Organising Responses to Climate Change
The Politics of Mitigation, Adaptation and Suffering

This book examines the responses of corporations and communities to the key challenges of climate change: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering.

Daniel Nyberg (Author), Christopher Wright (Author), Vanessa Bowden (Author)

9781009266949, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 September 2022

215 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2 cm, 0.52 kg

'From sophisticated political analyses to a compassionate and courageous expose of the politics of climate suffering, this beautifully written book hits the mark on the key climate questions of the day.' Kari Norgaard, Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies, University of Oregon

Climate change is the most important issue now facing humanity. As global temperatures increase, floods, fires and storms are becoming both more intense and frequent. People are suffering. And yet, emissions continue to rise. This book unpacks the activities of the key actors which have organised past and present climate responses – specifically, corporations, governments, and civil society organisations. Analysing three elements of climate change – mitigation, adaptation and suffering – the authors show how exponential growth of the capitalist system has allowed the fossil fuel industry to maintain its dominance. However, this hegemonic position is now coming under threat as new and innovative social movements have emerged, including the fossil fuel divestment movement, Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion and others. In exposing the inadequacies of current climate policies and pointing to the possibilities of new social and economic systems, this book highlights how the worst impacts of climate change can be avoided.

Part I. The Politics of Climate Change
1. Organising climate change
2. The hegemony of corporate capitalism
Part II. The Politics of Climate Mitigation
3. Fossil fuel hegemony, green business and growth
4. Challenging fossil fuel expansion
Part III. The Politics of Climate Adaptation
5. Climate adaptation and the maintenance of corporate hegemony
6. Now is not the time: the social construction of adaptation
Part IV. The Politics of Climate Suffering
7. The spectacle of suffering
8. Solidarity and agency in climate suffering
Part V. The Politics of Climate Futures
9. Decarbonisation, degrowth and democracy
10. After the interregnum.

Subject Areas: Business ethics & social responsibility [KJG]