The Public Spheres of Climate Change Advocacy Networks

333 Pages·2012·2.88 MB·English

by  Christian Holz

Holz, Christian (2012) The public spheres of climate change advocacy
networks: an ethnography of Climate Action Network International
within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC). PhD thesis

http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3696/

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The
 Public
 Spheres
 of

Climate
 Change
 Advocacy
 Networks

An
 Ethnography
 of
 Climate

Action
 Network
 International
 Within

the
 United
 Nations
 Framework
 Convention

on
 Climate
 Change
 (UNFCCC)

Christian
 Holz

B.A.
 M.Phil.

Submitted
 in
 fulfilment
 of
 the
 requirements
 for
 the
 degree
 of

Doctor
 of
 Philosophy

School
 of
 Social
 and
 Political
 Sciences

College
 of
 Social
 Sciences

University
 of
 Glasgow

June
 2012
2

  For
 R
 and
 E
3

Abstract

Climate
 change
 is
 the
 most
 important
 issue
 of
 our
 time
 due
 to
 its
 potential
 to
 very

seriously
 disrupt
 the
 life
 sustaining
 systems
 of
 planet
 Earth
 as
 well
 as
 its
 intersec-­‐
tions
 with
 other
 important
 challenges
 facing
 humanity.
 The
 United
 Nations
 Frame-­‐
work
 Convention
 on
 Climate
 Change
 is
 the
 key
 platform
 upon
 which
 the
 political

process
 of
 international
 climate
 change
 politics
 takes
 place.
 The
 aim
 of
 this
 work
 is
 to

produce
 an
 analysis
 of
 the
 role
 of
 transnational
 climate
 change
 advocacy
 networks
 in

this
 political
 process
 and
 their
 internal
 power
 dynamics
 and
 thus
 contributing
 to
 the

understanding
 of
 a
 crucial
 aspect
 of
 this
 political
 process.

To
 advance
 this
 aim,
 this
 thesis
 engages
 with
 two
 objectives.
 First,
 a
 detailed

ethnography
  is
  developed
  which
  serves
  to
  illustrate
  the
  political
  work
  of
  the

environmental
 advocacy
 NGOs
 involved
 within
 this
 process,
 especially
 those
 that
 are

members
 of
 Climate
 Action
 Network
 International
 (CAN-­‐I).
 This
 approach
 is
 suitable

to
 uncover
 the
 internal
 dynamics
 and
 structures
 of
 that
 NGO
 network
 as
 well
 as
 its

complex
 and
 multi-­‐layered
 relationships
 within
 the
 larger
 political
 configuration
 of

the
 UNFCCC
 treaty
 process.
 Secondly,
 the
 investigation
 is
 advanced
 by
 analysing
 this

ethnography
 through
 the
 lens
 of
 a
 critical
 theory
 of
 the
 public
 sphere.
 In
 particular,

this
 analysis
 features
 more
 contemporary
 conceptualisations
 of
 the
 public
 sphere

which
 stress
 the
 multiplicity
 of
 the
 public
 sphere
 concept
 including
 notions
 such
 as

internal
 and
 external
 public
 spheres,
 counterpublics,
 and
 nested
 public
 spheres.

Owing
 to
 this
 research
 design,
 the
 thesis
 has
 a
 degree
 of
 hybridity:
 it
 is
 expressly

both
 an
 empirical
 thesis,
 with
 strong
 empirical
 flavour
 imparted
 by
 the
 focus
 on
 the

detailed
  ethnographic
  account,
  as
  well
  a
  theoretical
  thesis
  offering
  an
  original

contribution
 that
 is
 advanced
 throughout
 the
 thesis.
 The
 main
 theoretical
 thesis
 and

contribution
 is
 that
 the
 theory
 of
 the
 public
 sphere
 is
 appropriate
 to
 analyse
 the

political
 practice
 of
 civil
 society
 engagement
 on
 a
 transnational
 level
 if
 it
 is
 further

developed
 to
 allow
 for
 greater
 degree
 of
 multiplicity
 and
 a
 broader
 conceptualisation

of
 the
 notions
 of
 the
 “centre
 of
 authority”
 and
 the
 translation
 of
 the
 public
 opinion.

