Stakeholders

Stakeholders refers to people, groups, organizations, as well as governments and communities, that have a direct or indirect stake in climate change because they can affect or be affected by it.  Broadly, we are all stakeholders.  However, some key sectors of stakeholders in the climate negotiations process include the private sector, civil society organizations, governments, and academia.

The private sector can play a key role in solving the climate crisis. Companies can invest in a range of projects which mitigate climate impacts. These include solar, wind and biomass projects. The private sector can also employ innovative market mechanisms such as the carbon market. An expanded and improved carbon market would allow companies to trade emissions credits in order to ensure that mandated caps are met. And finally, the private sector can invest in research and development for new renewable energy technologies. Clean tech companies, venture capitalists, and solar/wind companies are examples of private stakeholders.

Civil society organizations include charities, development non-governmental organizations, community groups, women's organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions and social movements. Civil society organizations play an active role in the climate negotiation process by pressuring government representatives and climate negotiators to adopt progressive climate policies. They engage with the climate change process as representative non-governmental observer organizations. In addition, they serve as mediators between radical climate justice movement groups and official climate negotiators.

Government is the apparatus through which a governing body functions and exercises authority. Governments play a crucial role in solving the climate crisis by initiating and implementing policies and measures to reduce carbon emissions and by entering into partnerships with other governments to ensure that global mitigation and adaptation policies are adopted. Governments play an important role in managing environmental public goods such as the atmosphere, forests and water bodies and can resolve problems such as global climate change. Governments participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process by presenting policy proposals on mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer within the Convention.

Academia is a collective term for the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research. Science academies assess the current scientific opinion on climate change, the socio-economic and ecological implications of climate change, and they develop climate-related projections for the future. Scientists play an important role in the climate governance by providing scientific data to the world community and by providing recommendations for reductions in carbon emissions.