The Power of Peers: a spatial analysis of nationally determined contributions

Using spatial regression analysis, this paper analyses whether countries’ climate ambition levels are related to those of their peers. It finds that countries’ ambition levels converge with that of countries with similar levels of democracy, geopolitical affinity, and region, whereas ambition levels diverge between peer groups based on level of development.

April 2025 · Hermine Van Coppenolle

Reframing the climate debate: The origins and diffusion of net zero pledges

2020 and 2021 saw a veritable boom in net zero targets. This article explores this phenomenon, using the norm life cycle theory of Finnemore and Sikkink to investigate the emergence and diffusion of net zero as a global climate norm.

February 2023 · Hermine Van Coppenolle, Mathieu Blondeel, Thijs Van de Graaf