Obstruction in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Since climate change was placed on the international agenda in the 1990s, states and non–state actors have sought to influence its governance. While many have been pushing for ambitious action, others have sought to block, delay, or weaken action. Obstructing international negotiations has become a key strategy used by those who have developed major stakes in the fossil fuel industry and whose economic interests and position of power are threatened by greenhouse gas regulation. This chapter reviews the literature on obstruction in international climate cooperation, focusing on agreement-making processes such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It highlights the procedural and substantial dimensions of the strategies used by states and non–state actors to obstruct negotiations and shows that obstruction has taken different forms over time and is deeply embedded in international climate negotiations.