Climate change has been widely recognized as a political priority by the international community. Views differ widely, however, about the right way to shape an international response. Closely related is the question of the right institutions to drive international climate cooperation. Following the disappointing United Nations (UN) climate summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, in particular, questions relating to the how and where of global climate efforts have been discussed with renewed vigor. This paper first assesses the broad lines of reasoning on the how, and then discusses the main international policy venues and institutions – the where – potentially shaping future climate policy. It goes on to link these various debates so as to suggest possible ways forward in the struggle for a more effective framework of international mitigation action.