[1] 

One of the main obstacles to reaching international consensus on climate change

action is the ongoing debate over which countries should shoulder the
burden. [2] Because the developed world has historically been responsible for the
majority of greenhouse gas emissions, it has been argued that they should reduce
emissions and allow developed nations to prioritise development over environmental
concerns (Vinuales, 2011). [3] The notion of ‘common but differentiated
responsibility’ (CBDR) was formalised in the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (UNFCCC, 1992). Article 3.1 explicitly states
'Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating
climate change and the adverse effects thereof' (p. 4). [4] However, because CBDR
outlines a principle and not an actionable plan it has remained problematic. For
example, it does not stipulate the extent to which, under the principle of CBDR,
developing nations should be exempt from specific emissions targets. This has
continued to be a point of contention in global negotiations on climate change, with
developed countries such as the USA arguing that developed nations should do
more to reduce emissions (Klein et. al., 2017). [5] Fairness and equity need to be
pursued in reaching a global agreement on climate change, but transforming this into
an actionable strategy is problematic.