Climate Change and International Cooperation: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most complicated and pressing problems in the world of the twenty-first century that demand international collaboration like never before. With the ever-increasing emission of greenhouse gases, their effects such as extreme weather conditions and sea level rise cross national boundaries and the effect on the vulnerable populations is disproportionate. The paper is a qualitative research on the dynamics of international cooperation in dealing with the problem of climate change on multilateral agreements, institutional mechanisms, and political constraints. Based on the liberal institutionalism, realism, and constructivist approaches, the paper examines the development of global climate governance in reference to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The challenges of implementing the Paris Agreement are given particular attention, as well as the conflict between the developed and developing countries as concerns climate justice and financial responsibility. The results indicate that the international cooperation has increased on an institutional scale but in most cases, the effectiveness is limited due to national interests, economic priorities and unequal power relations. Enhancement of trust, accountability and fair burden-sharing processes are the key components to effective global climate action.