On 5th July 2021, the Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) held the 32nd event of the Fudan-LSE Lecture Series online. Professor Kathryn Hochstetler, Professor of International Development and Head of the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), delivered the lecture “Climate Change: Developing Countries in the UN Climate Negotiations”. Nearly 150 students and faculties from Fudan University, LSE and other institutions participated in the virtual event. Professor Yijia Jing, dean of IGPP, chaired the lecture.

Professor Hochstetler first introduced the history of multilateral environmental agreements. She pointed out the increasing number of multilateral environmental agreements and analyzed the reasons behind the changing number of multilateral environmental agreements from 1857 to 2014. She believed that the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that took place in Rio de Janeiro exerted a significant impact on the increase of multilateral environmental agreements, and promoted global participation in sustainable development and environment and environmental governance issues. The Kyoto Protocol formulated in 1997, as a supplementary clause, also played a positive role in solving global environmental problems.

Professor Hochstetler then discussed the changing role of developing countries in climate negotiations. She stated that developing countries had been playing an important role in global environmental governance. Building consensus and strengthening cooperation are essential for the international community in global environmental governance.

Professor Hochstetler concluded with a brief introduction to the Department of International Development at LSE and had a heated online discussion with the audience.