Climate diplomacy: Seeing the bigger picture

This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines the role of climate diplomacy in securing a global climate agreement by 2015. It argues that integrating climate change into foreign policy and building diplomatic capacity—particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)—is essential for advancing multilateral action both within and outside the UNFCCC process.

• Climate diplomacy is essential for integrating climate change into foreign policy and creating the necessary domestic and international conditions for a global agreement by 2015, which aims to limit global temperature increases to a maximum of 2°C.
• Least Developed Countries (LDCs) face significant barriers to effective climate diplomacy, including limited resources, a lack of technical expertise, and institutional architectures that isolate climate issues within Ministries of Environment rather than integrating them into Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
• Effective climate diplomacy requires a 'whole-government approach' where climate change is established as a national strategic priority, supported by inter-ministerial committees and transparent public debates to align climate action with national interests.
• To strengthen diplomatic capacity, the brief recommends that Ministries of Foreign Affairs issue diplomatic directives on climate change and appoint climate envoys to signal that the issue is a priority for foreign diplomacy.
• Climate diplomacy is increasingly occurring in non-UNFCCC forums, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Major Economies Forum, where major emitters are disproportionately represented, often limiting the influence of LDCs.
• The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) serves as an example of 'New Climate Diplomacy,' having placed climate change at the center of its foreign policy through a national Climate Change Roadmap and engagement in non-traditional forums like the UN Security Council.
• The LDC Group increased its international influence in 2011/12 by establishing a core team, implementing a comprehensive media strategy, and partnering with the EU and AOSIS to launch the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.

APA

Sura, K., & Schweimler, N. (2013). Climate diplomacy: Seeing the bigger picture. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN_Climate_diplomacy_PolicyBrief_final_web.pdf

Chicago

Sura, Kiran, and Nadia Schweimler. Climate diplomacy: Seeing the bigger picture. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN_Climate_diplomacy_PolicyBrief_final_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sura |first1=Kiran |last2=Schweimler |first2=Nadia |title=Climate diplomacy: Seeing the bigger picture |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2013 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN_Climate_diplomacy_PolicyBrief_final_web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sura2013climate, author = {Sura, Kiran and Schweimler, Nadia}, title = {{Climate diplomacy: Seeing the bigger picture}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN_Climate_diplomacy_PolicyBrief_final_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }