How hegemonic discourses of sustainability influence urban climate action

Abstract

Sustainability discourses influence the practices of urban climate action by establishing objectives and ways of doing things. Key concepts such as 'risk', 'resilience' and 'efficiency' have been central in the history of sustainability discourses, but their influence has changed over time. The use of these terms is analysed in policy narratives of urban climate action, exploring how they are deployed in policy and practice. A document database (n = 463) was analysed to show how the terms have evolved from their application in specific contexts to a more open interpretation in which different forms of environmental action are linked to development. Interviews with practitioners (n = 100) were analysed to reveal the influence of these narratives and how they organise action in urban environments. Three tensions emerge from the mobilisations of hegemonic discourses in practice: the contradiction between facilitating harmonised approaches across locations while at the same time scaling up action; the contradiction between implementing action in place and providing frameworks of action that can be evaluated at the global scale; and the challenge between identifying sources of leadership and accepting the increasing importance of multiple actors in local climate action. These tensions open opportunities to disrupt climate change adaptation discourses.