Climate Obstruction across Europe

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.

Table of 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

About the Author :
Robert Brulle, PhD, is a visiting professor of Environment and Society at Brown University and an emeritus professor of Sociology and Environmental Science at Drexel University. His research focuses on U.S. environmental politics, critical theory, and the political and cultural dynamics of climate change. He is the author of three books and more than one hundred publications on these topics. Brulle received the Frederick H. Buttel Distinguished Contribution Award for Environmental Sociology from the American Sociological Association in 2016 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association in 2018. J. Timmons Roberts, PhD, is the Ittleson Professor of Environment and Society at Brown University and the executive director of the Climate Social Science Network (CSSN). Roberts is the co-author or editor of fourteen books and edited volumes, and of more than one hundred articles and book chapters. He was awarded the Frederick Buttel Award for distinguished scholarship from the American Sociological Association and the International Sociological Association. Previously, he taught in and directed environmental science and policy programs at Brown, the College of William and Mary, and Tulane University, and held fellowships at Oxford and the Brookings Institution. Miranda Spencer is a writer, editor, and project manager with forty years of experience in the publishing and media industries. She has worked mainly as a journalist and book editor focusing on environmental and health topics. Spencer has collaborated with or coached famous authors and emerging writers alike. Her articles have been published in American Forests, BioScience, The Daily Climate, E: The Environmental Magazine, and the Scottish investigative platform The Ferret, among others. Until recently, Spencer was a staff editor for the online magazine Mad in America.