North-south relations, responsibilities, and agendas in Earth System Governance: Have these changed in the Anthropocene?

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

On the G77's 60 th anniversary and the 50 th anniversary of the Declaration for a New International Economic Order, this paper explores the enduring complexities of North-South relations in development and climate governance. We ask: What is the continuing relevance of the North-South narrative in Earth System Governance and climate change? Utilising North-South literature, this paper examines these relations and responsibilities, emphasising the need to decolonise ESG by challenging entrenched power structures in climate governance. The analysis concludes: (a) the North-South dynamic is a flexible dichotomy reflecting the dominance of powerful nations/actors over the less powerful; (b) recurring patterns of North-South behaviour in controlling forums, agendas, and decisions marginalise Southern perspectives; and (c) such imbalances result in failures to govern ecological and social problems, while the North risks losing control over them. Without a more just approach addressing the North-South dichotomy, we all risk losing a stable and predictable climate.