2.1 From global power politics to responsible collective governance The transparency and inclusiveness of international climate governance institutions and processes Peter Newell1
Issues of transparency, integrity and inclusiveness are central to the effectiveness and legitimacy of the international community’s response to climate change. Amid huge disparities in wealth and power, often weak institutional structures and competing claims about rights and responsibilities (and therefore about who should be held to account for what), these issues are at the heart of many key debates about responsibility for action on climate change, even if they are not usually named in those terms. To understand these challenges it is helpful to give a brief overview of the institutional landscape for climate governance, trace its evolution, and highlight issues of participation and accountability for one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. The international climate change regime: the main institutions
International negotiations on climate change are organized around a number of key actors, institutions and decision-making processes. Internationally, three institutions are critical to the process of negotiating climate change policy. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol is the ultimate decision-making body for climate negotiations. It meets annually to
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