Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies - In-depth

In this review of Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies the author Dhanasree Jayaram offers a focused, research-driven look at how the BASIC countries shaped climate negotiations between 2009 and 2019. The book is aimed at readers who want a rigorous, policy-oriented analysis rather than a popular overview; its single biggest selling point is a clear tracing of both collective and individual positions of Brazil, South Africa, India and China across multilateral and bilateral fora. For anyone studying international climate negotiations or the politics of emerging economies, this book provides valuable evidence and interpretation.

Key Features

• Focused timeframe: Examines the period between the 2009 Copenhagen and 2019 Madrid summits to show how diplomatic positions evolved over a decade.
• BASIC grouping analysis: Compares Brazil, South Africa, India and China to reveal both collective strategies and national divergences in climate diplomacy.
• Domestic and international drivers: Explores how internal policy choices and external pressures combined to shape each country's climate stance.
• India case study: Digs deeper into shifts in India's diplomacy to illustrate the interaction of ideational and material factors in practice.
• Multilevel perspective: Covers multilateral, bilateral and other arenas so readers see diplomacy beyond summit communiques.

Who It's For

The book is best for graduate students, analysts and policymakers who need a precise, academic review of how emerging economies negotiated climate issues during a formative decade. It suits readers who appreciate evidence-based argumentation and case comparisons rather than narrative storytelling.

Those seeking a general introduction to climate science, a handbook of negotiating tactics, or a practitioner manual for conducting diplomacy may want a different, more practice-focused title. This is not a popular overview for casual readers but a targeted study for specialists.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Careful comparative framing highlights both shared positions and national differences among the BASIC countries.
• Clear timebound scope makes it useful for tracing changes between major climate summits.
• Detailed discussion of India's shifts provides a concrete case study that illustrates broader arguments.
• Engages both ideational and material explanations, offering a balanced analytic approach.

Cons

• The focused academic approach may feel dense for readers seeking lighter, narrative accounts.
• Limited to 2009-2019, so developments after Madrid are not covered in this volume.

Specifications

Title	Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies
Series	Routledge Focus on Environment and Sustainability
Author	Dhanasree Jayaram
Focus countries	Brazil, South Africa, India, China (BASIC)
Time period analysed	2009 Copenhagen to 2019 Madrid climate summits
Scope	Multilateral, bilateral and domestic policy interactions

Our Verdict

Climate Diplomacy and Emerging Economies is a concentrated, academically rigorous study that will repay readers who need a comparative, evidence-based account of BASIC diplomacy between 2009 and 2019. It is good value for scholars and policy analysts because it ties detailed case work to broader theoretical claims without padding for general audiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the book focus on specific countries?
Yes. It analyses Brazil, South Africa, India and China as the BASIC group and explores both their collective and individual diplomacy.

What time period does the analysis cover?
The study focuses on the decade between the 2009 Copenhagen summit and the 2019 Madrid summit.

Is this book suitable for non-specialists?
It is written for academic and policy readers; general readers seeking a popular overview may find it dense.