Can ASEAN's Governance of Climate Change Become Participatory?

Abstract

This chapter argues that state interests and institutions within ASEAN, along with the ideas from the global climate regime to some extent, are important factors that can explain the viability of participatory approaches in ASEAN's governance of climate change. It examines ASEAN's policies on climate change to understand the context defining regional governance and to determine the prospect of enabling participatory mechanisms. This chapter finds that interests, institutions, and ideas can explain the prevailing ASEAN governance framework on climate change. With these factors, integrating participatory approaches to improve the access of non-state actors to governance processes presents a challenge. Intergovernmentalism and ASEAN norms are deeply entrenched in the regional organization's processes and mechanisms. Thus, increasing the participation and inclusion of non-state actors would seem a tall order, although not entirely impossible given ASEAN's initial endeavors.