Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0009-3699-4696
Abstract
This article examines the evolving dynamics of multilateral climate governance in the context of growing disaffection with the slow pace of negotiations. It identifies two emerging responses: renewed efforts to reinforce established multilateral frameworks and growing support for alternative governance models shaped by contemporary geopolitical realignments. At the center of this evolution is an incipient form of neo-multilateralism that is fragmented and unsettled, yet reflects shifting global power configurations. The analysis focuses on three core challenges: the implications of rising multipolarity, the declining efficacy of multilateral institutions in managing divergent interests, and enduring tensions embedded in the principles of sovereign equality and diffuse reciprocity. While repudiating predictions of imminent collapse of multilateralism, the article argues that the growing divide between negotiating parties may require more agile, interest-clustered negotiation platforms to sustain collective climate action.
Recommended Citation
Peter Njenga and Cecilia Kinuthia-Njenga
(2025)
"Multilateralism in Climate Change Negotiations: Progress, Pitfalls, and Prospects,"
New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 37:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol37/iss2/4