Climate agreements like the Paris Agreement are essential for global coordination on reducing emissions, but they often lack specificity, enforcement, and incentives for compliance. Research suggests these agreements may not reach their full potential due to political compromises that dilute their effectiveness. One way to address this could be to systematically analyze past agreements, identify design flaws, and propose evidence-based improvements for future negotiations.

Key Areas for Improvement

The project could focus on four main areas to strengthen climate agreements:

• Incentive Structures: Introducing mechanisms like trade benefits for compliance or sanctions for non-compliance.
• Flexibility and Specificity: Balancing broad participation with binding, sector-specific targets (e.g., separate pledges for energy, transportation, and agriculture).
• Transparency and Monitoring: Using independent verification, possibly with satellite technology, to track progress.
• Equity Adjustments: Tailoring obligations and support (e.g., funding, technology transfer) to address disparities between high- and low-income countries.

Execution Strategy

A phased approach could make the project manageable:

1. Research Phase: Analyze existing studies and interview negotiators to understand past failures and successes.
2. Framework Development: Draft design principles and test them through policy simulations or workshops.
3. Dissemination Phase: Share findings through academic and policy channels, and create training materials for negotiators.

A simpler starting point could be a comparative report on agreements like Kyoto and Paris, highlighting actionable lessons.

Potential Impact

Policy makers, advocacy groups, and vulnerable nations could benefit from clearer, more enforceable agreements. Industries might also gain regulatory clarity, while NGOs could use the findings to push for stronger commitments. By combining academic rigor with practical policy design, this approach could fill a gap in current climate negotiations.