Beyond Coalitions: Small States in Climate Negotiations (BeCoSS Climate)
Prof. Dr. Carola Kloeck, Centre de recherches internationales (CERI), Sciences Po Paris
Prof. Dr. Paula Castro, Center for Energy and the Environment, Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
Team members
Sarah Tegas, Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI), Sciences Po Paris
Silvana-Maria Târlea, Center for Energy and the Environment, Zurich University of Applied SciencesAssociated: Matthew Winkler, Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI), Sciences Po Paris
The project BeCoSS Climate examines small states in the UN climate negotiations. While small states often work through coalitions to overcome their size limitations, we argue that we need to look beyond and within coalitions to understand influence and power dynamics in multilateral negotiations. Member states are typically extremely diverse, and vary strongly in their negotiation capacity, visibility, and active participation. In the end, it is individual states, if not individual negotiators, that drive coalitions’ activities and success.
We break down influence into four consecutive elements, and hypothesise that being present at multilateral negotiations is a precondition for active participation, which in turn may lead to influence over the negotiation process, and eventually influence over outcomes. Accordingly, we pose three overarching research questions:
1. How present and engaged are different states in multilateral diplomacy?
2. Why do we see this variation in presence and participation?
3. Under which circumstances do presence and participation lead to influence?
We address these questions by analysing UN climate talks, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Project duration: 2024–2028
Photo : Flags (Baku COP 29, November 2024). Credit Carola Kloeck.
