The Yearbook of International Environmental Law has posted a call for submissions for volume 26 (2015) on the theme: "Addressing Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." Here's the call:
Yearbook of International Environmental Law
Vol 26. (2015)
Call for Papers
Addressing Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals
The Editors of the Yearbook of International Environmental Law (YIEL) welcome submissions for Volume 26 (2015) on the theme: Addressing Climate Change in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Once again the world’s leaders gather in Paris (30 November to 11 December 2015) in a Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to address the consequences of our present lifestyle: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from human activities are now driving climate change at the highest levels in history with carbon dioxide emissions having risen by almost 50% (since 1990), average global temperature increasing (between 1880 to 2012) by 0.85°C and the global average sea level rising between 1901 to 2010. It is quite clear that the proposals offered to simply stall the degradation and mitigate its immediate effects go beyond the traditional solutions usually reflected in a ‘legal instrument’. The minimum measures required constitute a major interference with the economic and social structure of States and effectively the economic paradigm of our era.
A blueprint of such a massive intervention may be found in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted on 25 September 2015 in the UN Sustainable Development Summit (UNSDS) in New York. Essentially a sequel to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000, the SDGs are to be realized in an incremental, persuasive and leisurely way in a 15-year cycle. They include challenges as diverse as inequality in living standards, sustainable cities, clean water and energy, women’s empowerment, quality education, healthy lives, poverty and hunger. Interestingly, Goal 13 specifically addresses mitigating threats of climate change through strengthening resilience to climate-related hazards; integrating climate change measures into national policies, and improving human and institutional capacity. Although, it is supplemented by the commitment undertaken by developed States parties to the UNFCCC to jointly mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions, transparency on implementation and full operationalization of the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization, it is important to note that both developing and developed States undertake obligations relating to climate change.
It is in this context that the present call for papers invites contributions on climate change in the wider context of the SDGs with a view to enriching our knowledge-base and understanding of both the problems we may usefully address and the tentative and wide- ranging solutions offered in UNFCCC COP 21 and elsewhere. Papers may encompass empirical approaches, theoretical discussions and perspectives from practice.
Topics of interest for submission could include, but are not limited to:
1. Comments on the outcome of UNFCCC COP 21 (Paris)
2. Blueprint for Climate Change Action (Sustainable Development Goal 13)a. Approaches – mitigation and adaptation
3. Environmental Dimension of the SDGs
b. Mechanisms
c. Resources
d. COP 21 Outcome: Road Aheada. Concept
4. Global Conferencing Technique in IEL and SDGs
b. Process
c. Normative value
d. Institutions
e. Enforcement
5. “Collective Journey” - People vs. Planet
6. Monitoring SDGs - Commitments of OECD countries
7. Effectuation of SDGs at national and regional level
8. Lessons learnt from MDGs - Realism vs. OptimismSubmissions should be sent by 31st March 2016 to our Assistant Editor Stacy Belden (stacybelden@gmail.com).
