Climate change, national politics and grassroots action: an introduction

Abstract

There is considerable cross-national variation in the patterns of adoption and implementation of policies designed to mitigate climate change. The sources of this variation are considered. International relations, economic structures, national cultures and domestic political competition are factors, often in interaction one with another. In situations of multilevel governance, sub-national actors may be significant. Grassroots activism from without the formal political process has sometimes been critical in sharpening the focus of formal political actors, and increasing their willingness to act. Climate change is a global issue, but the political action necessary to address it is inevitably local and national as well as international.

Sustainable Varieties of Capitalism? The Greening of Steel Work in Brazil and Germany

“…These studies elaborate on established findings, which identify an association between the strength of environmental activism and the level of national economic and political development (Dalton, 2005), and demonstrate how high levels of support for welfare and social democracy (as found in CMEs) is associated with strong environmental protection (e.g. Krönig, 2010;Rootes et al, 2012). Thus, the CME context within which SteelCo-Germany is located facilitates and perpetuates the development and implementation of a high value-added strategy, based on technological innovation and a highly skilled workforce involved in continuous improvement activity, in conjunction with the firm's sophisticated environmental agenda.…”

“…The original VoC model did not refer explicitly to environmental issues, but a growing body of literature points to a correlation between the institutional frameworks of CMEs and strong environmentalism (e.g. Rootes et al, 2012;Poloni-Staudinger, 2008;Dalton, 2005). These studies elaborate on established findings, which identify an association between the strength of environmental activism and the level of national economic and political development (Dalton, 2005), and demonstrate how high levels of support for welfare and social democracy (as found in CMEs) is associated with strong environmental protection (e.g.…”

“…The cultivation of strong environmental movements within CME institutional frameworks, makes the emergence of pioneering green technology predictable (e.g. Rootes et al, 2012). At the German plant, the long-term vision (of which workers are part and contribute directly e.g.…”

Pathways to policy: Partisanship and bipartisanship in renewable energy legislation

“…Although there are important health and environmental benefits associated with the transition to energy systems toward greater reliance on renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE), opposition to such policies has emerged in many countries and has resulted in an uneven pattern of policy development (Rootes et al 2012). Opponents voice concerns about the threat to jobs in fossil-fuel industries, the high cost of renewable energy, and the technical problems of managing an electricity grid based on intermittent energy sources.…”

“…Much of the REEE policy-adoption literature can be summarized in terms of the 'three Is' of ideology, interests, and institutions (Rootes et al 2012). With respect to ideology, passage of REEE laws is often related to control of a legislature by a left/progressive party and to general measures of political preference for left/progressive ideology or parties (e.g., Yi andFeiock 2012, Matisoff andEdwards 2014).…”