Issue 3, 2012 8 THEEU’S ENGAGEMENTWITH CHINA ON CLIMATECHANGE: LESSONS FROM THE EU- CHINA PARTNERSHIP ON CLIMATE CHANGE Dia rmuid To rne y  Sinc e 2005, the European Union and China have sought to develop dialogue a nd c o o p e ra tio n in the a re a o f c lima te c ha ng e p o lic y. This ha s ta ke n p la c e p rima rily within the fra me wo rk o f the EU-C hina Pa rtne rship o n C lima te C ha ng e , a g re e d a t the 2005 EU-C hina Summit. Within this fra me wo rk, b o th sid e s ha ve d e ve lo p e d institutio na lise d d ia lo g ue a s we ll a s c o o p e ra tio n in sp e c ific a re a s. Fro m a Euro p e a n p e rsp e c tive , the a im o f d e ve lo p ing this engagement was to facilitate and support the development of domestic climate change policies in China, and to persuade the Chinese government to a d o p t e missio ns ta rg e ts a s p a rt o f a g lo b a l c lima te c ha ng e a g re e me nt fo r the p e rio d b e yo nd 2012, whe n the first p ha se o f the Kyo to Pro to c o l e xp ire s. Ho we ve r, the se o utre a c h a c tivitie s c o ntrib ute d re la tive ly little to the EU’ s a b ility to sha p e the inte rna tio na l c lima te ne g o tia tio ns in a c c o rd a nc e with Euro p e a n g o a ls. No whe re wa s this fa ilure mo re e vid e nt tha n a t the C o p e nha g e n c lima te c ha ng e c o nfe re nc e in De c e mb e r 2009. This a rtic le a na lyse s the c ha lle ng e s fa c ing the EU in its re la tio ns with C hina o n c lima te c ha ng e . It fo c use s in p a rtic ula r o n institutio na l fa c to rs whic h ha ve inhib ite d the EU’ s a b ility to ma na g e e ffe c tive ly its b ila te ra l o utre a c h a c tivitie s with ke y third c o untrie s o n c lima te c ha ng e . The re a so n fo r d o ing so is two -fo ld . First, the a rtic le hig hlig hts p a rtic ula r sho rtc o ming s o f the EU’ s e xte rna l “ c lima te d ip lo ma c y” in o rd e r to sug g e st ho w the se d iffic ultie s mig ht b e a d d re sse d . Se c o nd , a d d re ssing the se sho rtc o ming s o n the Euro p e a n sid e ho ld s the p o te ntia l to imp ro ve the o ve ra ll func tio ning o f the EU-C hina re la tio nship fo r the mutua l b e ne fit o f b o th sid e s. EU- China Coope ration on Climate Change EU-C hina re la tio ns o n c lima te c ha ng e ha ve g ro wn in the c o nte xt o f the b ro a d e r d e ve lo p me nt in EU e xte rna l re la tio ns o n c lima te c ha ng e fro m 2005 o nwa rd s, in whic h the EU e sta b lishe d institutio na lise d d ia lo g ue a nd c o o p e ra tio n with a ra ng e o f third c o untrie s o n c lima te c ha ng e . 1 This o utre ac h fo rme d p a rt o f the EU’ s stra te g y o f trying to g a in sup p o rt fro m o the r a c to rs fo r a mb itio us d o me stic c lima te c ha ng e p o lic ie s a nd a p o st-2012 c lima te c ha ng e re g ime . It a lso b uilt up o n the p ro g re ssive d e e p e ning o f the b ro a d e r EU-C hina re la tio nship in the p re c e d ing ye a rs, whic h had c ulmina te d in the e sta b lishme nt o f a n EU-C hina “ stra te g ic p a rtne rship ” in 2003. The 2005 EU-  Dr. Dia rmuid To rne y is c urre ntly a p o st-d o c to ra l fe llo w a t the Fre ie Unive rsitä t Be rlin. Fro m O c to b e r 2012, he will b e a TAPIR fe llo w in the fra me wo rk o f the “ Tra nsa tla ntic Po st-Do c to ra l Fe llo wship fo r Inte rna tio na l Re la tio ns a nd Se c urity” . 1 The se inc lud e Austra lia , Bra zil, C a na d a , Ind ia , Ja p a n, Me xic o , Russia , So uth Afric a , a nd the Unite d Sta te s.