The ‘law of requisite variety’ may assist climate change negotiations: a review of the Kyoto and Durban meetings

The ‘law of requisite variety’ may assist climate change negotiations: a review of the Kyoto and Durban meetings

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Article ID: iaor2014514
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Start Page Number: 62
End Page Number: 73
Publication Date: Feb 2014
Journal: Knowledge Management Research & Practice
Authors:
Keywords: management cybernetics, carbon dioxide, climate change, systems thinking
Abstract:

Ashby wrote about cybernetics, during which discourse he described a Law that attempts to resolve difficulties arising in complex situations – he suggested using variety to combat complexity. In this paper, we note that the delegates to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Kyoto, 1997, were offered a ‘simplifying solution’ to cope with the complexity of discussing multiple pollutants allegedly contributing to ‘climate change’. We assert that the adoption of CO2eq has resulted in imprecise thinking regarding the ‘carbon footprint’ – that is, ‘CO2’ – to the exclusion of other pollutants. We propose, as Ashby might have done, that the CO2eq and other factors within the ‘climate change’ negotiations be disaggregated to allow careful and specific individual solutions to be agreed on each factor. We propose a new permanent and transparent ‘action group’ be in charge of agenda setting and to manage the messy annual meetings. This body would be responsible for achieving accords at these annual meetings, rather than forcing this task on national hosts. We acknowledge the task is daunting and we recommend moving on from Ashby's Law to Beer's Viable Systems approach.

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