Impacts of Climate Change on World Security. Policy Response to Global Climate Change and Role of Soft Power in the EU and China

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Abstract
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1. Global Climate Change and Security: From Rio, Kyoto to Copenhagen
• 1.2. Climate Change Leadership and Soft Power: The EU and China
• 2. Research Design
• 2.1. Research Question
• 2.2. Variables and Operationalization
• 2.2.1. Dependent Variable and DV-Indicators
• 2.2.2. Independent Variables and IV-Indicators
• 2.3. Hypothesis and Expected Result
• 2.4. Theoretical Framework
• 2.5. Methodology
• 3. Comparative Analysis: The EU and China
• 3.1. [DV] Policy Response to Global Climate Change
• 3.1.1. Setting (or Existence) of Emission Reduction Targets and Other Commitments under the Kyoto Protocol
• 3.1.2. Setting of Future Emissions Targets and Other Commitments for the Post-Kyoto World
• 3.1.3. Financial offer for Poor Countries Vulnerable to Climate Change after the Copenhagen Summit (2010-2020)
• 3.1.4. Summary
• 3.2. [IV1] Vulnerability to Impacts of Climate Change on Security
• 3.2.1. Food Security
• 3.2.2. Water Security
• 3.2.3. Health Security
• 3.2.4. Other Climate Effects
• 3.2.5. Summary
• 3.3. [DV2] Understanding of Global Climate Change (As a Source of Soft Power)
• 3.3.1. Position of Governments towards the Relationship between Climate Change and Security
• 3.3.2. Public Awareness of Global Climate Change
• 3.3.3. Summary
• 3.4. [IV3] Economic Power (As a Source of Hard Power)
• 3.4.1. GDP and Economic Growth Rate
• 3.4.2. GDP Per Capita and Standard of Living
• 3.4.3. Preparation of Economy for a Low Carbon World
• 3.4.4. Summary
• 3.5. [V4] Democracy in Politics and Society (As a Source of Soft Power)
• 3.5.1. Type of Regime
• 3.5.2. Degree of Corruption
• 3.5.3. Degree of Freedom
• 3.5.4. Summary
• 4. Conclusions
• References

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This Master's thesis explores the impacts of climate change on world security, analyzing the policy responses of the European Union and China to global climate change. The thesis examines the role of soft power in shaping these responses, considering factors such as vulnerability to climate change, economic power, and democratic institutions.

• The relationship between climate change and security
• Comparative analysis of EU and China's policy responses to climate change
• The role of soft power in shaping climate change policy
• The interplay of vulnerability, economic power, and democratic institutions in shaping climate change policy
• The significance of soft power in international climate change governance

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1 introduces the research problem and provides a contextual overview of global climate change and its security implications. It discusses the evolution of international climate negotiations from the Rio Earth Summit to the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. The chapter also examines the role of the EU and China as key actors in global climate governance, highlighting the significance of soft power in their leadership efforts.
• Chapter 2 presents the research design and methodology. It outlines the research question, defines key variables and operationalization, and proposes a theoretical framework based on existing literature. The chapter also discusses the methodology employed in the comparative analysis of the EU and China.
• Chapter 3 undertakes a comparative analysis of the EU and China's policy responses to climate change. It examines the factors influencing their policies, including their vulnerability to climate change, economic power, and democratic institutions. The chapter explores various dimensions of their responses, such as setting emission reduction targets, offering financial assistance to developing countries, and promoting public awareness about climate change.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key keywords and focus topics of this work include climate change, global security, policy responses, soft power, EU, China, vulnerability, economic power, democracy, international governance, and comparative analysis.