Building climate diplomacy back better: imagining the UNFCCC meetings of tomorrow

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) evaluates the feasibility and desirability of transitioning United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings to online formats. Based on stakeholder surveys and interviews, it argues that while the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that many UNFCCC activities can be held virtually, a meaningful transition requires addressing deep-seated issues of trust, power imbalances, and the digital divide to avoid exacerbating existing inequities.

• A significant majority of surveyed stakeholders are open to a digital transition, with 72% welcoming the move of some or many parts of the UNFCCC process online and 75% rating their recent online experience as neutral or good.
• Stakeholders identified specific activities as highly suitable for online formats, including thematic workshops and expert meetings (75%), technical review processes (65%), and informal consultations (64%). Conversely, only 24% believe negotiations can be held online.
• The transition to online meetings risks intensifying existing power imbalances. Concerns include the 'digital divide'—specifically unreliable electricity, unstable internet connections, and the burden of working across disparate time zones—which may disadvantage delegates from developing countries.
• There is a pervasive 'trust deficit' within the UNFCCC process that complicates the move to digital tools. This mistrust stems from failures to meet past commitments on finance and NDC implementation, as well as fears that online formats could be used to restrict transparency or block certain voices.
• Online formats are perceived to hinder the interpersonal relationship-building and spontaneous interactions—such as 'huddles' and corridor conversations—that are often critical for reaching consensus and resolving difficult political issues.
• Civil society and media representatives fear that virtual meetings reduce their ability to act as watchdogs. Journalists report greater difficulty in securing interviews and gathering information, while NGOs worry that the loss of physical presence diminishes their lobbying power.
• The report suggests that the UNFCCC is shifting from a phase of global negotiation to one of domestic implementation, a transition that may make online modalities more appropriate for new functions of accountability and tracking progress.
• To mitigate the digital divide, the report highlights the 'African Hub' in Sharm El Sheikh as a successful model of using regional hubs to provide physical space and technical support for delegates while reducing travel.
• The report recommends that the UNFCCC Secretariat lead a UN-wide effort to modernize multilateral diplomacy, including streamlining agendas, clarifying the legal status of online decision-making, and investing in open-source platforms to replace reliance on private companies.

APA

Klein, R., Harris, K., Bakhtaoui, I., Lager, F., Lindblom, A., & Carson, M. (2021). Building climate diplomacy back better: imagining the UNFCCC meetings of tomorrow. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10.51414-sei2021.019.pdf

Chicago

Klein, Richard, Katy Harris, Inès Bakhtaoui, Frida Lager, Andrea Lindblom, and Marcus Carson. Building climate diplomacy back better: imagining the UNFCCC meetings of tomorrow. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10.51414-sei2021.019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Klein |first1=Richard |last2=Harris |first2=Katy |last3=Bakhtaoui |first3=Inès |last4=Lager |first4=Frida |last5=Lindblom |first5=Andrea |last6=Carson |first6=Marcus |title=Building climate diplomacy back better: imagining the UNFCCC meetings of tomorrow |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=September 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10.51414-sei2021.019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{klein2021building, author = {Klein, Richard and Harris, Katy and Bakhtaoui, Inès and Lager, Frida and Lindblom, Andrea and Carson, Marcus}, title = {{Building climate diplomacy back better: imagining the UNFCCC meetings of tomorrow}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/10.51414-sei2021.019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }