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This paper examines how global climate mitigation policies articulate with urban political–ecological transformations. It focuses on South African waste-to-value projects as case studies, exploring how local processes of urban ecological modernization combine with global climate finance through the now largely defunct Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Whilst it is generally recognized that waste-related CDM projects in South Africa (and elsewhere) have been an unmitigated failure in terms of climate and socio-economic benefits, we demonstrate that landfill-to-gas/energy projects have functioned effectively as geographical–discursive dispositifs through which particular knowledge systems are enrolled, specific 'solutions' are projected, and singular imaginaries of what is possible and desirable foregrounded, thereby crowding out alternative possibilities. This not only nurtures the commodification and marketization of non-human matter with an eye towards sustaining capital accumulation but, rather more importantly, successfully installs state-orchestrated private property relations around common resources, thereby deepening the dispossessing socio-ecological relations upon which expanded capitalist reproduction rests. We argue that whilst the formal outcome of the CDM is a failure, its success resides precisely in how it permitted local and global elites to create administrative and regulatory practices that solidify and naturalize a neoliberal market-based framework to approach the climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populism is often characterized as a rejection of scientific expertise and a key obstacle to societies' ability to address the climate crisis today. I challenge this account, arguing for a more inclusive conception of populism and a more critical account of expertise. Consistent with this, I delineate a range of responses to the challenges of climate politics in populist times. In doing so, I have two primary aims: first, to highlight limitations of "anti-populist" responses among proponents of climate change action, and, second, to lean into populist criticisms of elite expertise, by delineating how some challenges to dominant forms of science and elite power are themselves expert knowledge and integral to promising movements that address climate change. This can allow expertise to be distinguished from elitism and to be recognized in caring relations to the subjects of knowledge. Here, expertise is not manifest as separation from the common world, but as immersion in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effectiveness of two low-cost and easy-to-implement activities (a brief talk and a case discussion) in engendering interest and awareness toward climate action in a typical Principles of Marketing course. Our findings indicate that, consistent with existing research, women are more likely to be concerned about climate change and more willing to contribute to its mitigation. We found that the talk alone had limited effects, only increasing the likelihood of students reporting the importance of climate change education in their business degree and marketing classes. However, the combined approach of talk and case discussion had a more far-reaching impact, as students reported, for example, a higher willingness to donate, volunteer, and change behavior. These results suggest that even a limited and easily applied intervention can have positive effects on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people around the world are creating their own spaces, strategies, and politics for climate action. In this article we explore the everyday informal politics of climate activism by youth from Aotearoa New Zealand's largest city (Auckland). We examine how young people, frustrated by the lack of global and domestic political inertia, are operationalizing their concerns about climate change into actions in their daily lives directed at mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions. Through a relational qualitative approach, we document the contradictory standing of youth, specifically as agentic actors and environmental citizens, who are aware of and seeking climate action through multiple modes of action including protesting, eco-consuming, influencing others, and eco-caring work. Our youth participants reported how their participation in various forms of climate activism helped to reduce their eco-anxiety and made them more hopeful about their collective abilities to address climate change. Our participants highlighted a hopeful view that their small-scale individual actions will collectively add up to large-scale changes at a systemic level. However, they were highly aware of and critical of state and corporate actors attempts to shift responsibility for taking actions to mitigate climate change onto individuals. Rather than situating themselves solely as eco-consumers engaging in eco-friendly purchasing practices, our youth participants narrated their sometimes contradictory climate actions (protesting, buy-cotting or boycotting, changing how they used goods, and services) as acts of resistance against the socio-economic status quo (high-carbon, neoliberal, and capitalist) that could act as trigger points for wider change. In this article we identify the various methods by which young people are participating in daily climate politics and demonstrating their agency, which are evident in their diverse pro-environmental-oriented and climate mitigation actions; all of which is evidence of how youth are seeking to be good climate citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals on clean and responsible energy consumption, climate change mitigation, and sustainable economic growth (UN-SDGs-7, 11–13), this study examines institutional quality (IQ)–carbon emissions nexus in the framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Six dimensions of IQ from the World Governance Indicators (WGIs) were used while focusing on Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries between 1996 and 2019. After controlling for growth, energy use, and industrialization levels, the empirical results validated the EKC hypothesis for the SSA as a unit increase in economic growth initially worsens the environment while further economic expansion eventually improves the environment. However, mixed results were obtained on the effects of IQ indicators. CO2 emissions are only substantially reduced by corruption control, regulatory quality, and the rule of law among other IQ measures. Furthermore, the causality analysis showed a unidirectional causality between growth and environmentally detrimental energy consumption levels coupled with a two-way emission-population growth causality flow as well as a two-way emissions—IQ causality channel. While economic growth, energy use, and industrialization levels undermine environmental sustainability in the SSA region via increased carbon emissions, the overall findings signal the moderating roles of IQ. Hence, the strengthening of institutions is recommended for environmental sustainability enhancement in the SSA region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is stepping forward to a carbon-neutral economic system in response to the rising issues caused by climate change. Fossil fuel combustion is the primary source of increased carbon emissions, energy mix adjustment is critical to climate change mitigation and the carbon neutrality goal. This study investigates the different responses to energy sources' economic growth and environmental sustainability using balanced panel data from 34 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries during 1995–2019. This study uses oil, natural gas, and renewable energy to represent traditional, emerging alternative fossil, and green energy sources, respectively. Results show that renewable energy, oil, and natural gas all impose impacts on economic growth, however, renewable energy contributes more than oil and natural gas. Furthermore, there is a significant inverse relationship between the amount of renewable energy produced and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While both natural gas and oil have a positive effect on CO2 emissions, the effect of natural gas is much smaller than that of oil. Furthermore, the causality investigation reveals that renewable energy, oil, and natural gas all show impacts on carbon emissions but do not contribute to economic growth. These findings suggest that increasing investment in renewable energy, with natural gas playing the role of a transitional replacement for oil, will contribute to the "carbon neutrality" process of these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor winter sports sit on the frontlines of climate change, with athletes subject to increasingly unsafe, unfair and non-ideal competition and training conditions as a result. With athletes' livelihoods and the future of winter sports on the line, this research investigates if and how winter athletes use their position as public figures, celebrities and role models to challenge the hegemonic structures in sports and society driving climate change. Framed through the broad athlete-activism literature, this study used a qualitative survey of 390 elite winter-sport athletes and coaches combined with eight key stakeholder interviews to understand athlete climate activism. Results demonstrate that winter athletes' climate action is generally low risk constituting advocacy rather than activism. Athletes express fear of being called out as hypocritical for their high-carbon sport and lifestyle, insecurity over their level of climate education and frustration with the lack of climate action from international- and national-level winter-sport organizations. Scholarly, grassroots and sport-based activism may help athletes engage more effectively in climate activism within and beyond sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passing on of key elderly members of communities is presenting new challenges on the well-being of the natural environment as their disappearance signifies the end of Indigenous Knowledge that had protected the ecological environment. Using 60 in-depth interviews situated in 2 rural settlements in the Shamva District of Zimbabwe, complemented by documents on climate change literature, the article demonstrates that the dying of elderly community members is contributing to climate change. With unprecedented levels of migration globally in the absence of Indigenous Knowledge transfer, the continued survival of this important body of knowledge is seriously threatened and this is also greatly contributing to climate change. An end to the free-market economy has been proposed as a solution to address the global problem of climate change. However, the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge into the education curriculum, including its digitalisation, may go a long way in climate change adaptation and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent trade tensions have posed unprecedented challenges on economic activities, geographical distribution and future human existence. These trade tensions have accentuated the issues of investment and climate change. The article applies CGE modelling to assess the impact of trade policy shocks on sectors contributing to high carbon emissions. The study recognizes the role of trade as a facilitator for promoting investment in renewable sectors. Additionally, the study proposes a framework for boosting investment in climate change mitigation. This research advocates the need for synchronization between trade and investment policies and calls for pre-emptive actions for integrated comprehensive and holistic actions from institutions and governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapidly expanding number of companies have pledged to contribute towards the Paris Agreement's goal by establishing 2050 net-zero emissions targets. However, the literature lacks an in-depth analysis of firms' strategies to reach those targets and their underlying assumptions. Scholars increasingly use time and space as functional constructs to theorise what motivates different business responses to climate change. Organisational boundaries represent an additional critical dimension when analysing companies' climate actions. Hence, we adopted a novel tri-dimensional framework (time, sense of place, and organisational boundaries) to analyse the link between the targets companies set and their proposed decarbonisation strategies. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of self-reported and tertiary data from 45 European manufacturing companies rated as leaders in climate action. By investigating how time, sense of place, and organisational boundaries substantiate companies' decarbonisation strategies' present and possible future impact, we delineate how different approaches to the three dimensions enable or constrain the comprehensives of net-zero strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little consideration has been given to the process of technological change in political theory. Given that ideas about this process play an important role in many strands of normative political thought, and are especially crucial to climate change politics, this is a remarkable oversight. It risks political theory being irrelevant to climate change mitigation. The implications of this oversight for political theory are explored here through an analysis of the liberalism-ecologism debate. The article argues that attempts to green liberalism – to move it beyond environmentalism – cannot succeed while liberalism is silent about technological change. More broadly, given that most political theory traditions make claims about technological change, claims crucial to their worldviews and normative goals, it argues that much more theorisation of the concept is necessary. Especially now that they shape how the world understands climate change mitigation, contests over the meaning of technological change are intensely political contests. Political theory needs to get much more involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postapocalypse as a mobilising discourse for climate action operates largely out of anger over experienced and anticipated injustices as well as paradoxical hope that fuses loss and grief with freed-up solidarities in support of liveable futures. However, negotiating this emotional tension can be both draining and isolating. Here, we examine how white settler populations in Western Australia balance grief and hope in places they hold dear and the role emotions such as sadness, worry, disappointment, joy, and pride play in relational place making. Through an innovative in situ and mobile methodology we call Walking Journeys, we trace how participants navigate their climatic-affective atmospheres and make sense of their agency in changing 'Places of the Heart'. We find evidence for emotional complexities of solastalgia where pessimistic outlooks for the future are wrapped up in prefigurative visions of a better world. By holding the tension between paralysis and restoration, urban and rural residents explore affective co-existence and differential belonging in their homes and the landscapes around them. We highlight the challenge of enfranchising emotions beyond individuals and conclude by endorsing entangled, reflexive, and (re-)generative responsibilities for hopeful postapocalyptic journeying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]