India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs
Call for Papers for Special Issue

Special Issue of the IQ: Climate Change: Issues and Commitments Post- Paris

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, hammered together at COP21, was hailed as “historic” by many countries. It addressed, in part, the important concerns of all its constituencies. It created a partially legally binding agreement under international law to keep global warming under 2 degrees, applied the principle of “common but differentiated” responsibilities to a range of issues and set binding obligations on developed countries on financing. In sum, COP12 became perhaps the most successful multilateral meet in a long time. At the international level it indicated significant geopolitical changes in leadership and agendas since Copenhagen. The China-US climate agreements of 2014 and 2015 changed existing alignments, with the India-China partnership in climate affairs at an end. China pitched itself as a climate finance provider overshadowing the US. India’s arguments for “climate justice” seemed to have less traction with the general focus on global warming. Clearly South-South and G-77 loyalties were stretched at Paris.

Post- Paris it remains to be seen how roles in the climate change game and the processes of multilateralism develop. It also remains to be seen what gains states make based on the commitments made individually and collectively at Paris, whether domestic politics will support international obligations, how Asia’s, especially China’s , ambitious infrastructure projects like the OBOR will challenge emissions reduction commitments. Clearly renewable energy commitments sill have to be honoured over fossil fuel dependencies, and developed countries and emerging economies will need to scale up commitments to the Climate Fund. Many of these issues will challenge domestic as well as regional and transnational foreign policy for many states, sharpening stakes in the climate game.

The Editors of India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs invite scholarly contributions among other related issues on the impact of the Paris Agreement on global and regional geopolitics, the role of domestic actors and global climate change commitments, the impact of emissions reductions on economic growth and national power, Asian infrastructure initiatives and climate change, maritime states and the future of COP21, South-South initiatives on climate change, India and COP21: the road to 2020.

Deadline for submission of papers for this issue: 15 July, 2016
Email address for paper submissions: indiaquarterly@gmail.com ; editorindiaquarterly@gmail.com (use “Climate Change: Issues and Commitments Post- Paris” in the subject line)