China's rising influence on climate governance: Forging a path for the global South

China's influence on climate governance has been steadily increasing since the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015. Much of this influence, this article argues, has come from China forging a path for climate adaptation and mitigation for the global South. This is having far-reaching consequences, the article further argues, for the politics of global climate governance. China's discursive and diplomatic power in climate politics is growing as China builds alliances across the global South. China is leveraging this enhanced soft power to elevate the importance of adaptation in multilateral climate negotiations, advance a technocentric approach to climate mitigation, export its development model, and promote industrial-scale afforestation as a nature-based climate solution. China's strategy is enhancing climate financing, technology transfers, renewable power, and adaptation infrastructure across the global South. To some extent, this is helping with a transition to a lowcarbon world economy. Yet China's leadership is also reinforcing incremental, technocratic, and growthoriented solutions in global climate governance. These findings advance the understanding of China's role in global environmental politics, especially its growing influence on climate governance in the global South.

Automated summary

China's influence on climate governance, especially in the global South, has been steadily increasing since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. Through building alliances and leveraging its soft power, China is advancing climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, promoting a technocentric approach and industrial-scale afforestation. This strategy enhances climate financing, technology transfers, renewable power, and adaptation infrastructure in the global South, contributing to the transition to a low-carbon world economy.