Perceptions of the effectiveness of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in prompting behavioural change

This paper aims to characterise some of the ways in which the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is trickling down to effect
national level action on climate change. State and non state actors are interviewed at
the 8th UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP8) during October and November 2002.
The interviews reveal that climate change is already perceived to be a priority issue,
or is becoming one. In all countries much legislation is already in place to facilitate
climate change preparedness (both adaptation and mitigation), although respondents
suggest that in the majority of cases these changes are not being developed in
response to the UNFCCC but to other drivers. While changes were seen at the
national level, mostly through planning and research, few saw action at the local level.
Respondents agreed that climate risks must be managed through both national
mitigation and adaptation, with many highlighting the importance of finding ways to
participate in the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms and managing the impacts of foreign
direct investments. The majority of respondents focussed on in-country actions such
as identifying the most vulnerable groups, few identified the need for greater global
cooperation.

To conclude, the Convention plays a role in shaping the discourse of climate change
and in generating national level responses. These responses are played out differently
according to the geographic, environmental, economic, social and cultural conditions
of each country. The Convention is clearly important, but perhaps it is not adequate to
shape a total response to climate change. There appears to be scope for additional
initiatives, through collaboration, trade or aid, and through bilateral arrangements.