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Diving into the power of the narrative: A Critical Discourse Analysis of corporate discourse on deep sea mining

Grunnet, Clara LU (2021) HEKM51 20211
Human Ecology
Abstract
Deep sea mining (DSM) is by its proponents heralded as a sustainable way to supply the renewable energy transition with the massive amount of minerals and metals it requires, while its critics fear it will be the final drop making the oceanic cup flow over into ecological disaster. While commercial DSM remains unprecedented and its consequences largely unknown, private companies are using its “green” potential to regain legitimisation long-lost by extractive industries. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of one the DSM industry’s vanguards, this paper scrutinises corporate discourses around DSM and their implications. It reveals that DSM companies can stabilise an extractive hegemony, firstly by co-opting the language of their critics... (More)
Deep sea mining (DSM) is by its proponents heralded as a sustainable way to supply the renewable energy transition with the massive amount of minerals and metals it requires, while its critics fear it will be the final drop making the oceanic cup flow over into ecological disaster. While commercial DSM remains unprecedented and its consequences largely unknown, private companies are using its “green” potential to regain legitimisation long-lost by extractive industries. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of one the DSM industry’s vanguards, this paper scrutinises corporate discourses around DSM and their implications. It reveals that DSM companies can stabilise an extractive hegemony, firstly by co-opting the language of their critics which disarms resistance, secondly by making concessions which portray companies as responsible stewards of our common resources, and lastly by positioning DSM as a prerequisite for climate change mitigation. With the potential of these discourses to influence regulation, mobilise capital and persuade local communities, this thesis shows how corporate DSM discourse can contribute to the construction of a resource frontier in the deep sea. It further emphasises the importance of investigating corporate discourses in questions of environmental governance, and examining the nature and extent of their power in the debate of climate mitigation policies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Grunnet, Clara LU
supervisor
organization
course
HEKM51 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Political ecology, deep sea mining, corporate discourse, renewable energy, legitimisation, extractive hegemony, Critical Discourse Analysis
language
English
id
9044286
date added to LUP
2021-06-28 12:33:30
date last changed
2021-06-28 12:33:30
@misc{9044286,
  abstract     = {{Deep sea mining (DSM) is by its proponents heralded as a sustainable way to supply the renewable energy transition with the massive amount of minerals and metals it requires, while its critics fear it will be the final drop making the oceanic cup flow over into ecological disaster. While commercial DSM remains unprecedented and its consequences largely unknown, private companies are using its “green” potential to regain legitimisation long-lost by extractive industries. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of one the DSM industry’s vanguards, this paper scrutinises corporate discourses around DSM and their implications. It reveals that DSM companies can stabilise an extractive hegemony, firstly by co-opting the language of their critics which disarms resistance, secondly by making concessions which portray companies as responsible stewards of our common resources, and lastly by positioning DSM as a prerequisite for climate change mitigation. With the potential of these discourses to influence regulation, mobilise capital and persuade local communities, this thesis shows how corporate DSM discourse can contribute to the construction of a resource frontier in the deep sea. It further emphasises the importance of investigating corporate discourses in questions of environmental governance, and examining the nature and extent of their power in the debate of climate mitigation policies.}},
  author       = {{Grunnet, Clara}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Diving into the power of the narrative: A Critical Discourse Analysis of corporate discourse on deep sea mining}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}