Exclusive approaches to climate governance

Given the lack of progress along the inclusive UNFCCC track, there have been increasing calls for more exclusive or regional approaches as supplements or alternatives to the global approach (Victor 2011). Theoretically, as well as based on lessons from other regimes like WTO and the climate regime, it may be argued that reaching agreement is easier within smaller groups of countries (Olson 1965; Greenspan Bell and Ziegler 2012). The point seems particularly relevant within this issue area, as a handful of key actors are responsible for well above 50 percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.