Climate change law and policy after Copenhagen

Abstract

This article deals with recent developments in climate change law and policy. It examines the likely future developments in international negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol; briefly summarises climate change legislation before the US Congress; mentions recent European legislation on the topic; and summarises proposals for climate change legislation in Ireland, including the recent Framework for the Climate Change Bill. It concludes that future development in this area will be slow, difficult and uncertain, with international efforts likely to splinter in the coming months but that Europe will remain a dominant force in climate change policy globally and that comprehensive legislation in Ireland is likely in the near future, along with related changes in other areas of law.