The Harsh Reality of International Negotiations

FOR THREE DAYS, 120 CEMS STUDENTS IN A ROLE PLAY IN BOCCONI SIMULATED NEGOTIATIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENTS, EXPERIENCING ALL ASPECTS OF DISCUSSION, MEDIATION AND COMPROMISE

Objective reached for 120 students from university members of the CEMS network (Global Alliance in Management Education) who cast themselves in the role of negotiators during the 2017 Model UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) at Bocconi, from May 15-17. After three intensive days of discussions, compromises and mediations they unanimously voted for an agreement with new measures and policies to counter the effects of climate change.

The Model UNFCCC in fact saw the students take on the roles of governments, civil society (such as NGOs) and industry representatives from around the world and negotiate agreements and strategies to put into place the objectives agreed upon at the Paris Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in 2015. In addition to Bocconi, the other participating schools were University of St. Gallen, ESADE, University of Cologne, Corvinus University of Budapest, WU Vienna, Rotterdam School of Management and Warsaw School of Economics. At Bocconi, the simulation is part of the 'Green Management and Corporate Sustainability' course held by Stefano Pogutz.

After a part of preparation in their respective universities on climate change and policy implications, students came to Milan with position papers with goals and strategies for the negotiations. At that point, three days of discussions and debates kicked off, in plenary and parallel sessions, and then, with difficulty, on the last day the parties managed to converge on an agreement.

Read here the article presenting the event

"First, we learnt a great deal about climate change and also about all the related social and economic aspects," says Federica Castelli, enrolled at Bocconi in International Management and the Master CEMS MIM, who represented Spain. "For example, I came to know about the desertification of southern Spain and I also understand better the role that we can have as citizens. It was a great experience – learning to negotiate starting off from different interests. But if it was so hard for us to compromise in a simulation I can imagine how difficult it is in real negotiations!"

"We reached an agreement with some important steps ahead compared to Paris, for example by giving a more prominent role to renewable energies," says Lorenzo Facinelli, enrolled at Bocconi in International Management and the Master CEMS MIM, who represented Ghana. "Negotiations were lively and intense and it was a very strong emotional experience. I found it useful to better understand the dynamics of negotiations and to understand more about the very complex policies on climate change."

"Prior to this experience I was less concerned about climate change. This experience has really opened my eyes to the theme and the difficulties in finding agreements in the negotiations. If we students have such difficulty in a simulation I can imagine those that have true power…" says Carlota Lagoa, from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, currently at Bocconi for her semester abroad part of the Master CEMS MIM. "And then we put into practice many skills that will be useful in work, such as the ability to present one's work and to listen, to work under pressure and to compromise."

With the hope of an equally positive and constructive outcome when the true negotiators meet in November for a new round of the UNFCCC conference, the COP23, in Bonn.
 

by Tomaso Eridani