Analysis of Internal Factors of the Swing States in the International Climate Change Negotiations: A Case Study of Poland in COP24

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to generate insights into the role of states in the international climate change negotiations and implementation of climatic agreements by considering their internal factors based on recent climate change conferences. In this paper, the notion of swing states and recognition are used to determine influential drivers in Poland as it played out a different role over climate change agreements recently. The case study of Poland demonstrates how international obligations, domestic factors, and formation of policy can change the function of a state at international negotiations such as Katowice Conference of Parties—COP24—in December 2018. This research through reference to qualitative indices elaborates how the position of Poland in the recent international climate change negotiations—Cop24—has been shaped? In the conference of parties 24, Poland approached other developed countries that shared its tendency for cutting emission, delivered signals of political attention and solidarity in finding a common landing ground. In sum, the framework of analysis and our results revealed the importance of economic interest, domestic political interests, and passive public awareness to set up to the task in the international agreements such as Katowice negotiation by Poland. To be clearer, the most influential factor of Poland in affecting its role in international climatic negotiations is internal political and economic interests.