The Institutional Architecture for a 1.5 °C World

Climate protection needs strong institutions. An institution is strong if it has a legal architecture – organization, personnel, procedures and competencies – that is appropriate for the specifics of its task. The fact that many states do not achieve their self-imposed climate goals indicates that the fit between institutions and tasks in the field of climate protection is less than optimal at present. Doubts are hence repeatedly articulated in this respect. Parliaments, for example, are said to be incapable of effective climate protection because MPs tend to orient their decisions towards short-term political success. International institutions would lack the necessary enforcement power, independent courts would not hold sufficient democratic legitimacy. But who then can, should and must be responsible? Which institution, by virtue of its design, is in a position to drive the change towards a climate-neutral society?

The CAS Research Group “The Institutional Architecture for a 1.5 °C World” aims to examine the correlations between the legal architecture of an institution and its potential to contribute to climate protection. To this end, “classic” institutions (parliaments, supreme courts, central banks) of different national legal systems and the EU will be compared and contrasted with institutions that were created or designed specifically for the purpose of climate protection (Platform on Sustainable Finance, International Sustainability Standards Board, European Financial Reporting Advisory Group). The aim is to systematically show how the individual elements of an institution's legal design affect its contributions to climate change mitigation. On this basis, the existing institutional architectures will be evaluated and reform proposals developed.