Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change surpasses the ability of any state to tackle on their own and requires global collective action. As a universal political body, the United Nations is indispensable to addressing climate change. It provides the arena for member states to discuss, deliberate, and decide; the institutional apparatus to support negotiations; and the platform and incentives for many actors to engage in creating and implementing agreements. UN institutions were critical to the identification of climate change as a global concern and the development of a formal regime adopted and supported by member states. This chapter analyzes the institutional frameworks, discusses core factors for success, and outlines a potential trajectory for climate change within the UN and beyond.