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.

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.