Umbrella Group

The Umbrella group is an informal coalition that likes to take a common position during climate negotiations.

The group formed during the climate negotiations of the early 1990s, initially containing just fully industrialised (Annex I&II) nations that were not part of the EU.

The founding members were Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand.

The name arose due to the membership seeing themselves as needing an "umbrella" to protect from positions taken by the EU.

In the early to mid 1990s, when China was less influential, the EU was an especially powerful actor in climate negotiations, as it could to a degree marshal support from the larger G77 group.