This summary report on the State of Global Environmental Governance during 2020 mainly discusses negotating during a pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 on the Global Environment.
Around March 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 crisis, global lockdowns, travel restrictions, and meeting postponements surged. Multilateralism seemingly ground to a halt. A system centered on convening hundreds, if not tens of thousands of delegates was no longer possible. As a result, negotiations went online. Delegates and scientists worked from home. Living rooms around the world became the venues for global governance. Secretariats innovated - they used a range of procedures and software to try to advance discussions on key issues. Decisions on budgets were prioritised to keep the wheels of multilateralism turning. Some substantive decisions were made, though mostly by smaller bodies focused on implementation. Working across time zones and relying on sometimes patchy internet connections, ensuring everyone could participate became a pressing concern.