On 21 April 2025, the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University hosted a Walker Lecture—“Overcoming Global Gridlock: Regional Collaboration on Climate Action”—featuring former President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada (Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy, Tufts University) and environmental governance expert Dr. Maria Ivanova (Director, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University), in conversation with Sunil Amrith, Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center. They explored how small‐state leadership and regional coalitions can reenergize multilateral approaches to climate change and smooth the flow of insights between academia and policy.

Opening Remarks and Framing the Moment

Melissa Brown, Deputy Director of the McMillan Center, welcomed attendees, underscoring Yale’s commitment to free expression, noting the event was made possible by the George Herbert Walker Lecture Fund, and highlighting an earlier faculty lunch that set an inspiring tone. She emphasized the urgency of climate action, explaining that Yale felt it could not wait until fall to address widening gaps between global agreements and on‑the‑ground progress.

Passing the baton to Sunil Amrith, she framed the discussion around the growing environmental footprint of large COP gatherings and the promise of more nimble, multisectoral coalitions and locally informed regional initiatives.

Rethinking Multilateralism

Dr. Maria Ivanova reflected on the narrative that multilateralism is “at a dead end,” recalling her own trajectory from Yale graduate student to global environmental governance scholar. She traced the 1990s surge in international treaties—from the Rio conventions onward—and argued that the original intent of multilateralism was to set common directions while empowering local implementation. She described emerging “mini‑lateral” coalitions that bring together actors with deep regional knowledge to tailor solutions, and lauded the MacMillan Center’s role in nurturing such spaces.

Small States Leading by Example

President Alvarado challenged conventional views of multilateralism by highlighting how small nations leverage a rules‑based order to “punch above their weight.” He recounted Costa Rica’s nationally driven decarbonization plan—launched in early 2019 with cross‑sectoral engagement—and a friend’s analogy: while large states are gridlocked like cars in traffic, a bicycle (the plan) can move freely and demonstrate the way forward. He noted that the plan continues to secure preferential international finance even under subsequent administrations, illustrating how small‑state innovation can catalyze broader change.

Building on this, Dr. Ivanova shared examples of small states such as Malta placing climate change on the UN agenda in the 1980s and Rwanda and Peru launching the global process for a plastics treaty, coining the term “small states” as those “who punch above their weight.” She described convening high‑level coalitions of these countries to harness their moral authority and drive ambitious environmental agreements.

Hopes for the Next COP

Turning to the upcoming COP, Dr. Ivanova argued it should shift from a venue for pledges and publicity to one focused on transparent, implementation‑review processes—akin to the UN’s Universal Periodic Review—where each country reports on its progress, gaps, and financing needs. She warned that fiscal constraints in both “north” and “south” blocs will limit major new commitments, underscoring the need to empower cities, local communities, and mini‑lateral coalitions.

President Alvarado looked forward to COP 30 under Brazilian leadership, noting initiatives like the Tropical Forest Finance Facility and circles of indigenous, convention‑head, and civil‑society leaders convened by the COP presidency. He emphasized the importance of reconnecting global negotiations with deeply local practices such as Rwanda’s community clean‑up gatherings (“umuganda”) and Bulgaria’s Soviet‑era “subotnik,” illustrating how collective local action can scale upward.

Bridging Research and Policy

On channeling academic research into policy, President Alvarado stressed three insights:

1. Framing problems in human‑centered terms—for example, renaming “decarbonization plan” to emphasize people’s well‑being rather than emissions.
2. Embracing local agency, avoiding one‑size‑fits‑all scaling, and co‑designing solutions with communities most affected by change.
3. Revisiting assumptions about scale and political units, recognizing the diversity within countries and the need for granular, context‑sensitive approaches.

Dr. Ivanova highlighted the importance of the science‑policy‑society interface: co‑creating research agendas with policymakers, embedding scholars in negotiation processes, and building trust through reliable participation. She recalled Morris Strong’s dictum from the 1972 Stockholm Conference—“the process is the policy”—to emphasize that sustained engagement in policy forums enables academic insights to translate into action.

Key Takeaways

• Multilateralism can be revitalized through mini‑lateral coalitions that combine global direction with local expertise.
• Small states have unique moral authority and agility to pilot bold environmental initiatives, demonstrating scalable models.
• COP gatherings should evolve into transparent implementation reviews, empowering subnational actors.
• Bridging academia and policy requires co‑designing research questions, reframing problems in people‑centered terms, and embedding scholars within decision‑making processes.

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The Yale MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies advances global understanding through interdisciplinary research on political, economic, and cultural dynamics. It unites faculty and students via fellowships, lectures, and language programs to equip future leaders with the insights needed for informed policy and global engagement.

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