The case study of Canada’s Kyoto Protocol process from 1995-2012 is used to explain the mechanisms of democratic influence on climate change in depth. The Canadian type of democracy detected is characterized by a strong prerogative, diminished accountability, partially well-organized inclusiveness, a lack of participatory structures and, overall, low degrees of democratic quality. The Canadian process was one of missed opportunities. Undemocratically developed targets will neither get the legitimation nor the momentum to be translated into a climate change plan and will doubtless not be implemented in the form required to reach sufficient GHG reductions. Consequently, this lecture shows that overall stronger democratic qualities would have led to improved climate performances.

Frederic Hanusch did his Dr. phil. as part of the research group “Democracy and Climate Change” at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities in Essen (KWI). He worked from 2013-2016 at the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and has since 2016 been a part of the project “Futurisation of Politics” at the IASS, the Institute for Advances Sustainability Studies at Potsdam. His research is focused on a combination of democracy research, global change research and the study of time. His most recent publication is Democracy and Climate Change (2017) published in the Routledge Global Cooperation Series.

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