Convinced by Cobenefits? Different Framings of Renewable Energy at the UNFCCC

Renewable energy is often framed as a way to lower emissions while delivering development co-benefits such as better air quality and job creation (Edenhofer et al. 2013). While the norm that countries should decarbonize their energy systems is fairly widespread, such framings of RES could make decarbonization more immediately appealing to national governments that struggle with pollution or unemployment. I see this as an instance of what Blondeel et al. (2019) call ‘problem linkages’: a social process of framing norms as solutions to key problems that addressees face, even if this differs from the problem that originally motivated norm entrepreneurs. While the authors show problem linkages as resulting in norm success in the case of fossil fuel subsidy reform, there is also a possibility that overly broad or shifting norm definitions constrain ability to influence state behavior, thus sparking disillusionment (Hadden and Seybert 2016). Given this possibility, it is important to assess how renewable energy is framed, and whether these frames impact national adoption and implementation of pro-decarbonization norms. Looking at the UNFCCC negotiations as a key arena for norm-setting, this paper tracks the framing of renewable energy over time using a quantitative document analysis encompassing official statements and coverage of negotiations in the IISD’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin. If the framing of renewable energy as a development solution increases over time, I expect a widening coalition of countries to discursively adopt pro-decarbonization norms. In a second step, I assess whether there is an association between discourse and climate ambition using data on INDCs and NDCs. The analysis advances research on international norm success by testing the relationship between problem linkages, norm institutionalization, and norm implementation. Given the absence of hard law in global energy governance, norms will be a key way to achieve Paris Agreement goals; therefore I also outline how framings of RES could be used strategically to maximize climate ambition.