Business and global climate governance: a neo-plurist perspective. Business and Global Governance

Abstract

Business plays a critical role in global climate politics; this is widely agreed upon in international relations and political economy. Whether we should view business primarily as blocking political progress or as providing necessary solutions remains a matter of debate and contention. Analysts also remain divided on how we should assess the power of business in climate politics. For some, corporations are just one type of interest group that competes with others for influence in the political process. Others see business actors as relying on structural power, which serves to constrain the options available to politicians and diplomats. This chapter puts forward a neo-pluralist perspective on business in global climate governance. It argues that business is in a powerful, even privileged, position internationally, but doesn’t always get its way. The process of international climate politics is more fluid and open-ended than may seem at first sight, and while business interests can predominate they don’t always pull in the same direction, nor do they control the global environmental agenda.

Reference

Falkner, R. May 2010. Business and global climate governance: a neo-plurist perspective. Business and Global Governance [Morten Ougaard and Anna Leander (eds.)]. Routledge, London.