The Triptych approach revisited: A staged sectoral approach for climate mitigation

Abstract

How can an international agreement on climate change distribute responsibilities and emission reduction requirements between countries to be effective, technically feasible and is viewed as fair? This report further develops the Triptych approach as one possible answer to this question. The Triptych approach defines the criteria and rules for differentiating future commitments for all countries in a consistent and transparent manner. The advantage of the Triptych approach is that the rules to distribute emission allowances are different for each sector and are thereby linked to real-world emission reduction strategies. Its framework also allows for discussions on sectors that compete worldwide and, in a natural manner, on the role of developing countries in making contributions to emission limitation and reduction targets. The major downside of the approach, however, remains its complexity and the necessity for projections of production growth rates.