The intense psychology of UN climate negotiations

+ grim numbers on teenage overdoses; social media and free speech US Edition - Today's top story: How climate negotiators turn national self-interest into global collective action [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Religious scientists face hostility at work]( - [Cease fire holds but far from lasting peace]( - [How to avoid dangers of chlorine gas]( Lead story The United Nations climate summit starts this week in Dubai, and after the extraordinary heat, storms and flooding of the past year, there will be a lot of pressure on countries to take bigger steps to combat climate change. Inside the conference, past the colorful protesters and emotional speeches, officials from countries around the world will be immersed in a world of intense negotiations. Every comma here holds meaning, and a single word can move the needle on global warming – either for better or worse. Asif Hussain-Naviatti, a scholar in international governance who has spent years involved in climate negotiations, [explains the negotiating tactics being deployed]( and why psychology is essential to help countries that are steeped in national self-interest embrace the common good. [ [Understand what’s going on in Washington and around the world. Get our Politics Weekly newsletter.]( ] Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry, second from left, during climate negotiations in 2021. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images [How climate negotiators turn national self-interest into global collective action]( Asif Husain-Naviatti, Columbia University Negotiating global progress on climate change involves walking a fine line, as a former UN official explains. 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