Between Two COPS: A Cognitive Proximization of Fear

This paper contributes to cognitive linguistics by applying Cap’s (2013) Proximization Theory. It fills a gap in existing literature by offering a comparative, cross-cultural proximization analysis of two COP (Conference of the Parties) statements—one from Malawi, a highly air-polluted developing country, and one from New Zealand, a minimally polluted developed nation. This study conducts a qualitative-quantitative analysis of spatial, temporal, and axiological proximization strategies in these two statements. Although both nations use similar proximization tools, their discursive strategies differ significantly, reflecting their unique environmental vulnerabilities and geopolitical stances. The study not only deepens our understanding of threat construction in environmental rhetoric but also illustrates how countries with contrasting ecological footprints negotiate urgency and agency through proximization, thereby advancing the cognitive linguistic study of climate discourse. Each country uses its own mechanism of proximization: Malawi depends heavily on Spatial Proximization while New Zealand mainly utilizes Axiological Proximization throughout the whole statement.