Country differentiation in the global environmental context: Who is ‘developing’ and according to what?

Abstract Several multilateral treaties and International Governmental Organizations have introduced different legal obligations for countries based on the developing/developed (or equivalent) dichotomy. Such differentiation can (re)produce a range of material symbolic consequences those labelled developing or developed. Much has been researched about this topic in environmental regime yet an important gap remains: what does look like empirically? This article answers question through qualitative analysis that compares two dozen agreements (MEAs) (1) how they specify makes country be not) (2) result choice, is, exactly which are under each MEA. The research reveals at least four points: absence any converging approach to classifying global context; almost 1 out 4 world mixed classification (developing developed depending MEA); (3) ‘switching’ groups is relatively infrequent, but both moving away from label; (4) most with classifications appear comfortable situation. contributes finer-grained understanding governance.