Overview

Addressing climate change is one of the biggest global challenges of the 21^st century. Different theoretical perspectives in IR offer varying explanations for the current state of global climate governance, in particular its notable failure to stem global warming. These perspectives attach varying causal weight to factors such as the political and economic interests of states and corporations, the role of norms and identities, and the impact of non-governmental actors. This week, we examine a number of these perspectives in order to better grasp the promises and pitfalls of the current global climate policy architecture.

Questions for consideration

• What is the role of different state and non-state actors in global climate change governance?
• How can we understand the limited progress in climate negotiations from different IR theoretical perspectives?
• What does global climate change governance tell us about the nature of the current world order?

Written assignment (500 words)

Write a mini-essay on the following thesis: “It is unlikely that global warming will be effectively addressed within the Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change”.

Your answer must draw on one or more different IR theoretical perspectives and touch upon the following issues:

• The role of international institutions (including norms) and international institutions in world politics
• The nature of the current world order
• The role of state vs non-state actors in world politics
• The nature of power

The mini essay must be referenced as a normal essay

Recommend Reference:

Core reading

Textbook chapter

C. Weber, International Relations Theory. A Critical Introduction. 4^th edition. London and New York: Routledge, 2014.

• Chapter 11. Environmentalism. Is human-made climate change an inconvenient truth?

News articles/opinion pieces

• Diane Desierto, COP25 Negotiations Fail: Can Climate Change Litigation, Adjudication, and/or Arbitration Compel States to Act Faster to Implement Climate Obligations?, Blog of the European Journal of International Law, 19 December 2019, https://www.ejiltalk.org/cop25-negotiations-fail-can-climate-change-litigation-adjudication-and-or-arbitration-compel-states-to-act-faster-to-implement-climate-obligations/
• Marlowe Hood, Five reasons COP25 climate talks failed, 25 December 2019, Phys, https://phys.org/news/2019-12-cop25-climate.html

Other texts

• Eckersley, R. (2012). Moving forward in the climate negotiations: Multilateralism or minilateralism? Global Environmental Politics, 12(2), 24-42.

• Najam, A., Saleemul H., and Sokona, Y (2003). Climate negotiations beyond Kyoto: Developing countries concerns and interests. Climate Policy 3 (3), 221-231

• Terhalle, M., and Depledge, J. (2013) Great-power politics, order transition, and climate governance: insights from international relations theory. Climate Policy 13 (5), 572-588.

• Chukwumerije, O., Bulkeley,H. and Schroeder, H. (2009) Conceptualizing climate governance beyond the international regime. Global Environmental Politics 9 (1), 58-78.

These articles I have attached below. You might use some of those. Please check it. Thanks.😊