Whose system, what change? A critical political economy approach to the UK climate movement

Bibliographic Data

ID5115516
AuthorsOscar Berglund (0000-0003-0068-8194, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, corresponding author), David J Bailey (0000-0001-5132-2606, University of Birmingham), David Bailey (0000-0002-1956-0556, University of Birmingham)
Year2023
Volume32
Issue6
Pages1012-1032
Publication date2023-09-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0964-4016 • E-ISSN: 1743-8934
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09644016.2022.2156179
OpenAlexW4313405090
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited27

Demands of system change are common in the climate movement but there is little agreement on what this entails or how it might be achieved. This has contributed to discord and division between seemingly allied positions, each seeking to address the climate crisis through alternative strategies for change. We argue that these strategic differences also reflect, and for that reason can be better understood in terms of, alternative stances towards capitalism. Adopting a critical political economy approach, we assess a number of these debates and divisions as they have played out in the UK environmentalist movement. We highlight both the connections between alternative strategic positions within these debates and the broader stances towards capitalism that underpin them, and offer a critical evaluation of their likely limitations. In doing so, we identify potential points of overlap and cooperation between those holding seemingly contrasting positions in ongoing debates within climate politics

Capitalism · Climate change · Political economy · Political economy of climate change · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Climate Change and Geoengineering · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance

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