The failures of COP26: using group psychology and dynamics to scale up the adoption of climate mitigation and adaptation measures

ABSTRACT Despite mounting evidence of the devastating effects of climate change and repeated calls to scale up the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, states are still failing to adopt meaningful and concrete measures to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. The outcomes of COP26, which resulted in the adoption of pledges deprived of concrete implementation mechanisms, constitute one illustration of such failures. Given the nature of climate change and the bounded rationality of individuals and groups, the article applies the psychology of group decision-making to shed light on such inaction. As time is running out, all tools should be mobilised to incentivise states to adopt concrete and significant measures, and psychology is one of them. The article first starts by addressing the challenges presented by climate change for decision-makers bounded in rationality. It then continues by considering group dynamics at play in national governments and their implications for climate governance both domestically and internationally.