This chapter opens with the mantra that climate change is a global problem, but needs individualized , national-level strategies for combating it. The chapter provides two main analyses, and spells them out clearly to the reader. Simply, there is the difference in public policy between soft vs. hard commitments when it comes to climate change. Too often are the soft commitments made in lieu of the more difficult to achieve, but the more effective hard commitments. These soft commitments generally have less legal enforcement, and instead are hinged primarily on voluntary acceptance of the provisions, allowing easy revocation of the provisions when it becomes politically or economically too difficult to continue abiding by the provisions. Instead, what the author suggests is the only effective method of producing changes in behavior by the nation or the corporation is to mandate hard commitments, or no commitments at all. In essence the very system of fragmented, and complex sets of soft commitments produce real harm in the efforts to combat climate change because they make a nation or an advocacy organization feel as if real change has been accomplished. Yet, it could be very quickly undone without any repercussions. The defragmentation of the frameworks surrounding global efforts to combat climate change could also be a source for strengthening the efforts already present at the national-level. All in all, there needs to be a greater internationally focused effort to produce this real change.
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