Collaborative Methods for Discussing Climate Change Responsibilities
Christiana Figueres, a renowned figure in international climate negotiations, played a pivotal role in the historic 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. As the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Figueres' approach to collective leadership and momentum building was instrumental in achieving this landmark agreement.
The journey to Paris was not a two-week conference, but a series of actions taken over a long period. Figueres' determination to build a universally agreed regulatory framework for climate change was evident in her leadership of the UNFCCC negotiations following the failure of the 2009 Copenhagen conference.
Through successive Conferences of the Parties (Cancun 2010, Durban 2011, Doha 2012, Warsaw 2013, Lima 2014), Figueres orchestrated a multiyear process, progressively building momentum toward Paris 2015. Her strategy was to bring together diverse actors beyond national governments alone, creating a collective effort in addressing climate change.
This approach forged a new brand of collaborative diplomacy, shifting away from adversarial negotiation to a more inclusive and cooperative model that emphasized shared responsibility and joint problem-solving. Figueres balanced ambition with realism while enabling flexible, bottom-up commitments from countries, empowering subnational and non-state actors to generate real-world climate action.
The broad coalition and inclusive process helped deliver a legally binding global agreement that had previously seemed impossible. Figueres emphasized the importance of collective leadership, stating that it involves understanding the need for multiple voices and that collective leadership does not mean individual irresponsibility.
In recognition of her transformative work, the Program on Negotiation (PON) presented its Great Negotiator Award to Christiana Figueres on April 14, 2022. The Teaching Negotiation Resource Center (TNRC) offers a wide range of teaching materials for students of negotiation to learn from Figueres' approach to global agreement through collective leadership and momentum building.
The TNRC provides critical case studies, over 250 negotiation exercises and role-play simulations, more than 30 videos related to negotiation and conflict management, and teaching materials for negotiating critical leadership skills. These resources are used in college classroom settings, corporate training, mediation, and individual skill enhancement.
The TNRC also offers teaching materials for negotiating a lease agreement for a key military base in Africa (Camp Lemonnier) and an online simulation for negotiating an international business acquisition. These exercises introduce participants to new negotiation and dispute resolution tools, techniques, and strategies.
In summary, Figueres' key insight was to move climate negotiations beyond zero-sum bargaining to inclusive collective leadership, valuing cooperation across sectors and levels of governance, sustained momentum over multiple years, and building trust and shared ownership to achieve the historic Paris outcome. This approach has been recognized as transformational in advancing international climate diplomacy.
- Christiana Figueres, with her significant role in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, showcased exemplary leadership in the business of climate-change negotiations.
- Figueres' strategic approach to dispute resolution during the UNFCCC negotiations revolutionized the model, emphasizing shared responsibility and joint problem-solving.
- Her success in environmental-science negotiations led to the Program on Negotiation (PON) honoring her with the Great Negotiator Award in 2022.
- The Teaching Negotiation Resource Center (TNRC) manufactures a plethora of teaching materials, such as case studies, exercises, videos, and teaching aids, inspired by Figueres' methods in education-and-self-development.
- These resources are applicable in varied settings, including college classrooms, corporate training, mediation, and personal skill enhancement.
- The TNRC also provides specific training materials for negotiating real-world issues, like a lease agreement for Camp Lemonnier and an international business acquisition, which introduces novel negotiation tools, techniques, and strategies.
- Figueres' transformative work in climate-change negotiations continues to inspire and educate the future leaders of business, education, and environmental-science in the art of collaborative diplomacy and dispute resolution.
