In this work, I aim at answering the question "What are the effects of India's rising emissions on the country's commitment to climate action?". Exposing India's rise as a global emitter and its...Show moreIn this work, I aim at answering the question "What are the effects of India's rising emissions on the country's commitment to climate action?". Exposing India's rise as a global emitter and its new capacity to act on climate change, I evaluate the validity of this country's exemption from binding commitments granted at the first UNFCCC Conference of Parties (in Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and reflected in the Kyoto Protocol. Annexes to the Protocol allocated binding targets for emissions reductions to developed countries (“Annex 1”) and an exemption from compulsory environmental action for less developed and emerging ones (“Non-Annex”). The division was based on each Party's cumulative emissions and capacity to act; in India's case, both have changed sensibly since the '90s. The empirical chapter confirms a growing external pressure from other countries for India to adopt new commitments. UNFCCC Parties recognised the necessity to include India into a new post-Kyoto Protocol regime for global climate policy to be successful in the coming decades. On the other hand, India's geographical vulnerability to the harmful consequences of global warming put the government under internal pressure to step up environmental action.Show less
The largest contributor to climate change is human reproduction. Although restricting population growth might prove an effective in couteracting climate change, our liberal intuition tells us it...Show moreThe largest contributor to climate change is human reproduction. Although restricting population growth might prove an effective in couteracting climate change, our liberal intuition tells us it would be wrong to interfere with people's reproductive affairs. This essay investigates whether that is necessarily the case.Show less
This thesis entitled ‘An Assessment of Climate Footprints through the Activities of Three Women in Yaounde, Cameroon’ sets out to show the (dis)connectedness of climate tools established in and for...Show moreThis thesis entitled ‘An Assessment of Climate Footprints through the Activities of Three Women in Yaounde, Cameroon’ sets out to show the (dis)connectedness of climate tools established in and for the West from local realities in Yaounde, Cameroon. It also aims to prove that the socio-cultural and economic situations of women in local communities are different from those in the West thereby, putting them at crossroads of climate footprint assessment and implementation. Theoretical underpinnings applied in this study indicate the different perspectives on the complex climate change issue, the transformations of climate discourse within given paradigms and the peculiar climate messaging and communication of the World Sustainability Fund (WSF). The three-pronged-methodology: critical discourse analysis, interview and audio/film, observation and photo used to gather data for this thesis aim at assessing the neoliberal individualistic modelling of WSF’s climate footprints and how this works elsewhere. This approach facilitates the communication of both the implicit and explicit experiences of the research/participants as they occur in their real live situations. Results of this study reveal that although climate impact assessment tools such as footprints could be designed with good intensions, they could equally be regarded as dangerous neoliberal power tools that ignore local sociocultural/economic realities elsewhere. The language functions of picture/text and talk around WSF’s climate footprint production rather represent broader sociocultural/political structures as exemplified in the colonial trait of its Sustainable Solutions. This study, conducted at WSF, The Hague and on three women in Yaounde, Cameroon is only a tip of the iceberg. It therefore serves as an opening for more research regarding women as actors in climate issues and the decolonisation of the climate change phenomenon. Key words: Climate change, discourse, footprints, the women, World Sustainability Fund (WSF)Show less
Masterthesis for Literature in Society track on the concepts of postmodernism and post-postmodernism in the work of Jonathan Franzen, more specifically an ecocritical study on what the presence of...Show moreMasterthesis for Literature in Society track on the concepts of postmodernism and post-postmodernism in the work of Jonathan Franzen, more specifically an ecocritical study on what the presence of particular characteristics of the latter literary movement in The Corrections (2001) and Freedom (2010) could mean for the idea of climate change and how serious that is taken in novels todayShow less
The debate on climate change and migration has been a recurring theme in recent public discourse. Henceforth, through the utilisation of (de) securitization framework, this thesis observes the...Show moreThe debate on climate change and migration has been a recurring theme in recent public discourse. Henceforth, through the utilisation of (de) securitization framework, this thesis observes the perceptions of climate change and migration by the EU and Australia towards climate induced migration and the process of securitizing it as a threat. Consequently, it creates awareness and urges policy makers to realise the gravity of the issue and understand climate induced migrants as vulnerable populations. Hence, employing the process of de-securitization. Finally, by facilitating the process of de-securitization of climate induced migration, progress towards recognising ‘Climate refugees’ in the future could occur.Show less
