China’s Shifting View on Climate Change Negotiations: A Comparison Case Study on China’s View on Responsibilities in Climate Change Negotiations from Copenhagen to Paris

Climate change is one of the most severe global problems of the 21st Century. China, as the biggest polluter in the world since 2007, undeniably needs to play an important role in the climate change negotiations to combat this worldwide problem. In 2017, the US (the second largest polluter responsible for global emissions) announced its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate change treaty. This made scholars wonder what China’s role in combating global climate change would be in the future. When looking at its first reaction in 2017, it seems that China’s is more willing to cooperate in combating climate change than it did before. This study shows when this changed occurred by analysing two recent climate change negotiations, the 2009 Copenhagen summit (COP15) and the 2015 Paris summit (COP 21). This study also shows how China's view has changed during these two COPs. This thesis concludes that 1) China has shifted from a realist approach to a more liberalist approach from 2009 to...Show moreClimate change is one of the most severe global problems of the 21st Century. China, as the biggest polluter in the world since 2007, undeniably needs to play an important role in the climate change negotiations to combat this worldwide problem. In 2017, the US (the second largest polluter responsible for global emissions) announced its withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate change treaty. This made scholars wonder what China’s role in combating global climate change would be in the future. When looking at its first reaction in 2017, it seems that China’s is more willing to cooperate in combating climate change than it did before. This study shows when this changed occurred by analysing two recent climate change negotiations, the 2009 Copenhagen summit (COP15) and the 2015 Paris summit (COP 21). This study also shows how China's view has changed during these two COPs. This thesis concludes that 1) China has shifted from a realist approach to a more liberalist approach from 2009 to 2015, 2) China has recently been using the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" more as a way to protect itself from undertaking actions that are too big of a burden for the country, rather than an excuse to not have to commit to mitigation actions at all as it did before, and 3) China’s more liberal attitude seen in 2017 is already noticeable during the 2015 Paris climate change negotiations.Show less

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China’s Shifting View on Climate Change Negotiations: A Comparison Case Study on China’s View on Responsibilities in Climate Change Negotiations from Copenhagen to Paris