ABSTRACT
The implementation capacity for the new Paris Agreement is an improvement on Kyoto, if ratified by a sufficient number of parties. Compliance results from a process of substantive assessment of international rules, in so far as such rules are compatible with existing norms and beliefs; essentially, a rule is complied with if it is considered to be appropriate by stakeholders. An evaluation of stakeholder perceptions in the lead-up to Conference of the Parties 21 provides some insights into which current governance arrangements could present challenges and opportunities in the next period of negotiations, prior to 2020. The intent was to determine their views on the quality of the governance arrangements underpinning the climate regime overall. The implications of cultivating such an institutional approach to problem-solving are that governance systems, which incorporate degrees of flexibility, are more resilient in the face of external change and may even benefit from it.
