CFP for BISA 2026: Climate change and international order
Jan Selby
Climate Change and International Order
Call for papers for panel for British International Studies Association annual conference 2026, Brighton, UK, 3-5 June 2026.
Today we are seeing significant challenges and shifts both in the overall structure, dynamics and norms of international politics, and in the world’s climate and associated climate mitigation, adaptation and other responses. Thus on the one hand, contemporary international politics is characterised by, amongst other things, heightened great power and regional political rivalries, an increase in major armed conflicts and military spending, weakened multilateralism, widespread impunity, and a rising tide of authoritarian, nationalist and far-right political projects. And on the other hand, the current climate conjuncture is marked, somewhat contradictorily, by the breaching of the 1.5C warming threshold, continuing rises in fossil fuel production, the rapid if uneven development of low-carbon energy infrastructures and supply chains, and a widespread stalling if not reversal of climate measures and ambitions.
But what are the relationships between these two sets of shifts and challenges, and with what implications? How are global political shifts affecting or even determining climate change and climate action, and with what limits? In what ways, if at all, is climate action progressing independently from, or irrespective of, mounting international political challenges? How, conversely, are climate change and climate mitigation, adaptation and other measures affecting or even transforming international political structures and dynamics? How are such connections between climate change, climate action and international order likely to unfold in future? And what are the political, strategic and other implications of these linkages, however understood?
Contributions addressing any of the above questions are welcome. This includes:
· Papers pitched at a general interpretive level, as well as ones that draw upon or compare specific sites, sectors or cases;
· Papers using any theoretical or methodological approach;
· Papers on any aspect of the climate challenge (impacts, adaptation and mitigation) as well as on specific economic sectors or governance fora;
· Papers that focus wholly on understanding the current conjuncture, as well as ones that discuss likely or potential future developments, trends or tendencies.
If interested, please send a 200-250 word abstract to Jan Selby j.s...@leeds.ac.uk along with your name, affiliation, career stage and location by 30 October 2025. BISA’s deadline for submissions is 3 November. Papers/panels will be submitted for BISA’s Environment and Climate Politics Working Group.
Professor of International Politics and Climate Change
School of Politics and International Studies
University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Office: 13.41 Social Sciences Building
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