"Environmental Internationalism Is in Its Flop Era," critiques the failure of global environmental diplomacy to address urgent ecological crises in 2023. Amid record-breaking climate disasters—including droughts, wildfires, and floods—the international community has struggled to implement effective agreements on biodiversity, plastic pollution, and climate change.

First, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia ended without consensus on monitoring or funding conservation targets, despite the host nation's leadership and biodiversity. Second, the UN plastic-pollution treaty negotiations in South Korea faltered over disagreements about reducing plastic production, with resistance from petroleum-producing countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia. Finally, the UN climate conference delivered just USD$300 billion in annual climate finance by 2035, far below the USD$1 trillion economists estimate is needed. The U.S., a key emitter, contributed minimally due to political shifts and financial crises.

The article attributes these failures to economic constraints, the rise of far-right populism, and entrenched fossil-fuel interests. Wealthy nations often frame climate finance as a domestic sacrifice, while fossil-fuel economies resist transformative change. Moreover, the influence of energy lobbyists and hosting negotiations in petrostates like the UAE have diluted progress. Despite these challenges, Schlanger underscores the necessity of global diplomacy as the only venue for inclusive climate negotiation. She advocates for radical economic reforms to phase out fossil fuels, protect ecosystems, and curb plastic production, arguing that the long-term benefits of planetary habitability outweigh short-term sacrifices.

There are glimmers of hope, such as a U.S.-led OECD agreement to halt fossil-fuel export funding, a move that could weaken global oil and gas development. However, with Donald Trump poised to withdraw the U.S. from climate talks, and other nations emboldened by this retreat, the prospects for meaningful progress remain bleak.