Navigating Climate Change Through a Realist Prism: New South, Global Ambitions, and National Interests at COP29

Ferid Belhaj

No 2411, Policy briefs on Commodities & Energy from Policy Center for the New South

Abstract: This paper examines the complex interplay between global climate ambitions and national interests within the New South—defined as a diverse group of emerging economies, each pursuing distinct geopolitical strategies, economic priorities, and development goals—seen through a realist lens at the COP29 climate summit. As the climate crisis deepens, the geopolitical stakes involved in climate governance become more pronounced. The New South, grappling with the dual challenges of economic development and environmental vulnerability, finds itself navigating between international climate commitments and the imperatives of national security, energy needs, and sovereignty. Taking a realist international relations perspective, the paper explores how countries from the New South, including emerging powers and resource-rich nations, prioritize state-centric goals in the face of shifting global power dynamics. At COP29, hosted by gas-producing Azerbaijan, these tensions underscore the limitations of multilateral climate agreements, as national interests take precedence over global cooperation. The analysis explores the role of climate finance, energy security, and geopolitical alliances, offering an insight into how the realist approach can better explain the current global climate impasse, and its implications for the future of international climate negotiations.

Date: 2024-10
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