Full Description
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read on the Oxford Academic platform and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
Understanding climate obstruction is foundational to advancing effective action on the global climate crisis. Starting in the late 1980s, a broad range of actors--including corporations and trade associations acting in coordination with conservative think tanks, foundations, and public relations firms--mounted a long-term effort to oppose action to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. This is the first book to document the development and nature of these activities across Europe.
Leading teams of experts examine case studies of eleven nations and the European Union. Each team documents the historic development of climate obstruction in the country, the principal organizations involved in these efforts, the strategies and tactics utilized, and the nature of the arguments made to slow or stop climate action. Noting significant differences between countries, the book concludes with ten lessons on climate obstruction across Europe that emerged from the studies. Future research is suggested to aid in better understanding the development of intentional barriers to action on climate change in Europe.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction: The First Portrait of Climate Obstruction Across Europe
Robert J. Brulle and J. Timmons Roberts
Chapter 2: Climate Obstruction in the United Kingdom: Charting the Resistance to Climate Action
Freddie Daley, Peter Newell, Ruth McKie, and James Painter
Chapter 3: Climate Obstruction in Scotland: The Politics of Oil and Gas
William Dinan, Victoria Esteves, and Steven Harkins
Chapter 4: Climate Obstruction in Ireland: The Contested Transformation of an Agricultural Economy
Orla Kelly, Brenda McNally, and Jennie C. Stephens
Chapter 5: Climate Obstruction in Sweden: The Green Welfare State - Both Progressive and Obstructionist
Kjell Vowles, Kristoffer Ekberg, and Martin Hultman
Chapter 6: Climate Obstruction Efforts in Germany: Hidden in Plain Sight?
Achim Brunnengräber, Moritz Neujeffski, and Dieter Plehwe
Chapter 7: Climate Obstruction in the Netherlands: Strategic and Systemic Obstruction of Dutch Climate Policies (1980-Present)
Martijn Duineveld, Guus Dix, Gertjan Plets, and Vatan Hüzeir
Chapter 8: Climate Obstruction in Poland: A Governmental-Industrial Complex
Kacper Szulecki, Tomas Maltby, and Julia Szulecka
Chapter 9: Climate Obstruction in Russia: Surviving a Resource-Dependent Economy, an Authoritarian Regime, and a Disappearing Civil Society
Marianna Poberezhskaya and Ellie Martus
Chapter 10: Climate Obstruction in the Czech Republic: Winning by Default
Milan Hrubes and Ondrej Císar
Chapter 11: Climate Obstruction in Italy: From Outright Denial to Widespread Climate Delay
Marco Grasso, Stella Levantesi, and Serena Beqja
Chapter 12: Climate Obstruction in Spain: From Boycotting the Expansion of Renewable Energy to Blocking Compassion Toward Animals
Jose A. Moreno and Núria Almiron
Chapter 13: Climate Obstruction in the European Union: Business Coalitions and the Technocracy of Delay
Dieter Plehwe, Moritz Neujeffski, and Tobias Haas
Chapter 14: Conclusion: Ten Lessons about Climate Obstruction in Europe
J. Timmons Roberts and Robert J. Brulle
