The GST and Beyond: Understanding the Strategies and Influence of Civil Society Actors

Nautiyal S., Elsner C., Martínez N. (2023). The GST and Beyond: Understanding the Strategies and Influence of Civil Society Actors. Working Paper. College Park, MD: Center for Global Sustainability, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland. 27 pp.

• Understanding civil society participation and engagement in the GST is critical for inclusive climate governance as well as a strong outcome of the GST for ambitious climate policy at the national and international level.
• This analysis is grounded in rigorous empirical research, including document analysis, creation and examination of a database tracking 165 civil society submissions and 206 engagements in the GST process, as well as a survey sent to 242 emails associated with the submitted inputs.
• There is growing participation of civil society actors in GST processes over time but many of these actors come from internationally-operating networks, alliances and organizations with limited engagement from subnational and local actors.
• Capacity building and improved access to resources, networks and spaces for engagement is needed for subnational and local actors to be better represented in the GST.
• More research into civil society perspectives, strategies, mobilization and engagement pathways is needed to augment the effectiveness and inclusivity of CSAs within and beyond the GST.
• While civil society engagement in the GST has increased, subnational and grassroots actors remain underrepresented, pointing to systemic barriers to access and participation that must be addressed.
• Targeted capacity building and simplified engagement pathways are critical for localized civil society voices to meaningfully inform ambitious, equitable climate progress through the GST.
• Sustained research into diverse civil society strategies and influencer channels can support more inclusive multi-level governance and feedback loops between global and local climate action.
• The GST presents a vital opportunity to synthesize civil society knowledge and lived experience for catalyzing climate progress, but realizing this potential requires transparent information flows and sustained participatory mechanisms.
• Simplified procedures, alternative engagement formats and transparent feedback channels could enhance accessible and inclusive civil society participation throughout the iterative GST process.
• Preliminary survey findings indicate ambiguity and uncertainty around the impact and uptake of civil society inputs, underscoring the need for transparent feedback loops and sustained engagement post-GST to maintain stakeholder interest and investment.