Coordination of the G77 and China on Adaptation: Looking for the Appropriate Space for Adaptation Under the UNFCCC

Abstract

In the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Group of 77 (G77) and China’s role is particularly relevant in certain sub-themes of the climate agenda and there are practices and individuals that are very symbolic to the negotiating process that only those working in this area know. The coordinator of the G77 and China is a unique figure in the context of climate change negotiations and has been particularly important for the defense of issues of special relevance to developing countries, in particular, adaptation, as a flagship issue for all developing countries. Our approach here lies in recognizing that the political and conceptual shift on adaptation is closely linked to the struggle fostered by developing countries in isolation, first, and, then, together in groups and subgroups, to achieve parity between mitigation and adaptation in the UNFCCC process.