Addressing Inequality Trends in Climate Change Mitigation Policy Measures and Projects: Reflections on Post 2012 Outlooks

As negotiators continue to map out post-2012 climate change regimes to replace the Kyoto Protocol, it is important to consider and reflect on some of the most controversial aspects of the Kyoto Protocol with a view of avoiding similar pitfalls in post-2012 regimes. One of the prominent criticisms against the design and implementation of the Kyoto protocol is its tendencies to foster inequalities and discriminations. Specifically, the clean development mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol has been criticized for resulting in the deliberate targeting of poor communities as locations for projects. For example, there have been massive protests in Nigeria, Honduras and Panama all centered on imbalanced power relations, the concentration of projects in poor communities, massive land grabs and human rights repressions.