South Africa’s approach to the politics of climate negotiations
As Africa’s highest greenhouse gas emitter, South Africa has different interests and expectations for an international climate agreement than most of its African neighbours, particularly on mitigation. Aaron Atteridge, Research Fellow with the Stockholm Environment Institute, posits that the balancing of many competing foreign policy objectives might make the country’s approach to climate negotiations more unpredictable than it has been in the past. Aaron points to some early signs of a shifting national position, particularly a building rhetoric on the need for ‘carbon space’, and to domestic economic interests becoming more engaged, making it challenging to maintain its international image as a constructive player in the negotiations.
