China’s changing role in global environmental governance. A prism for understanding its key role in other world order issues.

China is a major contributor to global environmental problems and is central to solving them. Its actions have important implications for global environmental governance (GEG). China has become an important global actor in many ways. Given China’s domestic politics and role in international environmental politics in the last decade, our overarching research question is: How can we explain China's role in international environmental cooperation on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution/chemicals? We divide this question into two research topics: 1) How do different types of global governance roles fit to describe China's behavior in global environmental governance? We distinguish between the role of leader, laggard, bridge builder and bystander, in addition to the use of power, and develop a set of indicators to distinguish between these roles. 2) What are the main domestic and international drivers of changes in China's roles and ambitions in GEG? To understand these questions, we examine changes in China's policies and actions over time and compare across the three issue areas. Global environmental cooperation is a suitable arena for exercising leadership because the environment is generally seen as a 'low politics' arena, compared to the 'high politics' associated with foreign policy, security and trade. To get started, partners had a start-up seminar October 2023; the first workshop in August 2024 was held at FNI, with all partners from China and Norway present. Preliminary results are a framework with indicators to be able to compare across the research areas. The project participants come from different disciplines; it was therefore important to develop a common framework. Work on peer-reviewed articles is well under way, such as on biological diversity. The project participants have participated in: COP28 Climate Conference Dubai; Nairobi Plastics Treaty Negotiations; fieldwork in Beijing and Nairobi; delegation with the Minister Climate and Environment on official visit to China; interviewed Norwegian actors about China's role in global environmental negotiations. External activities: presentations in Norway, such as Arendalsuka, and at international conferences, such as the International Studies Association. Preliminary findings are that China unsurprisingly plays an active and central role in global environmental governance at international environmental negotiations on climate change, biodiversity and chemicals/pollution. The degree of activity and commitment varies between the three areas. Despite geopolitical tensions between China and Western countries, climate is an area where international cooperation seems possible. China's CO2 emissions will probably fall in 2024, at the same time China is building new coal-fired power stations, which give mixed signals. Exports of renewable energy and electric vehicles contribute to the green shift globally, but dependence on China creates challenges. Domestically, China's State Council issued more ambitious carbon and climate targets July 2024, which set the agenda for further work on climate in China, and can be the basis for more ambitious targets and cooperation globally. China co-hosted with Canada the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and helped reach a renewed agreement for nature. China had high ambitions to move the Convention on Nature in the direction of its own goals and played a decisive role in bringing African countries into line with the majority in the final agreement: Many African countries fear that digitalization of genetic information could undermine the CBD's regime of access and fair distribution of the benefits from the use of genetic material. China generally scores low on the leadership indicators, in a couple of cases bordering on the laggard indicator. The Chinese term 'ecological civilization' appeared to be closer to sustainable use than conservation of biological diversity and China therefore received no support from other parties for this change. China scores low on national nature management and cannot rely on its own target achievements to lead global biodiversity efforts. Regarding China's role in shaping a new international environmental treaty agreement to prevent and reduce plastic pollution, we see a big change from a China that only a couple of years ago had a passive role and showed caution in addressing this problem. China has strengthened its presence in this field on a global level in recent years. The agreement is not in place yet, so it remains to be seen what role China will have and take in the final round of negotiations to take place in South Korea later this year. Based on China's positioning within the framework of the previous negotiation meetings, it is not unlikely that it will work towards the most ambitious framework for the agreement. The project provides insight into China's new global role & understanding of its role in world issues.

As a major contributor to global environmental problems, China is central to solving them. Its actions have important implications for the effectiveness of global environmental governance (GEG), as China’s role may involve wielding its structural power, building coalitions, and exercising leadership ambitions. Global environmental cooperation could be a suitable arena for practicing leadership because the environment is generally seen as a ‘low-politics’ arena, compared to the ‘high-politics’ associated with foreign policy related to security and trade. International environmental politics are also linked to key national interests in controlling scarce energy and natural resources and foreign policy ambitions, sometimes with crucial repercussions for poor countries, global security, and world order. While environmental politics is advancing on international agendas the geopolitical situation is becoming increasingly tense, not least between China and the West. This calls for a study of China’s role and behaviour in GEG, narrowing our focus to international environmental negotiations on climate change, biodiversity, and chemicals/pollution. These issues may be a useful prism for understanding China’s key role in other world order issues. Given China’s domestic politics and role in international environmental politics in the last decade, our overarching research question is: How can we assess and explain China’s roles in international environmental cooperation on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution / chemicals? This can be divided into two research topics: 1) How to pinpoint and describe (variation in) China’s role – can its role be categorised in terms of leadership, as the laggard, or structural power? 2) What are the major domestic and international drivers accounting for China’s evolving role and ambitions in GEG? We examine changes in Chinas behaviour over time and compare across these issue areas.