Prerequisites to Combat Climate Change: A study of differing response capacities

Abstract: A legally binding global successor to the Kyoto Protocol is set to be implemented by the year of 2020, but the opinions about how to divide the responsibilities to fight climate change vary greatly. Based on previous research, this study uses the concept of response capacity as a basis in the creation of a foundation for a framework determining the prerequisites to fight climate change; a framework that could be used as a potential tool for the division of responsibilities across parties. The paper specifies four factors of economic-, institutional-, socio-cultural-, and technological nature as the determinants of the response capacity. In particular it focuses on how the response capacities vary across the four income groups of High Income, Upper Middle Income, Lower Middle Income, and Low Income. Even though some exceptions exist, we find that a higher level of income seems to be an element favorable for many of the components forming the response capacity. The conclusion is that the High Income group seemingly has the highest capacity to respond to climate change. Economies included in this group should therefore presumably have the largest prerequisites to take the lead in reducing global warming, simultaneously encouraging other income groups to follow in the same direction.