Selected Strategy: B. Coordinate with Regional/Global Blocs
If I were advising a developing country with abundant natural resources and limited financial capacity, I would prioritize coordinating with regional and global blocs as the central strategy to increase access to climate finance and international leverage.
Equity:Multilateral coordination helps ensure that climate finance debates are framed around shared vulnerabilities and historical responsibility, rather than individual country bargaining power. Acting collectively through blocs—such as regional alliances, LDC groups, or rainforest coalitions—strengthens claims for equity by amplifying the voices of vulnerable populations and reducing asymmetries between Global South countries and wealthier nations. This approach increases the likelihood that climate finance mechanisms, including loss and damage funds, are designed to benefit those most affected.
Efficiency:Collective action improves efficiency by pooling negotiation capacity, technical expertise, and political influence. Coordinated positions reduce fragmentation in climate negotiations and help align funding priorities, minimizing duplication and competition among developing countries. Shared frameworks and standards can also improve accountability and reduce the risk of mismanagement by strengthening peer learning and oversight.
Sustainability:From a long-term perspective, multilateral coordination supports sustainability by embedding climate finance within institutionalized, rules-based systems, rather than ad hoc or short-term funding arrangements. By working through established multilateral platforms, countries can push for predictable, scalable, and durable financing streams that support ecosystem protection, adaptation, and resilient development pathways.
Reflection on other strategies and lessons from the DRC
The DRC case shows that Strategy B (coordination) works best when combined with elements of Strategy A (natural capital) and Strategy D (loss and damage advocacy). The DRC’s engagement with REDD+, the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, and alliances with Brazil and Indonesia significantly strengthened its leverage ahead of COP27. Strategic signaling (Strategy C) can attract attention, but it carries ethical and environmental risks if it normalizes the threat of ecosystem destruction as a bargaining tool.
A key lesson from the DRC experience is that multilateralism reduces individual country risk. Acting alone through strategic signaling may generate short-term leverage but can undermine environmental credibility. In contrast, coordinated action allows developing countries to assert their interests collectively, align climate justice narratives with concrete financing mechanisms, and pursue climate finance without compromising long-term sustainability.