Uncertainty and Fiji's role in shifting norms on state-led responses to climate mobilities

Moore, Liam;Orchard, Phil

Abstract

Any normative environment is subject to uncertainty – norms remain subject to change, contestation, and reconstruction. Yet, just as the meaning of individual norms is not fixed, neither is the level of uncertainty that surrounds them. Extreme ontological uncertainty characterizes climate mobilities. This uncertainty is not just disrupting current everyday routines but also rupturing future expectations. We use the example of Fiji's response to the issue of climate mobilities to explore how small states can shift global normative agendas in instances of extreme uncertainty. For Fiji, climate change poses a significant risk – to both the physical security of the state and its people and its ontological security. Yet, global norms around climate mobilities have – until recently – been unclear, uncertain, and complex. Key global actors abandoned global leadership on migration and climate-related issues. This uncertain situation, we argue, allowed Fiji to step into the gap and shift the narrative around the issue of climate mobilities at the global level, which in turn reduced the level of uncertainty they experienced at home.

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Uncertainty in Global Politics

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ISBN/ISSN

9781003426080

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Routledge

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London, UK

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DOI

10.4324/9781003426080-13