The ways that external and internal dynamics influence intermediaries in the climate policy process

‘Climate intermediaries’ are important for climate governance, as they can strengthen mitigation efforts by drawing enable diverse insights into the policy process. However, actors wishing to intermediate may be stymied from assuming such a role: hence, there is need for greater understandings of whether, and how, organisations can act as climate intermediaries. We investigate in what ways external governance dynamics surrounding an organisation can influence their intermediation, and further, in what ways these external dynamics produce internal dynamics that influence intermediation still further. We find that externally, the presence of funding limitations, competition between intermediaries, and unwilling or inappropriate intermediation partners can influence non-governmental organisations’ (NGOs’) pursuit of intermediation. Moreover, by examining internal dynamics, we see that these external dynamics challenge NGOs’ strategy-making, staff wellbeing, and maintenance of expertise, which impact upon their organisation’s intermediation still further. Resultantly, we propose that despite intermediaries being a crucial component of the post-Paris Agreement climate policymaking process, the governance arrangements that surround NGOs impact their ability to assume this role, with attendant implications for limiting the diversity of insights into the policy process.