Common But Differentiated Responsibilities
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) is a principle that was formalized in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992. The CBDR principle is mentioned in UNFCCC article 3 paragraph 1..,[1] and article 4 paragraph 1.[2] It was the first international legal instrument to address climate change and the most comprehensive international attempt to address negative impacts to global environment.[3] The CBDR principle acknowledges that all states have shared obligation to address environmental destruction but denies equal responsibility of all states with regard to environmental protection.
"CBDR" redirects here. For a navigation term, see Constant bearing, decreasing range.
In the Earth Summit, states acknowledged disparity of economic development between developed and developing countries. Industrialization proceeded in developed countries much earlier than it did in developing countries. CBDR is based on the relationship between industrialization and climate change.[4] The more industrialized a country is, the more likely that it has contributed to climate change. States came to an agreement that developed countries contributed more to environmental degradation and should have greater responsibility for climate change mitigation than developing countries should. The CBDR principle could therefore be said to be based on the polluter-pays principle where historical contribution to climate change and respective ability to combat climate change become measures of responsibility for environmental protection.[5]
The concept of CBDR evolved from the notion of "common concern" in Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission of 1949[6] and "common heritage of mankind" in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982.[7]
Objectives[edit]
In general, there are three objectives of contracting differential treatment; to bring substantive equality in a framework for justice, to foster cooperation among states, and to provide incentives for states to implement their obligations.[8]
In the Earth Summit, the CBDR principle was established to apprise the world that pollution transcends political boundaries and that environmental protection should be achieved through means of cooperation. UNFCCC 1992, Article 3 paragraph 1, "The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof."[1]
CBDR was not the first differential treatment of countries in international agreements. There were other protocols and agreements that employed a principle of differential treatment: