From rivals to partners: The cooptation of emerging powers into the climate regime

Abstract

The global regime for climate change was formed under the leadership of powerful states in the West who faced the challenge of bringing emerging powers in the developing world on board. The established powers used a strategy of cooptation whereby they offered a series of institutional concessions in return for support. These included adopting principles favored by the established powers, such as sustainable development and common but differentiated responsibilities, and agreeing to channel resources from North to South to address climate change. The effect of these concessions was to secure the participation of emerging powers, not only taming their opposition but also coopting them as allies in the regime to help bring other developing countries on board. Cooptation facilitated the establishment of the regime and helps explain why global climate cooperation has been relatively stable, unlike some domains of global governance that have fallen prey to intense competition and securitization between established and rising powers.