Addressing climate change without the rules-based order

Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum that the global rules-based order is rupturing, a disruption linked largely to the Trump administration; this change could alter how international cooperation on climate change works, and outcomes remain uncertain.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said at the World Economic Forum that the global "rules-based order" is rupturing and that great power rivalry is rising. The analysis links much of the current disruption to the Donald Trump administration in the United States and says this could have significant effects on the global response to climate change. The rules-based order previously provided institutions such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement and shaped trade and finance norms for climate action. The author argues that the old order had limited successes and that current uncertainty is both a source of concern and a window for different approaches. Key facts: - Mark Carney described a rupture in the global rules-based order and a shift toward great power rivalry. - The rules-based order supported institutions like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and set trade and finance parameters for climate action. - Some progress under that order included a coalition of ambitious countries (largely anchored in Europe), falling costs for wind and solar, growth in municipal and subnational action, and a Paris-style architecture based on national contributions. - The future path is uncertain; possibilities discussed include coalitions of willing states, continued momentum in renewable energy, and the Paris framework serving as a backbone, but outcomes are undetermined at this time. Summary: The reported disruption to the rules-based order could change how international climate politics functions, shifting emphasis toward coalitions of willing states, subnational initiatives, and market-driven renewable deployment. Whether those pathways will achieve rapid, equitable decarbonisation or sustain global cooperation is undetermined at this time.