Document Type

Research Project

Publication Date

Fall 9-28-2025

Abstract

This policy paper interrogates the structural injustices embedded in the COP negotiation system, arguing that global climate governance remains constrained by colonial legacies, epistemic hierarchies, and an anthropocentric diplomatic model. Despite its stated goals of inclusivity, the UNFCCC process continues to marginalise Indigenous, Global South, and alternative voices, reinforcing power asymmetries that shape both participation and outcomes. Based in case studies from Ecuador and Bolivia—where rights of nature and Indigenous governance have been integrated into legal frameworks—this paper examines how alternative systems of environmental stewardship and political subjectivity can inform a more just diplomatic architecture. It proposes pragmatic, system-oriented reforms to the COP process, including the creation of advisory bodies with binding influence, legal recognition of nature as a stakeholder, quotas for Indigenous representation, and the establishment of a Standing Forum on Decolonial Climate Governance. Ultimately, the paper argues that transforming COP from a technocratic arena into a space where the plurality of voices is respected is essential to addressing climate breakdown in a truly inclusive and sustainable manner.

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