This thesis engaged with the research question: How do multilateral institutions, fossil fuel companies and environmental nongovernmental organisations attempt to fixate meaning in climate change...Show moreThis thesis engaged with the research question: How do multilateral institutions, fossil fuel companies and environmental nongovernmental organisations attempt to fixate meaning in climate change discourse to steer international climate change governance? The analysis reveals that governments and the fossil fuel industry problematise climate change as a challenge of decarbonising society, which can be achieved with technological and economic solutions. The climate change challenge is depoliticised, because this strategy enables the root cause of climate change, the fossil fuel-based energy chain, to be left intact. By articulating this strategy in the context of justice and responsibility, social consent is generated and the hegemonic position of states and the fossil fuel industry is safeguarded. ENGOs attempt to re-politicise the climate change problem by articulating it as an opportunity for systemic social change and trying to break social consent for the hegemonic bloc. Their strategies for influencing and steering governance, however, are limited as a result of structural constraints. This demonstrates the hegemonic position of states and the fossil fuel industry.Show less
It is widely recognized that the climate is changing. Research is now done on the effects of climate change on human security. There is controversy about the relation between climate change and...Show moreIt is widely recognized that the climate is changing. Research is now done on the effects of climate change on human security. There is controversy about the relation between climate change and violent conflict. Supporters of the relation argue that climate change can cause violent conflict through resource scarcity and migration, but others argue that there is too much disagreement between studies to draw strong conclusions. This thesis examined the relation between climate change and violent conflict within Sub-Saharan Africa and bridged the gap between qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative research showed that violent conflict is a complex phenomenon, that cannot be explained through one cause. The legacy of colonialism, ethnicity, neopatrimonialism and resources have all been identified as causes of violent conflict in Africa. The quantitative research showed a relation between the climatic variables and violent conflict. Lower levels of precipitation and higher levels of temperature were related to violent conflict in the continent. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on violent conflict was mediated by government effectiveness. It was concluded that climate change can indeed cause violent conflict, but never as a sole-cause. It is a threat multiplier, because it exacerbates the already existing causes to violent conflict, and therefore human security.Show less
With a fast changing climate, it is important that the biggest economies are involved in altering climate change. China is the second largest economy and the biggest emitter of green house gasses,...Show moreWith a fast changing climate, it is important that the biggest economies are involved in altering climate change. China is the second largest economy and the biggest emitter of green house gasses, and therefor of utter importance in the fight against climate change. But the question is, is China indeed taking its responsibility?Show less
Climate change is becoming an increasingly important topic on the international stage and is one of today’s top priorities on the global agenda. Indonesia is of importance in any discussion about...Show moreClimate change is becoming an increasingly important topic on the international stage and is one of today’s top priorities on the global agenda. Indonesia is of importance in any discussion about climate change because of two reasons: (1) Indonesia is a country extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and (2) Indonesia contributes significantly to the problems of climate change. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that the Indonesian government has played an important role in the international debate on climate change. This thesis analyzes Indonesia’s contribution in the movement towards international cooperation to combat climate change.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
open access
This thesis examines how governments legitimate and justify climate change policies. It focuses on the dissonant nature of the Australian climate change policy regime since 1987, and in particular...Show moreThis thesis examines how governments legitimate and justify climate change policies. It focuses on the dissonant nature of the Australian climate change policy regime since 1987, and in particular it looks at how successive administrations have legitimated policies which range from ignorance, to acceptance, to outright denial of climate change. In order to achieve this goal, government discourse from 1987–2014 is parsed and analysed according to a predetermined schema. The dominant, marginalised, and challenging discursive fields are studied, and specific attention is paid to how these narratives change in light of certain stimuli (such as economic recessions or natural disasters). It is revealed that traditional, neo-liberal economic narratives have been hegemonic, and thus used overwhelmingly both to legitimate and resist climate change policy regimes. Scientific and ethical considerations have played smaller but still significant roles in justifying and criticising policy regimes. Notably, the actual and predicted effects of climate change are largely absent from the government discourse. As a result, this thesis adds to the existing literature by providing a complete and coherent study of how the justification of Australian climate change policy has varied over the past three decades, shedding light on the dissonant nature of the Australian climate change policy regimes, and raising concerns about the focus of the climate change discussions espoused by the government.Show less
