Relations Between International Organisations in Combating Climate Change

Abstract

Inter-organisational interaction is of great importance in the area of climate change since it is one of the most complex policy problems of our times. Coordination amongst and conflict between different organisations are crucial factors for the success and failure of global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. For this reason, an extensive body of literature on climate regime complexes, fragmentation, climate policy integration, institutional interaction and interaction management has emerged in recent years. While most of these studies focus on institutions, defined as relatively stable sets of rules and practices, this chapter applies their main concepts and findings to international organisations, the physical brick-and-mortar entities involved in international climate governance. It shows that an extensive web of interaction amongst various organisations has emerged. The depth and intensity of these inter-organisational relations, however, are relatively light and superficial. The system is loosely integrated, including unilateral climate activities, inter-organisational information exchange but also some closer cooperation in the form of joint programmes. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the hub of this system.