 21 (Right to Life), oblige the state to take proactive measures to protect the lives and livelihoods of those threatened by environmental crises. This doctrine serves as a basis for demanding stronger state-led interventions in mitigating climate displacement. The article shall also apply transformative constitutionalism to highlight the evolving nature of constitutional rights in addressing modern challenges such as climate change. This theory proposes that the Indian Constitution be interpreted dynamically to expand protections for climate refugees, extending beyond traditional notions of fundamental rights to encompass social and environmental justice. While laws like the Disaster Management Act of 2005 offer a foundation, their real-world applicability to long-term climate displacement still needs to be improved. This study underscores the need for reforms that reflect the lived realities of displaced communities in the Sundarbans. By combining these jurisprudential insights, the study argues for creating robust, inclusive legal frameworks to protect climate refugees, emphasising policy imperatives and the State’s duty to provide dignified resettlement for affected populations.
Open Access
Do Developing Countries Have a Responsibility for Sustainable Development?
(2024-05) Du, Xiaoyang
Open Access
Emotional and Behavioural Implications of Overshooting 1.5oC
(2024-05) Goniea, Emily
Open Access
Foreword
(2024-12) Cordonier Segger, Marie-Claire
Open Access
Foreword
(2024-05) King, David
Open Access
Green Society Proliferation: How are Cambridge Organisations Meaningfully Addressing the Climate Crisis?
(2024-05) Taylor, Pasha
Open Access
How Can the Law Protect the Arctic?
(2024-05) Belinski, Anna; Mandapati, Vedika; Doherty, Beth
Open Access
How Media Framing Shapes Opinion of Environmental Policy: The Case of ULEZ
(2024-12) Neufeldt, Jillian
This article examines how British media outlets frame the ULEZ expansion policy in London and how that framing impacts public perception. Using content analysis, I examined 50 online news articles on the expansion from 19 British media outlets and analysed 508 comments. My findings reveal a strong polarisation, with opposition being the loudest. Framing varied by publication, showing clear policy bias. Some articles were neutral, whilst others were overtly supportive or opposed. Comments also reflected the polarisation: 58% opposed the expansion, 33% supported it, and 9% were neutral. This contrasts with a YouGov poll from August 2023, where 47% of Londoners supported the expansion and 42% opposed it, suggesting online commentary is not reflective of overall public opinion. Negatively framed articles attracted opponents, neutrally framed articles had balanced opinions, and positively framed articles attracted more support but still triggered notable opposition. Patterns emerged based on the overall sentiment of the comments. The most frequently mentioned subject was Sadiq Khan, followed by conspiracy / cash grab, policy criticism and affordability. Subjects were associated with the opinion of the commenter, with references to Sadiq Khan, conspiracy / cash grab and affordability coming from detractors, and policy criticism coming from both supporters and detractors.
Open Access
Incorporating a Rights of Nature Approach into the EU Legal Framework: Exploring Legal Mechanisms for Enhanced Wadden Sea Habitat Protection
(2024-12) van den Hoek Ostende, Madelon
This research explores the incorporation of a Rights of Nature approach into the legal framework of the European Union on habitat protection. The study assesses the existing EU environmental framework and the barriers to Rights of Nature in the EU. It further analyses international case studies where Rights of Nature have been implemented. Drawing from this analysis, the study explores the feasibility and effectiveness of two legal instruments regarding the objective of enhancing habitat protection in the Wadden Sea. Through a comparison of these legal mechanisms, the research identifies practical implications of incorporating a Rights of Nature approach into the EU legal framework, in particular concerning the criteria for legal standing. The findings suggest that each legal mechanism faces significant challenges to incorporating a Rights of Nature approach, especially if not accompanied by a broader ecocentric shift across the EU legal framework. The implications of this study therefore have significance beyond the case of the Wadden Sea, providing insights into the broader integration of Rights of Nature into EU environmental law.
