The EU's role in climate change negotiations: from leader to 'leadiator'
(2013) In Journal of European Public Policy 20(10). p.1369-1386- Abstract
- We start with two puzzles: first, how to explain the European Union (EU)'s decline as a climate change leader at the Copenhagen summit? Second, how to understand the partial revival of its leadership position at the Durban climate summit? We advance a twofold explanation, focusing on changes in relative power relations among major powers but also on negotiation strategies and coalition building. In Copenhagen, the EU had a normative agenda and unrealistic expectations and thereby failed to forge any bridge-building coalitions. In Durban, it had moved towards a pragmatic strategy, attuned to the realities of changing power constellations. The EU approached developing countries that shared its desire for a legally binding regime covering all... (More)
- We start with two puzzles: first, how to explain the European Union (EU)'s decline as a climate change leader at the Copenhagen summit? Second, how to understand the partial revival of its leadership position at the Durban climate summit? We advance a twofold explanation, focusing on changes in relative power relations among major powers but also on negotiation strategies and coalition building. In Copenhagen, the EU had a normative agenda and unrealistic expectations and thereby failed to forge any bridge-building coalitions. In Durban, it had moved towards a pragmatic strategy, attuned to the realities of changing power constellations. The EU approached developing countries that shared its desire for a legally binding regime covering all major emitters and probed compromises with veto players, such as China and the US. This bridge-building strategy was combined with a conditional pledge to agree to an extension of the Kyoto Protocol. In sum, the EU acted as a leadiator', a leader-cum-mediator. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4160197
- author
- Bäckstrand, Karin LU and Elgström, Ole LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Climate change, coalition building, emerging powers, European Union, leadership, negotiation strategy
- in
- Journal of European Public Policy
- volume
- 20
- issue
- 10
- pages
- 1369 - 1386
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000325450300001
- scopus:84885961070
- ISSN
- 1350-1763
- DOI
- 10.1080/13501763.2013.781781
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8a8894d9-fb02-4315-82bf-95bc64601141 (old id 4160197)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:21:59
- date last changed
- 2022-04-04 17:23:19
@article{8a8894d9-fb02-4315-82bf-95bc64601141,
abstract = {{We start with two puzzles: first, how to explain the European Union (EU)'s decline as a climate change leader at the Copenhagen summit? Second, how to understand the partial revival of its leadership position at the Durban climate summit? We advance a twofold explanation, focusing on changes in relative power relations among major powers but also on negotiation strategies and coalition building. In Copenhagen, the EU had a normative agenda and unrealistic expectations and thereby failed to forge any bridge-building coalitions. In Durban, it had moved towards a pragmatic strategy, attuned to the realities of changing power constellations. The EU approached developing countries that shared its desire for a legally binding regime covering all major emitters and probed compromises with veto players, such as China and the US. This bridge-building strategy was combined with a conditional pledge to agree to an extension of the Kyoto Protocol. In sum, the EU acted as a leadiator', a leader-cum-mediator.}},
author = {{Bäckstrand, Karin and Elgström, Ole}},
issn = {{1350-1763}},
keywords = {{Climate change; coalition building; emerging powers; European Union; leadership; negotiation strategy}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{10}},
pages = {{1369--1386}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Journal of European Public Policy}},
title = {{The EU's role in climate change negotiations: from leader to 'leadiator'}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2013.781781}},
doi = {{10.1080/13501763.2013.781781}},
volume = {{20}},
year = {{2013}},
}