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A Climate-Relevant Development or Development-Relevant Climate Agenda?

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Abstract

This paper approaches the question of defining development by examining the interplay between climate and development agendas, questioning whether current approaches prioritize a climate-relevant development framework or a development-relevant climate strategy. Despite global commitments under the Paris Agreement, efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C remain inadequate. This inadequacy stems not only from political hurdles but also from economic disincentives inherent in international cooperation. The paper underscores the need to alter the incentive structures shaping global climate action. The Case of China and Vietnam illustrate how domestic priorities—such as energy security, economic modernization, and public health—drive significant progress in emissions reduction, highlighting the potential for co-benefits in aligning climate and development goals. A two-dimensional framework is proposed that more explicitly integrates climate relevance with the urgency of national development priorities. This approach aims to identify synergistic opportunities that advance both objectives, with the potentials of recalibrating international cooperation to better reflect the priorities of developing countries. This is particularly critical as current global climate governance frameworks often fail to address the shifting dynamics of development, overlooking emerging challenges faced by developing nations, the rise of alternative development narratives, and the increasing influence of diverse actors and partnerships in shaping international development support.

Résumé

Cet article aborde la question de la définition du développement en explorant l’interaction entre les agendas climatiques et de développement, se demandant si les approches actuelles privilégient un cadre de développement pertinent pour le climat ou une stratégie climatique pertinente pour le développement. Malgré les engagements mondiaux pris dans le cadre de l’Accord de Paris, les efforts pour limiter le réchauffement climatique à 1,5°C restent insuffisants. Cette insuffisance provient non seulement des obstacles politiques, mais aussi des obstacles économiques inhérentes à la coopération internationale. Le document souligne la nécessité de changer les structures de mobilisation qui façonnent l’action climatique mondiale. Les cas de la Chine et du Vietnam démontrent comment les priorités nationales—telles que la sécurité énergétique, la modernisation économique et la santé publique—entraînent des progrès significatifs dans la réduction des émissions, soulignant le potentiel de bénéfices mutuels dans l’alignement des objectifs climatiques et de développement. Un cadre bidimensionnel est proposé qui intègre plus explicitement la pertinence climatique avec l’urgence des priorités de développement national. Cette approche vise à identifier des opportunités synergiques qui font progresser les deux objectifs, avec le potentiel de recalibrer la coopération internationale pour mieux refléter les priorités des pays en développement. Cela est particulièrement crucial car les cadres actuels de gouvernance climatique mondiale échouent souvent à aborder les dynamiques évolutives du développement, négligeant les défis émergents auxquels sont confrontés les pays en développement, l’émergence de nouvelles narrations de développement, et l’influence croissante d’acteurs et de partenariats divers dans la définition du soutien international au développement.

Resumen

Este artículo aborda la cuestión de definir el desarrollo examinando la interacción entre las agendas climáticas y de desarrollo, cuestionando si los enfoques actuales priorizan un marco de desarrollo relevante para el clima o una estrategia climática relevante para el desarrollo. A pesar de los compromisos globales bajo el Acuerdo de París, los esfuerzos para limitar el calentamiento global a 1.5°C siguen siendo insuficientes. Esta insuficiencia no solo proviene de obstáculos políticos sino también de desincentivos económicos inherentes a la cooperación internacional. El artículo subraya la necesidad de alterar las estructuras de incentivos que dan forma a la acción climática global. Los casos de China y Vietnam ilustran cómo las prioridades domésticas, como la seguridad energética, la modernización económica y la salud pública, impulsan un progreso significativo en la reducción de emisiones, destacando el potencial de beneficios mutuos al alinear los objetivos climáticos y de desarrollo. Se propone un marco bidimensional que integra más explícitamente la relevancia climática con la urgencia de las prioridades de desarrollo nacional. Este enfoque busca identificar oportunidades sinérgicas que avancen en ambos objetivos, con el potencial de recalibrar la cooperación internacional para reflejar mejor las prioridades de los países en desarrollo. Esto es particularmente crítico ya que los marcos actuales de gobernanza climática global a menudo no logran abordar la dinámica cambiante del desarrollo, pasando por alto los desafíos emergentes que enfrentan las naciones en desarrollo, el surgimiento de narrativas de desarrollo alternativas y la creciente influencia de diversos actores y asociaciones en la configuración del apoyo internacional al desarrollo.

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Correspondence to Arief Anshory Yusuf.

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Yusuf, A.A. A Climate-Relevant Development or Development-Relevant Climate Agenda?. Eur J Dev Res 37, 324–334 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-025-00699-4

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