Since 2009, a diverse group of developing states that includes China, Brazil, Ethiopia and Costa Rica has been advancing unprecedented pledges to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, offering new, unexpected signs of climate leadership. Some scholars have gone so far as to argue that these targets are now even more ambitious than those put forward by their wealthier counterparts. But what really lies behind these new pledges? What actions are being taken to meet them? And what stumbling blocks lie in the way of their realization?

In this book, an international group of scholars seeks to address these questions by analyzing the experiences of twelve states from across Asia, the Americas and Africa. The authors map the evolution of climate policies in each country and examine the complex array of actors, interests, institutions and ideas that has shaped their approaches. Offering the most comprehensive analysis thus far of the unique challenges that developing countries face in the domain of climate change, Climate Governance in the Developing World reveals the political, economic and environmental realities that underpin the pledges made by developing states, and which together determine the chances of success and failure.

Table of Contents:

Contributors vii

Preface xi

Abbreviations xiii

1. Editors’ Introduction: Climate Governance in the Developing World 1
David Held, Charles Roger and Eva-Maria Nag

Part I Asia

2. A Green Revolution: China’s Governance of Energy and Climate Change 29
David Held, Charles Roger and Eva-Maria Nag

3. The Evolution of Climate Policy in India: Poverty and Global Ambition in Tension 53
Aaron Atteridge

4. The Dynamics of Climate Change Governance in Indonesia 72
Budy P. Resosudarmo, Fitrian Ardiansyah and Lucentezza Napitupulu

5. Low Carbon Green Growth and Climate Change Governance in South Korea 91
Jae-Seung Lee

Part II Americas

6. Discounting the Future: The Politics of Climate Change in Argentina 113
Matías Franchini and Eduardo Viola

7. Controlling the Amazon: Brazil’s Evolving Response to Climate Change 134
David Held, Charles Roger and Eva-Maria Nag

8. Making ‘Peace with Nature’: Costa Rica’s Campaign for Climate Neutrality 155
Robert Fletcher

9. A Climate Leader? The Politics and Practice of Climate Governance in Mexico 174
Simone Pulver

Part III Africa

10. Resources and Revenues: The Political Economy of Climate Initiatives in Egypt 199
Jeannie Sowers

11. Ethiopia’s Path to a Climate-Resilient Green Economy 218
David Held, Charles Roger and Eva-Maria Nag

12. Reducing Climate Change Vulnerability in Mozambique: From Policy to Practice 238
Angus Hervey and Jessica Blythe

13. Reaching the Crossroads: The Development of Climate Governance in South Africa 258
Lesley Masters

Index 277