Global justice and EU climate policy in a contested liberal international order.

The article examines the European Union's (EU) evolving climate negotiation strategy following the 2009 Copenhagen Conference of the Parties (COP15) failure, highlighting a shift from a top-down, binding targets approach emphasizing impartiality to a more pluralist strategy of shared leadership, dialogue, and voluntary commitments exemplified by the 2015 Paris Agreement. It situates this shift within broader debates on the liberal international order (LIO) and international society theory, distinguishing between pluralist and solidarist conceptions of global governance and justice—specifically the principles of non-domination, impartiality, and mutual recognition. The analysis argues that while the EU's adaptation was crucial for maintaining its relevance and securing the Paris Agreement, overemphasis on pluralist non-domination risks insufficient climate action and perpetuates injustices, especially for vulnerable populations in the global South. The article concludes that effective and just global climate governance requires balancing these justice principles by combining binding commitments with inclusive dialogue that better incorporates civil society actors from diverse regions.