Short Abstract:

There is a crisis of commitment to tackling climate change, with a trust deficit in multilateralism in climate-linked development aid. Through a decolonisation lens, the panel will offer perspectives on potentials for creating a broad coalition of the most-affected across the global south and north.

Long Abstract:

The panel seeks to address the crisis in commitment to tackling climate change and its effects on development finance and the debate on adaptation vs mitigation. Papers presented will seek to analyse the trust deficit in multilateralism and collective action in the field of climate-linked development aid, through a decolonisation lens. The most compelling narratives in an era of increasing uncertainty, as typified by climate change, are shaped by multiple perspectives and different forms and expressions of knowledge, and by working in a spirit of inclusion and in participatory ways. Whilst multilateralism implies a collective agenda, there are many forms of knowledge and experience in this arena that are neither heard nor valued. Digital advances, whilst bringing opportunities for information sharing, tend to create further barriers and constraints for populations excluded from their design and use. Artificial intelligence infrastructure housed in the global north is also a growing source of carbon emissions, creating new forms of climate colonialism. By drawing on experiences of bringing different perspectives and forms of knowledge to bear, the panel will explore potentials and opportunities for creating a broad, inclusive coalition of the most-affected across the global south and north. We invite papers offering inter-disciplinary case studies addressing the link between climate aid and the digital divide. In line with claims of epistemic justice, combined with distributive justice and reparations for past emissions, we will explore the potentials for decolonising the future of climate finance.

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