Developing state, technocrats, and climate policy: narratives and technocratic roles in Philippine ratification of the Paris Agreement

This proposed study would identify the role and influence of the technocrats in the Philippine ratification of the Paris Agreement with the main research question: “how do Filipino technocrats influence the environmental foreign policy of the Philippines towards the Paris Agreement?” This study will narrate the experiences and identify the role conception of the technocrats in the foreign policymaking process about the environmental issues, in this, the Paris Agreement. To demonstrate the science-politics interaction in foreign policymaking and how the state valued the scientific advice from the technocrats. This study would use qualitative research and utilize the narrativeapproach. In this proposed study, participants choose the snowballing or referral technique for elite interviewing. The study would start from the key informants from the Climate Change Commission (CCC). The narrative analysis will be used to analyzethe data with the help of narrative coding and emplotment to present the result of the study. The Philippine experience with the Paris Agreement reveals the dual nature of expertise in climate diplomacy. Experts possess the power to shape complex international agreements through their technical knowledge, credibility, and strategicfacilitation. However, their influence is constrained by political transitions, institutional hierarchies, and the broader interests of the state. The effectiveness of expert contributions depends not only on the quality of their advice but also on their ability to navigate political realities, build coalitions, and maintain integrity. As climate challenges grow more urgent, the lessons from this case affirm the indispensable yet bounded role of expertise in global environmental governance.