Non-state Actor Participation in the UNFCCC Process: A “Lock-in” Perspective

The number of non-state actors (NSAs) participating in Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process rises year-on-year and has reached unprecedented levels as the COPs have transformed into “global mega events”. At the same time, feelings of disappointment and disillusionment among large swathes of NSAs also seem to be on the rise regarding their participation in the process, which risks undermining the UNFCCC’s legitimacy and effectiveness. This paper applies the concept of lock-in – traditionally used in economics and policy studies and referring to an “inertial resistance” to change – to a procedural context and asks what value it can add to our understanding of the dynamics and challenges of NSA engagement in the UNFCCC and what insights it can generate to address the rising levels of dissatisfaction felt by many NSAs in spite of record participation figures. Based on an analysis of UNFCCC documents supplemented with secondary literature, interviews and insider insights from the UNFCCC secretariat’s 2022 review of NSA engagement, we find evidence of relevant lock-in mechanisms at play that together explain NSAs’ feelings of disappointment with hampered NSA participation in “mega COPs”.

Presenter: Hayley Walker, IESEG School of Management

Discussant: Rudy Oh-Seng