Linguistic polyphony in UN speeches on climate change: an analysis of implicit argumentation

ABSTRACT

This study employs quantitative and qualitative methodologies mainly to examine how UNFCCC Executive Secretaries use concessive but-constructions and linguistic polyphony to implicitly argue points of view and convey stance in speeches on climate change. Our findings indicate that, in order to achieve its goals for global climate governance while adhering to humanitarian and diplomatic principles, UNFCCC speeches delivered to the Parties to the Convention and the Stakeholders emphasize the urgent need for concerted action on climate change while implicitly expressing discontent and mild criticism of various Parties and Stakeholders for failing to do their fair share in support of such action. This style of discourse aims to promote group unity, solidarity, and transparency while minimizing the possibility of offending any Parties or Stakeholders. Nevertheless, given the urgency of addressing climate change challenges, we advise that UNFCCC speakers utilize more explicit linguistic methods that exert more direct pressure on specific Parties or Stakeholders who fail to assume their share of responsibility. In addition, we suggest that the UNFCCC focus on enabling the implementation of practical actions to limit the effects of global warming, while continuing to urge affluent countries to provide developing countries with much-needed financial and technological help.

KEYWORDS:

• Polyphony
• implicit argumentation
• concessive but-constructions
• critical discourse analysis
• climate change
• UNFCCC

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 General information on the UNFCCC introduced in this article can be found at https://unfccc.int/about-us/ (accessed 3 September 2022).

2 For detailed information on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, see https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/conveng.pdf (accessed 4 March 2022).

3 Information about the Green Climate Fund can be found at the GCF website: https://www.greenclimate.fund/about/timeline (accessed 16 May, 2021).

4 General information on NDCs and the Paris Agreement can be found at https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement (accessed 4 March, 2022).

5 Information about the UN’s sustainable development agenda can be found on the UN website, in the section ‘Our Work,’ at https://www.un.org/en/our-work/support-sustainable-development-and-climate-action (accessed 12 September, 2022).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Shanghai Social Science Planning Project (General Project): [Grant Number 2020BYY003]; Major Project of National Social Science Fund of China: [Grant Number 17ZDA318].

Notes on contributors

Guofeng Wang

Guofeng Wang is Professor of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics at Shanghai Normal University. Her research interests include discourse studies and media studies, and specifically the interrelationship between discourse, media, and society. Her recent publications have appeared in Critical Arts, Critical Discourse Studies, Discourse & Communication, Journal of Language and Politics, and Social Semiotics.

Xiuzhen Wu

Xiuzhen Wu is a postgraduate at Foreign Language College, Shanghai Normal University, China. Her research interests include corpus linguistics and discourse studies.

Yupei Xiang

Yupei Xiang is a postgraduate at Foreign Language College, Shanghai Normal University, China. She is interested in corpus linguistics and discourse studies.

Yingzi Qu

Yingzi Qu is an undergraduate student majoring in Sociology at the School of Social Sciences, Soochow University, China. She takes great interest in climate change and is expert at statistical analysis.