Emotions – the Hidden Power in Climate Negotiations

What role do emotions play at climate conferences – and how can we work with them more consciously?
Part 3 of the blog series “Psychology of COPs”

Part 1: Overview – Psychology of COPs
Part 2: Trust 
Part 3: Emotions
Part 4: Psychological Safety
Part 5: coming soon

Why Emotions Are Central

As emotion psychologists emphasize, emotions are not noise but data – they convey meaning and motivate action (Brosch, 2021). They reveal what people value, fear, and hope for. They shape cooperation, decision-making, and credibility (Lerner et al., 2015).

Research shows that emotions are decisive not only inside negotiation rooms but also beyond them – they are among the strongest predictors of public engagement and support for climate policy. Negotiators may act rationally (or try to), but they operate within an emotional world that extends far beyond UN halls.

Beyond their internal effects, emotions function as a social communication system: they coordinate expectations, trust, and cooperation (Morris & Keltner, 1999; Sharma et al., 2020). Anger can signal a violated norm, disappointment can prompt repair, and calmness can restore cooperation. When expressed authentically, emotions become a subtle language of diplomacy.

Where Emotions Matter

Emotions run through every layer of climate diplomacy – from negotiation tactics to late-night exhaustion. They shape how cooperation unfolds, trust is built, and decisions are made.

They become especially visible in nine areas:

1. Cooperation – Emotions as the engine or barrier of collective solutions.
2. Negotiation Rooms – Reading dynamics, easing tension.
3. Communication & Storytelling – Expressing emotions consciously and authentically.
4. Emotional Safety – Creating spaces where emotions are allowed.
5. Justice – Emotions as a mirror of perceived fairness.
6. Values & Identity – Emotions revealing what truly matters to groups.
7. Resilience – Managing stress, pressure, and fatigue psychologically.
8. Collective Emotions – Mobilizing shared energy and hope.
9. Decision-Making – Using emotions as information rather than interference.

These are not side notes — they form the emotional foundation on which international cooperation rests. 

A Glimpse into the Negotiation Room

At SB62 in Bonn, the emotional dynamic was palpable: despair when drafts failed; tension over finance; laughter, solidarity, and relief when breakthroughs came. A single sigh could spread discouragement; a sincere “thank you” could reignite cooperation – micro-moments that never appear in official records yet often shape the course of events.

The imbalance between large and well-resourced alliances (e.g., the EU) and small teams from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) further intensifies emotional pressure. Small teams juggle parallel events, stakeholder meetings, and text work late into the night. Fatigue becomes structural: it determines who can remain present and influential.

Psychological Dynamics & Pitfalls

Years of research in psychology and diplomacy reveal recurring patterns (Lerner et al., 2015):

• Emotional contagion: negative moods spread faster than positive ones.
• Suppression: hiding feelings increases stress and cognitive overload.
• Misinterpretation: cultural differences in tone or gesture easily cause misunderstandings – emotions are both cognitive appraisals and social signals; their meaning depends on norms and context (Martinovski, 2010).
• Emotional exhaustion: long sessions reduce empathy and patience.
• Moral emotions: guilt, pride, or outrage can mobilize – or block dialogue if left unspoken.

Strategic expression: Anger can elicit concessions; disappointment can prompt repair – but only if perceived as authentic. Performed emotions undermine credibility and trust (Van Kleef et al., 2004; Olekalns & Druckman, 2014). Emotional intelligence means knowing when to express, when to regulate – and when silence works.

Emotions & Resilience

Negotiations are emotionally demanding. Delegates must endure frustration, fatigue, and pressure – and still remain able to act, decide, and connect. This is not a sign of weakness but of humanity. What matters is how they engage with emotions, regulate them, and recover.

Psychological tools (Lerner et al., 2015):

• Reappraisal: viewing setbacks as learning moments rather than failures.
• Emotional intelligence: understanding one’s own reactions and recognizing others’ signals.
• Networks & mentoring: sharing experiences reduces isolation and builds long-term endurance.

