Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies

Climate Change mitigation is discussed mainly on a political level between countries, both in multilateral fora such as the COP (Conferences of Parties), the G20, or bilaterally. Our guest Dhanasree Jayaram is an expert in these negotiations. She talks with Matthias Catón about different approaches to climate change in developed and developing countries.

Developing and emerging economies have long argued that developed countries are historically responsible for past emissions. While this argument still holds, many of those countries also see opportunities. China focuses on green technology and is a world leader in producing solar panels. India has high hopes for green hydrogen. Furthermore, at least China’s per capita CO2 emissions are reaching the levels of the European Union, which means that it will have to accept other measurement standards in the future.

They also address the role of companies. More and more companies take action themselves, for example, by setting net-zero targets. According to Dr. Jayaram, small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) and startups may be better suited to make necessary changes to their business model, as they are nimbler and have less legacy. Unlike larger companies, however, they often lack the knowledge and skills.

About the guest

Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram is a Research Fellow at Centre Marc Bloch (CMB) and Guest Researcher at Freie Universität Berlin. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations and Co-coordinator of the Centre for Climate Studies at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Karnataka, India. She is also an Earth System Governance Research Fellow and a member of the Climate Security Expert Network and the Planet Politics Institute.

She holds a Ph.D. in Geopolitics and International Relations from MAHE. She pursued a visiting fellowship at Leiden University, the Netherlands, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Her primary fields of interest include climate politics and diplomacy, environmental security and military, regional environmental policy in Asia, and environmental peacebuilding.

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