Skip to content
  • «
  • 1
  • »

The search returned 3 results.

Climate Diplomacy and the Rise of 'Multiple Bilateralism' between China, India and the EU journal article

David Belis, Simon Schunz, Tao Wang, Dhanasree Jayaram

Carbon & Climate Law Review, Volume 12 (2018), Issue 2, Page 85 - 97

This article focuses on the diplomatic relations between China, India and the EU in the development of the international climate regime. It analyses whether and to what extent multiple bilateralism, that is, bilateral relations that are embedded into a broader multilateral negotiation setting in a way that any actor – in its bilateral relations with one actor – takes account of its bilateral relations with other (key) actors, has been a strategy employed by each of the three players.Comparing their positions and behavior during the periods leading up to the 2009 Copenhagen and 2015 Paris climate summits, it provides clear evidence of a shift to multiple bilateralism, particularly in the cases of China and the European Union. This strategic turn contributed positively to the adoption of the Paris Agreement. The choice for multiple bilateralism is explained with reference to internal and external driving forces. The article concludes by arguing that multiple bilateralism – involving China, India, the EU and other key emitters – holds the potential to develop into a networked form of co-leadership that can effectively advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement despite US disengagement from the global climate regime.


China, the United States and the European Union: Multiple Bilateralism and Prospects for a New Climate Change Diplomacy journal article free

David Belis, Paul Joffe, Bart Kerremans, Ye Qi

Carbon & Climate Law Review, Volume 9 (2015), Issue 3, Page 203 - 218

This article argues that one of the most significant evolutions in global climate politics in recent years is the redefinition of power relations that has emerged since the 2009 Copenhagen summit. In the run-up to a potential new climate deal at the 2015 Paris summit, a new climate change diplomacy may be emerging among three actors that are in many respects the most powerful and influential: China, the United States and the European Union. The rise of China is affecting many areas of global governance, but nowhere is it more evident than in the case of climate change, where a very specific mix of power politics, economic interests and normative environments defines the direction of the debate. This article explores how the latter three elements are shaping and re-shaping “multiple bilateralisms” between the US, China and the EU and identifies tentative steps toward stronger collective action. The article concludes that a new, perhaps more decentralized but potentially more inclusive approach on climate change is being established.


  • «
  • 1
  • »