Search

Since 2018, climate mobilizations have been shaping political life in Europe. Young people are at the heart of this mobilization, both because of their massive nationwide presence in intergenerational demonstrations, but also because of their own modes of action, such as the climate strikes that have been emerging since January 2019. Within these mobilizations, forms of radicalism are expressed through an important support for civil disobedience, such as blocking actions, as well as support – for a significant part of protestors – for material damage. This paper analyzes the new forms of youth radicalism in their link to the social determinations of the awareness of the climate catastrophe. Based on a demonstration survey concerning three French cities for the strike of March 15, 2019, and in Paris for the strike of September 20th, which collected more than 1,800 questionnaires, this paper sets out to show the sociological profiles of radical individuals, which distinguish themselves by significant cultural capital and left-wing familial political socialization. The exploitation of the data collected shows that these new forms of radicalism are conditioned by an awareness of the climate emergency, deeply linked to family legacies and specific academic curricula. The radicalization of inherited dispositions leads these individuals to go beyond the legality/illegality framework, and to favor a debate on the effectiveness of the means of action, in which the link with conventional democratic participation is constantly questioned.

A substantial literature explains the adoption of climate change acts and their impact on climate policy once adopted. In contrast, we know very little about the processes leading to the non-adoption of climate change acts and the subsequent consequences for climate policymaking. This contribution aims at filling this gap by analysing the non-adoption of the Belgian bill for a climate change law. Proposed in February 2019, the Belgian bill for a climate change law was debated but then rejected very soon after, at the end of March 2019. Taking the non-adoption of the Belgian bill on climate change as an enlightening case study, this contribution investigates the impact of climate change act non-adoption on climate policies by: (i) questioning how climate change acts are drafted, and the role of academic experts for such a task in a context of climate emergency; (ii) analysing the reception and discussion of the bill on climate action, including within civil society; and (iii) tracing the follow-up actions undertaken in the wake of the bill���s non-adoption. The research relies on documentary analysis (climate change act drafts and final text, parliamentary discussions, non-governmental organizations��� archives), interviews with key actors and an exploratory questionnaire with climate activists. Although it was not adopted, we argue that the climate change act project has opened new opportunities to rethink expertise and climate mobilization in Belgium. Key Policy InsightsEven when climate change bills fail, they can still have important political or policy effects in the future by raising awareness for the impacts of climate change.When proposing new laws, academic experts should be well informed about the timing and conditions of the political agenda.Consultations with civil society on climate change law projects would increase public awareness and pressure for adoption.Including other important societal causes related to social, economic, decolonial and gender issues, would be key to broadening the impact of the climate movement. Even when climate change bills fail, they can still have important political or policy effects in the future by raising awareness for the impacts of climate change. When proposing new laws, academic experts should be well informed about the timing and conditions of the political agenda. Consultations with civil society on climate change law projects would increase public awareness and pressure for adoption. Including other important societal causes related to social, economic, decolonial and gender issues, would be key to broadening the impact of the climate movement.

International audience; L’Assemblée des assemblées constitue une tentative unique de coordination des Gilets jaunes à l’échelle du pays. Cette forme d’organisation tient largement à l’orientation politique et aux milieux sociaux des militants qui ont animé cette fraction du mouvement. Au fil des mois, sa structuration progressive montre l’importance de la démocratie directe mais aussi des efforts d’indépendance, d’autonomie et de structuration qui vont bien au-delà des assemblées locales et des mobilisations sur les ronds-points – auxquelles on réduit trop souvent ce mouvement.

This article proposes to analyze the judgement of climate movement activists on the Yellow vests based on the results of questionnaire surveys carried out by the Quantité critique collective. It highlights the fact that the perception of the Yellow vests is structured by age and social class. The often positive judgments of minorities from working-class groups, and those of civil servants from education and culture, are opposed to the indifference and hostility of engineers and technicians from the private sector. The article also shows that these social divisions tend to be blurred within the most mobilized groups of protesters in the environmental movement.; L’article propose d’analyser le jugement des militants du mouvement pour le climat sur les Gilets jaunes à partir des résultats des enquêtes par questionnaire menées par le collectif Quantité critique. Il met en évidence le fait que le regard sur les Gilets jaunes est structuré par l’âge et la classe sociale. Les jugements souvent positifs des minorités issues des groupes populaires, et ceux des fonctionnaires de l’éducation et de la culture, s’opposent à l’indifférence et l’hostilité des ingénieurs et techniciens du privé. L’article démontre également que ces divisions sociales tendent à s’estomper au sein des groupes de manifestants les plus mobilisés dans le mouvement écologiste.