Participatory Climate Governance in China and India

Abstract

China and India have emerged as key actors in international climate politics. Much of the success of the aspirations of the Paris Agreement 2015 will depend on the extent to which China and India can achieve them domestically. While the state remains the key actor in climate policymaking in China and India, the role of civil society in matters related to climate change cannot be underestimated. The paper attempts a comparative analysis of the nature of civil society participation in climate governance in China and India. It probes how much participatory and deliberative space civil society organizations enjoy through the analysis of their role in climate change governance. The paper thus studies the power relationship between the State and civil society in climate governance. The goal of the paper is to uncover the enabling factors as well as obstacles toward participatory climate governance in China and India.