Glocalized norm interpretations: Explaining the emergence of India’s national climate policy approach

Abstract

Before the Paris Agreement, only developed countries were obligated to undertake mitigation efforts. Developing countries like India rejected domestically financed mitigation efforts. Yet, from 2007 until 2008, the Indian government rapidly shifted its stance and surprisingly adopted a national climate action plan in 2008. How can we explain rapidly changing norm interpretations of a target-state in the context of international negotiations and domestic politics? I argue that norm socialisation and localisation have limitations to explain this outcome. Building upon sociological work on glocalization, insights from norm translation, and rooted in the methodology of scientific realism, I develop ‘norm glocalization’, which captures the dynamics between proactive domestic and external actors. Their interactions result in glocalized norm interpretations, representing the fusion of external and domestic actors’ preexisting norm interpretations. Applying this framework allows me to explain the emergence of India’s special approach, which is based on developmental goals that produce mitigation co-benefits.