As part of the cycle of lectures by new researchers at the Institute of Social Sciences, Aleksandra Bijeljac, a Researcher Trainee from the Centre for Legal Research, held a lecture on October 8, 2024 in the Great Hall of the Institute of Social Sciences on the topic „Developing countries and the carbon market: perceived difficulties in implementation and a possible solution”.
The lecture was devoted to the barriers to employing carbon markets in developing countries. Therefore, related issues are divided into two sets and classified based on the stage of development of the country regulator. The first, named general implementation issues, arises solely in developing countries and deals with climate (in)justice and its main consequence, resource scarcity. The second, named specific implementation issues, arises regardless of the stage of development and includes gathering accurate emission data, incentivizing technological innovation, different understandings of legal institutions between legal systems, and pollution leakage to un(der) regulated countries.
During the lecture, it was pointed out that the current international conventions do not correspond to the necessary urgency of action. In order to effectively solve the root of the raised issues efficiently, it is proposed using a well-established forum, which consists in providing support to developing countries. A good example is found in the work of a United Nations agency that supports countries in development matters, including the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and is therefore considered to possess the required knowledge and expertise. As discussed, this approach can ensure developing countries’ “freedom of choice” in decision-making and serve as a formal institution to uphold climate justice values.
During the discussion, it was pointed out that the Republic of Serbia did not accede to the proposed program, but that the introduction of a special tax for polluters was foreseen. The participants agreed that the biggest polluters of the environment, actually the most developed countries, are the ones that emit ¾ of the global emissions of greenhouse gases, and that it would be fair for them to bear the greatest responsibility for reducing the emission of harmful gases.
