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Same world, different worldviews: A comparative discourse analysis of climate change worldviews in European and African Union policies

Cavaliere, Fabio LU (2023) STVK12 20231
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Climate change has become an increasingly political matter, shaping discursive debates over the different conceptualizations of climate action. Climate policies offer a glimpse of current discursive trends. This research analyzes climate policies by the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), two Regional Organizations (RO). Both have recently published two comprehensive climate policies to guide their continent’s paths toward climate action: the EU’s Green Deal and the AU’s Climate Strategy. The documents serve as a case study for a discourse analysis. The aim is to understand what discourses do the two ROs present and through which climate change worldviews they conceptualize climate action. The importance lies in understanding... (More)
Climate change has become an increasingly political matter, shaping discursive debates over the different conceptualizations of climate action. Climate policies offer a glimpse of current discursive trends. This research analyzes climate policies by the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), two Regional Organizations (RO). Both have recently published two comprehensive climate policies to guide their continent’s paths toward climate action: the EU’s Green Deal and the AU’s Climate Strategy. The documents serve as a case study for a discourse analysis. The aim is to understand what discourses do the two ROs present and through which climate change worldviews they conceptualize climate action. The importance lies in understanding how language shapes our interpretations of real-world action. The findings indicate that climate change problems in the EU policy are conceptualized as an issue of resource misallocation, which requires economic solutions. Similar discourses are also visible in the solutions presented by the AU’s policy. However, the AU focuses more on encouraging institutional cooperation across the continent, building on principles of climate justice and social rights. Both policies also focus on the need to rethink current unsustainable economic systems, with the EU opting for circular economy solutions to reduce resource extraction. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Cavaliere, Fabio LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVK12 20231
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Climate policy, discourse analysis, European Union, African Union, climate change, worldviews
language
English
id
9115719
date added to LUP
2023-09-07 17:04:34
date last changed
2023-09-07 17:04:34
@misc{9115719,
  abstract     = {{Climate change has become an increasingly political matter, shaping discursive debates over the different conceptualizations of climate action. Climate policies offer a glimpse of current discursive trends. This research analyzes climate policies by the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), two Regional Organizations (RO). Both have recently published two comprehensive climate policies to guide their continent’s paths toward climate action: the EU’s Green Deal and the AU’s Climate Strategy. The documents serve as a case study for a discourse analysis. The aim is to understand what discourses do the two ROs present and through which climate change worldviews they conceptualize climate action. The importance lies in understanding how language shapes our interpretations of real-world action. The findings indicate that climate change problems in the EU policy are conceptualized as an issue of resource misallocation, which requires economic solutions. Similar discourses are also visible in the solutions presented by the AU’s policy. However, the AU focuses more on encouraging institutional cooperation across the continent, building on principles of climate justice and social rights. Both policies also focus on the need to rethink current unsustainable economic systems, with the EU opting for circular economy solutions to reduce resource extraction.}},
  author       = {{Cavaliere, Fabio}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Same world, different worldviews: A comparative discourse analysis of climate change worldviews in European and African Union policies}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}