Ctrl + Alt + Delete Policy: Climate Policy Dismantling, Activism and Power

Abstract

The removal and neglect of climate policies - a process known as climate policy dismantling (CPD) - both nationally and internationally, is a growing field of critical climate research that has significant implications for long-term climate adaptation globally. Climate activists on social media have the potential to be both influential and representative of wider CPD discourse, and so provide an interesting point of analysis. This paper, therefore, critically discusses CPD discourse amongst climate activist groups on social media with a theoretical lens of power. The research focuses on two key time frames within climate policy. The United Kingdom (UK) from 2022-2024, when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister (PM), and the United States (US) between 2017- 2025 under Donald Trump’s first and second terms as president, respectively. 900 posts from climate activist groups on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) within these time frames were analysed using multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) and coding to identify generalisable findings across the two cases and, in so doing, indicate broader CPD discourse trends. The posts coded were analysed in terms of their actors, actions, intention, salience, space, language and legitimisation. Specific patterns and trends materialised when comparing the most significant (>10%) emergent codes in these categories. These findings indicate, first, the tendency of the discourse to sensationalise specific actors and events in place of discussing actual policy changes and their impacts. Second, the research highlights the complete absence of ‘climate policy dismantling’ as a shared, existing or universal term within public climate discourse. And third, a consistent, overwhelming use of warlike framings of CPD throughout the discourse. So prevalent is the latter finding that four key recommendations regarding warlike metaphors based on this study are offered. In relation to the way power manifests within CPD climate activism discourse on social media, invisible and hidden forms of power were lacking, reinforcing simplified narratives and overlooking systemic dismantling processes. Furthermore, in relation to the use of warlike metaphors, the discourse can be understood through a model of spaces of power within the discursive battle against CPD on social media. Overall, the findings highlight a need for greater research and discussion on CPD generally in both public and political circles.

Popular Abstract

In the current age of policy, local and national governments have hundreds of policies which relate to climate change. There are, of course, larger global policies such as the Paris Climate Agreement, but there are also local policies which a city may introduce, such as a recycling policy. This maze of policies creates ample political opportunity for those who seek to undermine positive climate change efforts. One strategy these political actors use is ‘climate policy dismantling’ (CPD) in which, through a variety of strategies, they repeal or push aside climate initiatives installed in policy. A key feature of CPD is its ambiguity; whilst there are clear instances of CPD, for example, when the United States withdrew from the Paris Climate agreement, there are many other ways a policy can be dismantled. It can for example, be neglected, or undermined by the signing of a new policy which has more legal power. CPD happens all the time, undermining climate change adaptation efforts, and this in itself warrants more attention than it has received in the past. But, to promote more discussions on CPD, it is important to understand just how CPD is currently discussed; this paper focuses on understanding just this.

This paper reviewed 900 social media posts on Instagram and X posted by climate activist groups across the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK); looking specifically at the governmental terms of Donald Trump and Rishi Sunak. In doing so, it wanted to understand how climate activists talk about CPD. Three key talking points were found.

First, CPD is most often mentioned when it comes to well-known climate policies or when it is done by globally recognised figureheads. In this case, CPD was most discussed alongside visual and textual descriptions of both Trump and Sunak, as well as in regard to CPD instances which made many headlines, such as the Rosebank Oil licences in the UK and the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in the US. This shows that when CPD is discussed in general culture, it is limited to these sensationalised cases, and lacks focus on CPD which takes place in much more subtle ways; but attention must be given to both as damage can be done everywhere.

Second, not a single post used the phrase “climate policy dismantling” specifically. Maybe these posts don’t need to be so literal, but even when CPD moments were discussed, they were never tied to this larger phenomenon. This makes it hard to talk about in more general terms, in all sorts of cultural and political discussions. Talking about CPD cases in isolation, can hide the strategic tools politicians and officials recurrently use to go about dismantling policy. Since this paper views climate activist groups, we can infer that their goal in talking about CPD cases is to inspire action across the general population; just acknowledging CPD as a larger phenomenon is one way to positively promote action.

Third, and finally, this paper finds that the use of the ‘war metaphor’ was overwhelmingly present in the text. This means that many posts used words like ‘join the fight’, ‘surrender’, ‘protect’, ‘trample’, and ‘hit’ (amongst many others) when talking about CPD cases. This is most interesting when understanding that the posts described climate policy as a battlefield. Climate activists on one side, and ‘anti-climate’ politicians such as Trump and Sunak on the other. CPD in this case, is a tool the ‘enemy’ uses to undermine the efforts of the ‘‘protectors and defenders of nature’. It's a stark metaphor, one that has many moral ideas attached. It is also a metaphor that simplifies climate policy into an ‘Us vs. Them’. This also shows us how ‘power’ is a central topic to understanding CPD; policy dismantling is a show of power, one that activists want to prevent.

With all this in mind, this paper is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to discussing climate policy; however, it can provide some useful and interesting starting points to this very under-researched topic. If there is one key takeaway from the research, it’s that we can only begin to overcome climate policy dismantling when we start to discuss it.

• author: Rothwell Guerra, Megan Cristina and Barwick, Carla Rosalie
• supervisor: Misse Wester
• organization: Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
• course: VBRM15 20251
• year: 2025
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: Climate policy dismantling, climate activism, social media discourse, multimodal critical discourse analysis, power, war-like metaphors
• language: English
• id: 9195397
• date added to LUP: 2025-06-09 15:26:24
• date last changed: 2025-06-09 15:26:24