LAUSR

Abstract From the late 1960s and early 1970s onwards, environmental politics were not only put increasingly on domestic agendas, but also dealt with in international regimes and organizations (IOs). The rise of environmental IOs has led to the expectation of a greening of international politics and a corresponding contribution to improved environmental standards around the globe. This paper opens the black box of environmental negotiations in IOs and examines how active the various IO member states participate in the process of deciding upon international environmental rules and norms. This reveals two interesting empirical puzzles that the paper examines in a theory-guided methodological sound manner. First, many states joined environmental IOs and contribute to them through membership fees, but nevertheless often fail to make use of their formal right to voice positions in international environmental negotiations. Second, some states are considerably more outspoken than others, although articulating one’s position is important for the chances to influence international environmental policies. The paper argues that the former is due to lack of capabilities, while the latter is due to differences in the saliency of environmental topics across states.