ABSTRACT
Over the past five to six decades summit diplomacy has expanded and become more institutionalized. Leaders of the most important states still meet in exclusive club-like settings, notably G7 and G20, but now they meet regularly, most of the “clubs” are larger, and their agendas are more diverse. Moreover, meetings of heads of state or government have become an integral component of the political system of several regional organizations including the European Union (EU) and the African Union, and of forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Today, two main types of summits play important but different roles in environmental governance. First, regional organizations such as the EU have over time engaged themselves more actively in a wider range of environmental protection policies. The second important type of summit is associated with club-like forums such as the G20 and occasional other meetings. These summits usually have a broad agenda, and their contributions to environmental governance vary significantly.
