2018 Conference

Poster Presentation

Many view the COP21 Paris Climate Accords as a resounding success, a compromise and a boon for global sustainable development. This research aims to view the Paris Accords through the lens of a developing nation, Chile, and interrogate the equity of the agreement. Chile is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change given its geographical position as a nation that is nearly entirely coastline and prone to natural disasters. Its situation as a natural resource based economy, a history of dictatorship, and a fraught relationship with indigenous peoples serve to exacerbate this situation further. This presentation aims to move beyond the broad conception of a nation as fixed in a particular location in the global system, and examines divisions and differences at the subnational level. Through a combination of literature review, textual analysis, interviews, and social media analysis I consider the way in which the government and diverse groups of people in Chile interact with international climate legislation, and the way this legislation (at inter- and subnational levels) supports national social agendas. Additionally, the theoretical underpinnings for the Accords are problematized to shed light on why they have exhibited only limited success.

This paper finds that while the structure of the Accords that allows nations the autonomy to decide their own contributions, it also enables governments of developing nations to ignore their vulnerable populations. In this case, doing what is “best for the country” does not actually include the interests of many populations.