Change the system not the climate. How the Talanoa Dialogue contributed to procedural justice in the global climate negotiating system

This chapter delves into the transformative role of the Talanoa Dialogue in advancing a more just global climate negotiating system from a procedural perspective. Indeed, the Pacific way of storytelling and sharing, characterised by openness, inclusivity, and transparency has enabled multiple, different voices to speak and to be heard in the context of the UNFCCC. This has contributed to differentiate the group of participants, who became actors capable of contaminating and decolonising the structures of climate governance using scientific data but also personal stories and daily experiences. Reviewing the literature on procedural justice within the UNFCCC, the chapter aims to analyse the many features that have led to the Talanoa Dialogue being hailed as a necessary tool to transform the narrow technocratic approach of the climate negotiations into a broader, more inclusive, and perhaps more effective one. Specifically, the first section focuses on the importance of procedural justice in achieving climate justice, highlighting the position of small island states in the process; the second section introduces the Pacific Talanoa methodology; the third and fourth sections present and discuss the Talanoa Dialogue’s role and objective within the UNFCCC, as well as its effectiveness in changing the procedural structures of the international climate arena.