The road less travelled: difficulties in moving between annexes in the climate change regime

The categorization of parties as either Annex I (including a subset of Annex II parties) or non-Annex I constitutes the political and procedural cornerstone of the climate change regime. Annex I parties have quantitative commitments, notably emissions targets inscribed in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol. Non-Annex I parties, for now, have only qualitative obligations. In principle, the regime allows parties to move voluntarily to a different annex. In practice, however, the experience of doing so has been mixed, due to a combination of onerous procedures, contentious politics, and concerns over environmental integrity. This article examines the categorization of parties in the climate change regime, and the procedures in place for moving between the annexes. It details the experience of those parties that have attempted to move to a different annex, focusing on the experiences of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkey. The article explores the lessons to be learnt from these pioneers, and considers how procedures for moving between the annexes might be improved. The article argues that, notwithstanding environmental concerns, the procedures for amending Annex B should be relaxed, in order to embrace new participants and help bridge the existing political and ideological gulf between Annex I and non-Annex I parties.