The EU and the progressive alliance negotiating in Durban: saving the climate?

The document analyses the EU's negotiating strategy at the 2011 Durban Summit, arguing that a combination of realist bargaining and normative alliance-building with vulnerable developing nations was key to preventing the collapse of the UNFCCC process. It examines the internal complexities of the EU as a negotiating bloc and the shifting dynamics of developing country coalitions, such as the BASIC group and the Cartagena Dialogue. The author concludes that while the Durban roadmap was a success, significant challenges remain regarding climate finance, emission targets, and the willingness of major emitters like the US and China to commit to legally binding agreements.

• The EU's alliance with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the Least Developed Country (LDC) group, and other members of the Cartagena Group provided the legitimacy needed to persuade major emitters like the US, China, and India to agree to the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action.
• The EU employed a hybrid negotiating strategy in Durban, combining normative leadership with realist tactics, such as making its support for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol conditional on an agreement for a future roadmap.
• The Durban Summit resulted in the establishment of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), which aims to develop a protocol, legal instrument, or 'agreed outcome with legal force' applicable to all parties by 2020.
• The Durban outcome effectively challenged the traditional 'firewall' between developed and developing countries, as the G77 no longer credibly represents the diverging interests of the BASIC countries versus the LDCs and AOSIS.
• The EU faces significant internal divisions that hinder its negotiating power, particularly regarding the ambition of its emission reduction targets and the provision of climate finance, with countries like Poland opposing more stringent goals.
• A major outstanding challenge is the lack of clarity regarding the $100 billion per year in climate finance promised in Durban, especially given the economic austerity facing EU Member States.
• The EU's decision to include international aviation in its emissions trading scheme has negatively impacted its diplomatic relations with the US and BASIC countries.

APA

van Schaik, L. (2012). The EU and the progressive alliance negotiating in Durban: saving the climate? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/1-The_EU_and_progressive_alliance_negotiating_in_Durban.pdf

Chicago

van Schaik, Louise. The EU and the progressive alliance negotiating in Durban: saving the climate? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2012. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/1-The_EU_and_progressive_alliance_negotiating_in_Durban.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van Schaik |first1=Louise |title=The EU and the progressive alliance negotiating in Durban: saving the climate? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=October 2012 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/1-The_EU_and_progressive_alliance_negotiating_in_Durban.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanschaik2012progressive, author = {van Schaik, Louise}, title = {{The EU and the progressive alliance negotiating in Durban: saving the climate?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/1-The_EU_and_progressive_alliance_negotiating_in_Durban.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }