Explore the political context, climate vulnerabilities, and climate politics of Bahamas

My country name: Bahamas

Directions

Please answer the following questions in no more than 3 pages, single spaced. Parts 1 and 2 can be bullet point statements of facts. Part 3 requires more considered analysis.

All answers must be backed up by citations, including in-text and as a bibliography at the end. Don’t forget to include page numbers where relevant, and complete titles of web page.

1. Political profile (30% of effort)

a. What is your country’s type of political system (e.g. parliamentary democracy, presidential democracy, autocracy etc.)? Who is its leader, and what party or political perspective do they represent? Since when have they been in power? Who is the main opposition e.g. (political party, faction, no opposition or other)? (ONLY for those allocated the EU: What are its governing bodies? Who is the President of the European Commission? Which state joined most recently, and which state is the only member to leave (and when?)?

b. How would you categorize your country in terms of its level of development? State briefly why.

c. Find a recent relevant news item: Go to Google. In the search bar, enter: [Your Country’s Name] climate change politics. Restrict the search to the news category, pick a story and summarize the relevant points.

2. Energy and Greenhouse Gas Profile (15% of effort)

a. What are its greenhouse gas emissions, per capita and absolute (annual or cumulative)? Where does each of these rank compared with other countries?

b. What types and quantities of fuel sources are available for energy production? What percentage of your country’s energy comes from renewable energy sources and from nuclear power? What is your country’s energy use per capita?

c. What types of fossil fuel does your country export or import, and is it a net importer or net exporter?

3. Global Climate Governance Profile (55% of effort)

a. What are its main climate vulnerabilities, in terms of environmental and social threats? (or might it even have advantages?)

b. What has been its position/stance in climate negotiations? How has that changed over time (for example, between the signing of the 1992 UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement and today)?

c. What are two or three major factors determining its position(s) in negotiations? Describe how and why they matter.

d. Using the UNFCCC Registry of Nationally Determined Contributions (https://unfccc.int/NDCREG). (NDCs), provide an outline of the main elements your country’s plan, along with updates, paying specific attention to mitigation goals (cutting emissions, augmenting carbon sinks), finance, and anything specific that seems important or unusual. (Note for some countries you might still be working with the 2015 plan. Let us know if there’s no English translation.)

e. Using Climate Watch (https://www.climatewatchdata.org/). National NDC Tracker or CAT Climate Target Update Tracker (https://climateactiontracker.org/climate-target-update-tracker-2022/). or other reputable sources, is the NDC considered sufficient or not? Why or why not? (Base this last question on the work you’ve done in this exercise and what we’ve learned in class – you can state your opinion but it must be backed up!)

Resources

Initial Resources. Most allow you to search by your country name.

1. 1. Our World In Data CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Profiles (https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions#co2-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-country-profiles)
   2. World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal Country Data (https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/)
   3. The CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/)
   4. Freedom House’s World Freedom Index (https://freedomhouse.org/countries/freedom-world/scores?sort=asc&order=Total%20Score%20and%20Status)
   5. Climate Watch Data (searchable by country) (https://www.climatewatchdata.org/)
   6. Climate Home News (searchable by country) (https://www.climatechangenews.com/)
   7. Report on COP 26 (Glasgow) from Wikipedia (a thorough, general account of the COP and how it worked, with good citations) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference)
   8. The Climate Action Tracker Countries Page (https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/)
   9. The Climate Action Tracker Net Zero page (https://www.climatewatchdata.org/net-zero-tracker)
   10. Carbon Brief interactive alliances. (for Paris Agreement, still relevant) (https://www.carbonbrief.org/interactive-the-negotiating-alliances-at-the-paris-climate-conference/)
   11. Our World in Data world energy statistics (https://ourworldindata.org/energy#country-profiles), including Country Energy Profiles (click on link on top of page)
       1. EU statistics here (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/interactive-publications/energy-2023)
       2. For trade (imports/exports) search for your country’s energy agency and the CIA World Factbook. 

On COP27

• 5 Things COP27 Must Achieve for Vulnerable Countries | World Resources Institute, May 2022 (https://www.wri.org/insights/vulnerable-countries-un-climate-summit)
• More Ambitious Climate Plans Needed Ahead of COP27 | UNFCCC April 2022 (https://unfccc.int/news/more-ambitious-climate-plans-needed-ahead-of-cop27)