Executive Summary of the Research
I. The Purpose and Method of Research
1. The Purpose, Necessity, and Goal of the Original Research
The research team sought holistic comprehension, analysis, and implementation of the Paris Agreement and con ...
Executive Summary of the Research
I. The Purpose and Method of Research
1. The Purpose, Necessity, and Goal of the Original Research
The research team sought holistic comprehension, analysis, and implementation of the Paris Agreement and conducted research on various issues in the arena of domestic climate change responses, energy legislation and policy suggestions in the aftermath of the Paris Agreement to meet timely legal and policy demands. The research also sought measures to synthesize research on climate change, international trade/investment norms and environmental norms with a particular focus in the aftermath of the Paris Agreement.
In this retrospect, the research was designed to achieve its goals with the following.
(1) Conduct qualitative and quantitative research on related issues
(2) Encourage interdisciplinary interaction via academic events, promote and spread constructed agenda
(3) Provide and spread high-quality information through academic publication
(4) Accumulate expert knowledge and provide foundational data for relevant academic fields through maintaining archives
(5) Provide training and enhance awareness through creations and operations of intensive educational programs
Ⅱ. The Content and the Outcome of the Research
Under the research agenda of“Harmonization of Climate Change and Energy Law with International Trade and Investment Rules and International Dispute Settlement after the Paris Agreement”, the research team identified main contents of the Paris Agreement and the Paris Agreement Rulebook and studied the resulted shifts in the legal field. This research team, which was comprised of the main supervisor and research fellows, enhanced the quality of the research through international/domestic academic presentations, discussions, and participations, expert roundtable discussions, lectures and seminars related to the agenda of this research, which led to the eventual proliferation of the research outcome to the public.
The aforementioned efforts made significant progress in constructing networks between academia, experts and peer academic groups (including multidisciplinary exchanges) that are participating in international climate conferences, government experts and National Assembly members (particularly the National Assembly Forum on Climate Change and official delegations to climate change conferences of the Republic of Korea), and future generations and the general public. The research team also participated in the Conference of Parties meetings to support negotiations of the Korean government.
Ⅲ. The Utilization of the Research Outcome
1. The Utilization of the Research Outcome
(1) Specialization and Characterization of a Research Institution
This research team has accumulated its distinct direction and expertise to develop and sophisticate research in the dynamic area of climate change. With a clear absence of research on climate studies in the legal field, it is our intention to develop a focal point that hosts the industry-government-academia network in the field of climate change and international law by 1) providing analyses on international climate change negotiations and the Paris Agreement, 2) contributing to domestic and international greenhouse gas reduction policies and implementation plans, 3) administering intuitive advisory services to the central government and relevant ministries based on accumulations of legal and interdisciplinary analysis of international law and research on climate change policies.
(2) Perform as an Educational Hub for Climate Change Legislation and International Law
Due to the scarcity of climate change publications in law, this research is expected to provide academic and specialized publications on climate change with strong professionalism of the team members that covers various topics such as climate change responses and environmental regulations in international law, as climate change is a multidisciplinary field that converges energy, international trade law, and international environmental law.
(3) Provide an Archive of Climate Change Legislation
As the climate-related statistics are scattered, there is a clear inconvenience for researchers and state agencies. Thus, an archive that collects related information as a whole can be provided by integrating domestic and foreign climate-related statistics into a single database.
(4) Enhance Domestic Cooperation
The research team actively interacted with various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, the National Assembly Forum on Climate Change, the Green Technology Center, and the Institute for Legal Studies of Yonsei University through joint conferences and special seminars. This team plans to continuously develop and enhance cooperation with the National Assembly Forum on Climate Change and the Green Technology Center that act as think tanks in the field of climate change. Its plan to expand academic horizons by integrating the research community (domestic/international post-secondary institutions, research institutions, and government entities) related to climate change response, energy legislation and policy implementations includes hosting seminars, special lectures, and academic conferences.
(5) Expand International Cooperation
The research team plans to construct a network of experts in international environmental law and international law to promote research exchanges by holding joint international academic conferences and seminars related to climate change and international trade law.
2. Research Achievements
1) Records of Published Articles in Academic Journals
The research conducted by the research team was published in peer-reviewed domestic (registered in the National Research Foundation of Korea) and international academic journals that are widely recognized in the fields of international law, international economic law, environmental law, and environmental policy. The total number of published articles is 61.
2) Records of Published Books
A total of 16 books were published during the duration of the research project. Among 16 books published from the project, the contents and the significance of three selected books are introduced as the following. First, International Climate Change Law (Parkyoung Publishing & Company, 2018) is an important academic publication that covers climate change from a legal perspective, and is recognized as one of the most salient publications for its content and depth. It was selected as the winner of the Certificate of Merit under Specialized Area of International Law in 2018 by the American Society of International Law. Second, Understanding the Paris Agreement (Parkyoung Publishing & Company, 2020) included official Korean delegation members of the Conference of Parties climate as co-authors. This book will serve as an important guideline for future climate change negotiations and responses by providing a comprehensive understanding of the Paris Agreement. Lastly, in addition to International Climate Change Law, Climate Change and International Law (Parkyoung Publishing & Company, 2021) was released. Climate Change and International Law is an academic publication that provides genuine analyses on climate change from the perspective of international law. Along with the aforementioned publications above, Climate Change and International Law is a memorable finale of the climate change series that completes the 10-year work of this research project. This piece of work synthesized and organized the discussions of the overall research related to climate change.