Source: West Asia and Africa, No.6, 2023

Abstract: With the acceleration of global climate action and energy transition, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have changed their roles from draggers to intermediates in the international climate governance system, and successively put forward the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the middle of this century. From the perspective of Interest - Based Explanation Model and Selective Incentive, the driving mechanisms of the GCC countries' climate policies evolution encompass endogenous factors and external drivers. Climate governance in the GCC countries is imperative due to multiple factors, such as the high degree of ecological vulnerability, the lower domestic abatement costs, the predicament of economic transformation, the pressure of global climate action and energy transition, as well as the need to enhance their international image. Decarbonizing the energy system is an important part of achieving carbon neutrality, which, however, will lead to a reduction in the use of high - carbon - emission fossil energy, thus impact the GCC countries' rentier economy and social contracts, consequently challenge their international status and national governance. The GCC countries have initiated to make efforts to achieve climate governance goals and sustainable development, but there is still a long way to go to fully fulfill the goal of carbon neutrality due to the complex factors.

Key Words:  climate politics; the GCC countries; climate policies; carbon neutrality; fence - sitter; energy transition