A fund for climate hell – rhetorical action in the loss and damage debate at COP27 : master's thesis

Bechstädt, Tassilo (author), Stahl, Bernhard (mentor)

This thesis examines the negotiations for a loss and damage fund, which covers the costs of the effects of climate change, at the UN climate conference 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh. At the end of the conference, states agreed to establish a fund for countries most affected by climate change. This agreement was reached after heavy resistance by states which are responsible for high CO2 emissions. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the negotiations and argumentation of both parties by using the theory of Rhetorical Action. The theory explains how commitments made out of egoist motives can result in normative assurances. In order to find patterns in the argumentation, the author used qualitative content analysis which was applied to different types of texts, which included interviews, statements and newspaper articles. He argues that states in support of a fund used a set of tactics, such as shaming, persuasion, accommodation and normative arguments, to make their opponents agree on the establishment of a loss and damage fund. Although countries with high emissions made this concession, a norm internalization did not take place.

• Language: English
• Keywords: loss and damage, climate negotiations, UNFCCC, rhetorical action
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: T. Bechstädt
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (139 str.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-163841
• UDC: 327.82(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 216035587
• Publication date in RUL: 12.10.2024

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Sklad za podnebni pekel - retorično vplivanje na razpravo na COP27 o skladu za izgube in škodo : magistrsko delo