ABSTRACT
The geopolitical landscape of 1992 differed greatly from what exists today and the coalitions that states use to achieve their goals in environmental negotiations have reflected these changes. For a number of years after the Earth Summit, alliances at sustainable development negotiations assumed a predictable pattern. The chairperson would first call on the spokesperson of the Group of 77 and China, a coalition of developing countries; following which the chair would call on the country holding the six-month Presidency for the European Community (which started to co-exist with the European Union in 1993); following which representatives who were speaking on behalf of their own country would offer statements. A few other countries would offer their positions at subsequent points in the negotiations, but the broad outlines of the range of positions and actors likely to move the outcome one direction or another was fairly clear following this initial tour de table.