Open Access
Investigating the Importance of UK Government Support for Offshore Wind: The Impact of Higher CfD Strike Prices on Developers’ Share Returns
(2024-12) Ward, Rosie Alexandra
This paper uses stock market reactions to the Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6 (CfD AR6) offshore wind strike price announcement to investigate the recent importance, or lack thereof, of the UK’s CfD scheme for offshore wind. Specifically, it takes the form of an event study, estimating the impact of the government’s AR6 offshore wind strike price announcement on offshore wind developers’ share prices. This is important, as any increase in share prices attributable to the AR6 strike price announcement should indicate the CfD scheme’s present-day relevance and ability to incentivise offshore wind development. If the CfD programme is instead redundant, then the AR6 strike price announcement should not have significantly affected developers’ share prices. Ultimately, this paper uncovered evidence supporting the continued relevance of the CfD scheme. While it appears that most offshore wind developers’ share prices did not significantly increase immediately after the government’s formal AR6 strikeprice announcement, there is evidence that investors reacted to leaked information about the offshore wind AR6 strike price in the week prior to the government’s announcement. Many of the sample firms experienced statistically significant positive abnormal returns following the first identifiable AR6 strike price information leak, and positive abnormal returns were particularly significant when aggregated across the sample and over the time period from the first instance of leakage to the government’s formal announcement. These results suggest that the CfD scheme increases the value of offshore wind developments today and indicate the scheme’s present-day relevance and ability to incentivise development.
Open Access
Natural Disaster Resilience and Resource Depletion: Bamboo Construction in Eco Villages, Pakistan
(2024-05) Peralta, Lara
Open Access
Oceans and Climate Change: Synergy and Conflict in International Law
(2024-12) Puno, Railla Veronica
The science is clear that climate change has profound impacts on oceans and vice versa. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that climate change is projected to cause ocean warming and ocean acidification, among others. At the same time, oceans have the potential to contribute greatly to adaptation and mitigation efforts that will allow us to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. From the implementation of marine protected areas to the more controversial ocean fertilisation efforts, the global ocean, which covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, has the potential to play a major role in climate action. Despite these strong linkages, the development of international law on oceans and climate change has been relatively slow. It was only in recent years that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has dedicated a workstream for oceans through the Ocean Pathway, an initiative which paved the way for the Ocean Dialogue, a recurring process with the purpose of strengthening ocean-based action. As these various environmental agreements come up with new policies and mandates, instances of legal conflict cannot be avoided. This paper will take an in-depth study of the current international legal frameworks governing oceans and climate change to determine where opportunities for synergy can be optimised and conflicts can be resolved by examining two cases of legal overlap.
Open Access
Politics and Fracking: A Case Study of Pennsylvania Elections
(2024-12) Fallk, Murray
Over the past four years, hydraulic fracturing—or ‘fracking’, the combining of fracturing rock and horizontal drilling to extract oil and natural gas from shale deposits—has evolved into one of the most high-profile political issues in Pennsylvania, the second-highest producer of natural gas in the country. Although fracking began booming in the state around 2008, increased awareness of climate change and the need for urgent climate policy initiatives have facilitated fracking’s rise in politicians’ campaign agendas in recent years. Meanwhile, narratives highlighting fracking’s economic benefits to struggling rural portions of Pennsylvania—and the need for domestic drilling amid geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East—have gripped recent political discourse. Consequently, fracking has evolved into a wedge issue between voters who view fracking as a boon for Pennsylvania’s economic development and national security and those who view the practice as environmentally destructive and feeding the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. With Pennsylvania’s growing importance in shaping the national political landscape, the goal of this summative piece is to explore fracking’s political and electoral role in Pennsylvania during the 2020 presidential election, 2022 senatorial election, and 2024 presidential election, when fracking served as a key issue during some of the most controversial and consequential elections in recent history.
Open Access
Presidents' Letter
(2024-12) Patel, Shreya; Radice, Benedetta
Open Access
Presidents' Letter
(2024-05) Vernekar, Aman; Doherty, Beth