The Global South and Climate Governance in 2026: From Participation to Leadership in a Changing Climate Order

Policy Update
Kavin Adithya CB

Background

Climate change is one of the biggest problems we’re facing today, and it’s affecting everything from economies to ecosystems to societies all around the world. But here’s the thing: some countries are feeling the effects of climate change more than others. The ones in the Global South are especially vulnerable because they don’t have a lot of money, their infrastructure is weak, and they rely heavily on things like farming and fishing that are really sensitive to changes in the climate.

For a long time, rich countries were the ones making most of the decisions about how to deal with climate change, but that’s starting to change as more developing countries get involved and make their voices heard. This shift is important because it means that the countries that are most affected by climate change are finally getting a say in how we address it. As we move forward, it’s crucial that we keep working together to find solutions that work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. By doing so, we can create a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

The countries in the Global South, which includes Asia, Africa, Latin America, and some parts of Oceania, are now playing a big role in shaping the conversation around climate change worldwide. By working together and using diplomatic efforts, these countries are pushing for fair treatment, equal access to money, and sustainable development. As the world gets ready for COP30 in Brazil, the Global South is not just reacting to global climate policies, but is actually helping to create and put them into action.

This is a new era for climate negotiations, and the Global South is taking a more active role in deciding what happens next. They want to make sure that their voices are heard and that their needs are met, especially when it comes to dealing with the impacts of climate change. The goal is to create a more just and sustainable future, where all countries can work together to address the challenges of climate change.

Functioning of Climate Governance

Climate change is a big issue that affects everyone, so countries work together to find solutions. They use something called climate diplomacy, which is like a network of talks and agreements between nations. The United Nations has a special framework for this, called the UNFCCC, and there’s also the Paris Agreement, which is a big deal. Every year, countries get together for a Conference of Parties, or COP, to discuss their commitments and see how they’re doing. It’s a way for countries to work together to fight climate change and make sure everyone is doing their part.

The Paris Agreement came up with a new idea called Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs for short. This allowed countries to set their own targets for dealing with climate change, based on what made sense for them. On the one hand, this approach made it easier for more countries to join in, because they could tailor their commitments to their own situations. On the other hand, it also raised some tricky questions about what’s fair and how ambitious countries should be.

Developing countries, in particular, have been arguing that when it comes to climate change, countries shouldn’t be treated the same. They think that richer, more developed countries should take more responsibility, because they’ve been emitting more greenhouse gases for a longer time. This idea is often referred to as Common But Differentiated Responsibilities, or CBDR. The Global South – that’s a term used to describe developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America – has been working together to make their voices heard in international negotiations.

Countries like India, Brazil, and South Africa have been leading the charge, pushing for what they call climate equity. They’re not trying to get out of doing their part to address climate change, but they do want to make sure that climate policies don’t hurt their ability to develop and grow. Over time, this has helped shift the conversation from just focusing on reducing emissions, to thinking more broadly about how to adapt to the changing climate, how to pay for it, and how to build resilience.

One interesting pattern is that climate negotiations often become more difficult when discussions move from environmental targets to financial obligations. Countries generally agree on the need for climate action. Disagreements emerge when questions of funding, technology transfer, and responsibility enter the discussion.

This suggests that climate diplomacy is as much about economic governance as it is about environmental protection.

These frameworks demonstrate that climate governance is no longer shaped solely by developed countries. Instead, developing nations are increasingly creating and leading institutions that address their specific environmental and developmental concerns

Performance

The way countries in the Global South handle climate diplomacy can’t be judged just by how much they cut emissions or what policies they announce. To really understand how well they’re doing, we need to look at how they’ve changed the conversation. One big change is that they’re now setting the agenda. Countries like India, Brazil, and South Africa, along with groups like G77, have slowly moved the focus of climate talks from just reducing emissions to also talking about adapting to the effects of climate change, being resilient, and dealing with the damage that’s already been done.

This shift is important because it changes how we think and talk about climate change. It’s not just about stopping emissions in the future, but also about dealing with the problems we’re already facing. By doing this, they’re making climate change a more personal and urgent issue, rather than just a distant problem. This new focus can help us find solutions that work for everyone, especially for the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Another dimension of performance is bargaining strategy. Instead of negotiating individually, Global South countries increasingly operate through coalitions. This has improved their visibility but not always their bargaining strength. The pattern indicates that unity in messaging does not always translate into unity in outcomes. Internal differences within developing country blocs sometimes weaken collective pressure, especially on issues like fossil fuel phase-down timelines.

At the same time, performance is visible in how climate justice has become a mainstream term in negotiations. What was once a moral argument is now embedded in official negotiation language. That shift suggests a slow but steady success in reframing the debate. Still, performance remains uneven. Diplomatic influence has improved, but the ability to convert that influence into binding financial and technological commitments is limited.

Impact

The way the world talks about climate change is changing, and it’s because of the growing influence of the Global South. One big example of this is how much attention is now being given to helping countries deal with the effects of climate change, known as adaptation finance. In the past, the main focus was on reducing emissions, which was mostly driven by the priorities of wealthy, industrialized countries. But over time, developing countries have made a strong case that adapting to climate change is just as important, because many of them are already feeling the severe impacts of climate change. This shift in focus is a big deal, and it’s changing the way the world approaches climate change.

The establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund during COP27 in Egypt illustrates this shift. For years, vulnerable countries argued that certain climate-related losses could not be prevented through mitigation or adaptation measures alone. The eventual agreement to establish the fund was not simply a technical achievement. It reflected sustained diplomatic pressure from climate-vulnerable nations that managed to transform a long-standing demand into an internationally recognised policy mechanism.

