International climate change regimes in the 21st century: From Stockholm to Paris

Abstract

Global climate change has rapidly become a prominent issue on the world agenda since the latter half of the 21st century. It is a complex phenomenon that impacts not only humans but also all living creatures. When delving into the global climate change discourse, the immediate focus tends to shift towards the matter of global warming. The expanding global population has led to a surge in the utilisation of technological products, driven by the need to maintain a delicate equilibrium between production and consumption. Due to increasing industrialisation and developing technology, there is an increase in the use of fossil fuels, leading to an increase in the greenhouse effect. Therefore, the issue of climate change, the effect of which has emerged as a result of increasing global warming over time, has become a highly debated topic in the international arena, especially in recent years, and increasing social mobility on this issue has led to more attention being turned to this specific topic. In this context, climate change garners more attention than other environmental issues. Currently, numerous initiatives are underway on the international stage to address this pressing concern. Therefore, this chapter aims to elucidate how the environment and climate change have evolved into global issues. It will delve into the historical journey of addressing these challenges, starting from Stockholm and leading up to the Paris Climate Agreement. Subsequently, we will establish a framework to understand how the global community has approached the issue of climate change on the international stage throughout the latter half of the 21st century.