Lost in (Just) Transition? The Herculean Task of ‘leaving no-one behind’ in European Climate Adaptation Policy: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the European North-South Divide

Abstract

In an era of climate emergency, considerations of justice are increasingly gaining
traction. The unequal exposure to climate vulnerabilities across the European
landscape has created a North-South gap in adaptation, which is examined through
the critical cases of Sweden and Greece. Drawing upon Manners’ (2002) Normative
Power Approach to climate justice, the research speculates the EU’s promotion of
just transitions that underpin its policymaking across the dimensions of
distributional, procedural, and recognition justice. Climate adaptation promotion
within the Union is evaluated through the European Green Deal (2019), the
Adaptation Strategy (2021), the European Pillar of Social Rights (2021) combined
with the Swedish and Greek National Adaptation Strategies. The investigation of
injustices is executed through the methodological lens of Critical Discourse
Analysis. The findings reveal normative ambiguities between the EU’s policy
ambition and its adaptation policy implementation due to the failure to
comprehensively address justice considerations within its strategic documents.
Hence, the Union’s policy discourse is ineffective in delivering a normative policy response at the supranational and member state level, as illustrated through the presence of injustices in the European North-South divide. Research on the EU’s adaptation discourse underlines the need for mainstreaming assessment indicators to deliver policy justice

• author: Ioannou Naoum, Maria
• supervisor: Ian Manners
• organization: Department of Political Science
• course: STVM23 20231
• year: 2023
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Law and Political Science
• keywords: climate justice, climate adaptation, Normative Power Europe, just transitions, North-South Divide
• language: English
• additional info: During the critical period when various just transition climate initiatives were introduced by the European Commission under the post-European Green Deal context, namely the ‘Just Transitions Mechanism’ and ‘EU’s Mission on Climate Adaptation’ in 2022, I was seconded as a Blue Book trainee for the Commission at the European Environment Agency, Europe’s knowledge hub standing at the interface between scientific assessments and policymaking. One of my main duties was contributing to research on social enablers in sustainability transitions for the upcoming publication of the State and Outlook of the Environment Report of 2025. This experience sparked my interest in the topic of justice in climate adaptation through working on research on developing indicators to measure the concept of just transitions and aligning these with EU-level and member state level adaptation policies.; As part of my work, I was in contact with national focal points and witnessed the wide differences in climate adaptation monitoring progress, and the difficulty in reaching aligned targets across European regions, which limits the climate ambitions of the European agenda. This made me speculate the extent to which the EU could develop a unified approach within its policymaking that can align with the priorities and capabilities of all member states. Additionally, I understood the importance of addressing climate vulnerabilities across countries, in order to bridge inequalities at EU and member state levels.; Having grown up in Greece but living in Sweden throughout my life has made the issue of the European North-South Divide a remarkably interesting topic for me to explore from a climate justice perspective, since I have attained a broad contextual understanding of both regions and have been problematized by the cleavages that exist within Europe. In this endeavor, I would like to thank my supervisor, Ian Manners, for his support and guidance throughout the thesis, as his undeniable knowledge and hints of humor made this an enjoyable process. Having read many of his publications throughout my Bachelor studies, it was a pleasure to work with him on this project. I would also like to thank my parents, Emi and Panos, and my brother Chris, for being my biggest supporters throughout this journey. Being guided by the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle’s famous rhetoric ‘γνώθι σαυτόν’, namely ‘know thyself’, has equipped me with the courage and self-reflection needed to believe in my ideas and successfully deliver this research synthesis.
• id: 9114419
• date added to LUP: 2023-08-27 16:26:25
• date last changed: 2023-08-27 16:26:25