India’s climate diplomacy offers another useful example. Through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, India has attempted to position itself as both a developing country and a climate leader. This approach has strengthened South-South cooperation while also increasing India’s influence in global climate governance. At the same time, India’s continued dependence on coal demonstrates the complex reality faced by many developing countries. Rather than viewing this as a contradiction, it may be more accurate to see it as a reflection of the difficult balance between economic development and decarbonisation.

The pattern indicates that climate vulnerability itself has become a source of diplomatic influence. Countries that were once seen primarily as recipients of international assistance are increasingly shaping the agenda of global climate governance.

Emerging Issues

Climate diplomacy has made some big strides, but there are still some major hurdles that get in the way of it being really effective. Climate finance remains one of the most contested issues. Although developed countries have repeatedly pledged financial support, many developing countries argue that actual funding remains inadequate and difficult to access. The long-standing debate over the unmet climate finance commitments has created a trust deficit between developed and developing nations. Technology access represents another challenge. Advanced clean energy technologies are often concentrated within developed economies and protected through intellectual property regimes. This creates barriers for many developing countries attempting to accelerate their energy transition while maintaining economic growth.

If you take a closer look, you’ll see that there are also some big disagreements within the Global South. It’s not like all developing countries are on the same page. Recently, when they were talking about climate change, some countries didn’t agree on things like stopping coal use, keeping energy safe, and reducing emissions fast enough. This shows that the Global South isn’t just one big group with the same goals – it’s actually a lot of different countries with different priorities and some are more vulnerable than others. They all have their own ideas about what’s important and what they need to do to deal with climate change.

Geopolitical rivalries further complicate climate diplomacy. Strategic competition between major powers increasingly overlaps with climate negotiations. Climate finance, green technology, and renewable energy investments are becoming instruments of geopolitical influence, sometimes creating new divisions rather than encouraging cooperation.

Way forward 

Future progress under SDG 13 will require stronger partnerships between developed and developing countries.Financial commitments need to move beyond announcements and translate into predictable, accessible funding mechanisms.

Improving transparency in climate finance delivery could help rebuild trust and strengthen cooperation.Technology transfer should become a more practical component of climate diplomacy.

Expanding access to affordable renewable energy technologies would allow developing countries to pursue climate goals without sacrificing economic development. The Regional and South-South cooperation can also play a larger role. Initiatives led by countries such as India, Brazil, and South Africa demonstrate that developing nations can contribute solutions rather than simply demand assistance. Encouraging knowledge-sharing on renewable energy, disaster resilience, and sustainable infrastructure could strengthen collective climate action.

We really need to focus on getting ready for and dealing with the effects of climate change. Just look at all the floods, droughts, and heatwaves that have been happening and  they’re already affecting a huge number of people. Strengthening adaptation measures will be essential for achieving SDG 13, particularly in vulnerable regions.

We need to make sure climate diplomacy is doing its job. When countries make promises about cutting emissions, providing money, and adapting to climate change, we should have better ways to check if they’re actually keeping those promises. This means having stronger systems in place to monitor what’s happening and make sure it leads to real results.

Conclusion

The evolution of climate diplomacy over the past decade demonstrates a significant shift in the balance of influence within international climate governance. The Global South has moved from the margins of climate negotiations to become a major force shaping discussions on finance, adaptation, climate justice, and sustainable development.Examples such as the Loss and Damage Fund, adaptation finance debates, and the growing influence of coalitions like the G77 illustrate how developing countries are reshaping SDG 13 commitments.

At the same time, persistent challenges relating to finance, technology access, and geopolitical tensions continue to limit progress.Looking ahead, the future of climate diplomacy is likely to depend on whether international negotiations can address both environmental objectives and development realities. The growing influence of the Global South suggests that future climate governance will increasingly be shaped by demands for equity, accountability, and shared responsibility rather than by emission targets alone. This shift may ultimately determine how effectively the international community advances the goals of SDG 13 in the coming decades.

References

• Mabey, N., Gallagher, L., & Born, C. (2013). Rethinking climate diplomacy. In Understanding Climate Diplomacy: Building diplomatic capacity and systems to avoid dangerous climate change (pp. 35–67). E3G. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep17706.7

• Tollmann, J., & Könneke, J. (2022). Climate Diplomacy in 2021: A year in review – Context, progress and lessons learned (Briefing Paper, pp. 1–12). E3G: Third Generation Environmentalism.
• Kumar, V. (2025). Promoting Environmental Justice: India’s Leadership In Climate Diplomacy For The Global South. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), 13(9), g389-g401. IJCRT.
• Centre for Social and Economic Progress. (2024). India’s climate diplomacy: New priorities and policy options. CSEP Policy Paper. csep.org 
• Research Information and System for Developing Countries. (2023). South-South cooperation and the implementation of SDGs. RIS Report Series. ris.org.in
• UNFCCC. (2023). Operationalization of the fund for responding to loss and damage. FCCC/CP/2023/L.1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

About the Contributor

Kavin Adithya CB is a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI currently pursuing M.A International Relations in Loyola College, Chennai. I  have a strong Interest in International Political Economy ,International Relation  Defence ,Public policy ,Geopolitics and Human Rights Strong area of interest to explore and develop my skills. 

Acknowledgement

I express my sincere gratitude to IMPRI (Impact and Policy Research Institute), Tanvi Nerurkar and Yashkriti for providing the opportunity to undertake this policy analysis. I also acknowledge the valuable insights obtained from government reports, policy documents, official websites, and secondary sources that contributed to the completion of this study.

Reviewer

Tanvi Nerurkar and yashkriti 

Disclaimer

This article is intended for academic and informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IMPRI or any government institution.