Decades of research confirm: suppression is counterproductive and cognitively costly – it drains mental energy, impairs memory, and can even amplify unwanted feelings. Reappraisal, by contrast, reduces subjective stress and physiological arousal; negotiators remain calmer, clearer, and more persuasive. In negotiation contexts, reappraisal supports sustained performance (Olekalns & Druckman, 2014) and helps frame setbacks as part of an evolving cooperative process.

Resilience is not innate – it can be trained and strengthened. Teams that practice reflection, empathy, and recovery are better prepared for the emotional storms of international diplomacy. Facilitators carry a double burden: holding the process while honoring their own limits. Recognizing or requesting short emotional pauses is not a loss of professionalism – it preserves it.

What the Research Shows

• Emotions = data & drivers: they signal meaning, motivate action, and shape risk/judgment (Brosch, 2021; Lerner et al., 2015).
• Expression works – if authentic: emotional expression strongly influences counterparts; authenticity is central to trust (Sharma et al., 2020).
• Social functions: emotions coordinate expectations and cooperation; reappraisal improves performance in negotiations (Morris & Keltner, 1999; Olekalns & Druckman, 2014).

Ways Forward

What does this mean for climate diplomacy?

1. Integrate emotional competence
Perceive and name emotions (your own and others’) – strengthen empathy, prevent escalation, open space for creative solutions.

2. Create emotional safety
Make frustration and fatigue discussable; acknowledge loss, celebrate progress – psychological safety enables honesty and innovation.

3. Build resilience into preparation
Don’t just come with documents – come with a support network: peers, mentors, recovery time. Emotional preparation is as important as technical preparation.

4. Understand emotions as feedback
Anger or sadness often point to unmet needs or moral tension – detectable earlier than through purely technical argument.

5. Protect facilitators’ capacity
Realistic agendas, supportive co-chairs, recovery time. Holding the room starts with holding yourself. Emotional balance is a precondition for clarity.

Conclusion: Emotion as a Driver of Collective Action

At the heart of climate diplomacy lie not only data and texts – but emotions. Emotion is not the opposite of reason – it gives reason energy. Without emotional intelligence, diplomacy risks becoming mechanical: agreements without conviction, commitments without engagement.

To achieve real cooperation, negotiators must not only manage emissions but work with emotions. Empathy, authenticity, and regulation are not “soft skills” – they are strategic tools for resilience, trust, and solidarity. As Sharma et al. (2020) show, authenticity in emotional expression is central to credibility and long-term trust – whether bilateral or multilateral.

The same emotions that mobilize citizens – anger, hope, guilt, fear – also echo in negotiation rooms (Brosch, 2021). Understanding these shared emotional currents can make climate diplomacy a truly human process. COP30 in Belém will be a test: can delegates face the emotional realities of loss, hope, and justice – and translate them into collective action?

Further Reading

• Brosch, T. (2021). Affect and emotions as drivers of climate change perception and action: a review. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 15–21.
• Lerner, J. S., Li, Y., Valdesolo, P., & Kassam, K. S. (2015). Emotion and decision making. Annual Review of Psychology, 66(1), 799–823.
• Martinovski, B. (2010). Emotion in negotiation. In Handbook of Group Decision and Negotiation (pp. 65–86). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Morris, M., & Keltner, D. (1999). How emotions work: the social functions of emotional expression in negotiation.
• Olekalns, M., & Druckman, D. (2014). With feeling: How emotions shape negotiation. Negotiation Journal, 30(4), 455–478.
• Sharma, S., Elfenbein, H. A., Sinha, R., & Bottom, W. P. (2020). The effects of emotional expressions in negotiation: a meta-analysis. Human Performance, 33(4), 331–353.
• Van Kleef, G. A., De Dreu, C. K., & Manstead, A. S. (2004). The interpersonal effects of emotions in negotiations. JPSP, 87(4), 510.
  
  

About the Author

Janna Hoppmann is a psychologist and Mercator Fellow for International Affairs. She has worked for many years at the intersection of psychology, climate, and politics – including with governments of SIDS states, international NGOs, and currently in close exchange with the COP30 Presidency. With ClimateMind, she brings psychological insights into international climate negotiations, into the work of delegations, and into transformative dialogue formats.

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