Keywords:

  public
 sphere,
 climate
 change,
 ethnography,
 global
 civil
 society,
 UNFCCC,

transnational
 public
 sphere
4

Table
 of
 Contents

Abstract

 .........................................................................................................................................
 3

Lists
 of
 Tables
 and
 Figures
 ......................................................................................................
 7

Acknowledgements
 ....................................................................................................................
 8

Author’s
 Declaration
 ..................................................................................................................
 9

Chapter
 1
 Introduction
 ..........................................................................................................
 10

Chapter
 2
 Literature
 Review:
 Global
 Civil
 Society
 and
 the
 Public
 Sphere
 ............
 21

2.1
  Globalisation
 ..................................................................................................................................
 22

2.2
  Global
 Civil
 Society
 .........................................................................................................................
 27

2.2.1
  Historical
 Roots
 of
 the
 Concept
 of
 Civil
 Society
 ...............................................................................
 27

2.2.2
  Extension
 of
 Domestic
 Civil
 Society
 or
 Something
 New?
 ................................................................
 30

2.2.3
  Keane’s
 Definition
 of
 Global
 Civil
 Society
 ........................................................................................
 33

2.2.4
  A
 Critique
 of
 Keane’s
 View
 of
 Global
 Civil
 Society
 ...........................................................................
 37

2.2.5
  Is
 Economic
 Activity
 Part
 of
 Civil
 Society?
 .......................................................................................
 40

2.3
  Social
 Movements
 ..........................................................................................................................
 49

2.4
  Public
 Sphere
 .................................................................................................................................
 54

2.4.1
  Habermas
 and
 the
 Public
 Sphere
 ....................................................................................................
 55

2.4.2
  Re-­‐Thinking
 the
 Public
 Sphere:

 Fraser’s
 Critique
 of
 the
 Masculinist
 Bourgeois
 Public
 ..................
 59

2.4.3
  On
 Counter-­‐Publics
 and
 Nested
 Public
 Spheres
 –
 Conceptualising

Multiplicity
 in
 the
 Public
 Sphere
 .....................................................................................................
 67

2.4.4
  Re-­‐Thinking
 the
 Public
 Sphere
 Yet
 Again
 –
 Transnationalisation
 ....................................................
 71

2.5
  Climate
 Action
 Network
 in
 the
 Literature
 .......................................................................................
 77

2.6
  Conclusions
 ....................................................................................................................................
 81

Chapter
 3
 Methodology,
 Research
 Design
 and

Preliminary
 Theoretical
 Model
 ......................................................................
 85

3.1
  Research
 Aims,
 Objectives
 and
 Ethnography
 ..................................................................................
 86

3.2
  Scope
 of
 fieldwork
 .........................................................................................................................
 88

3.3
  Access
 to
 the
 Field
 .........................................................................................................................
 91

3.4
  Fieldwork
 Settings
 ..........................................................................................................................
 94

3.4.1
  In-­‐Session
 Setting
 ............................................................................................................................
 95

3.4.2
  Virtual
 Setting
 ..................................................................................................................................
 98

3.4.3
  Hybrid
 setting
 ................................................................................................................................
 100
Table
 of
 Contents

  5

3.5
  Growing
 Involvement
 –
 “Going
 Native”
 vs.
 “Being”
 Native
 ...........................................................
 101

3.6
  “Learning
 the
 Language”
 ..............................................................................................................
 108

3.7
  Ethics
 ...........................................................................................................................................
 110

3.8
  Data
 Analysis
 and
 Presentation
 of
 Preliminary
 Theoretical
 Model
 ................................................
 122

3.8.1
  Data
 Analysis
 and
 Organisation
 .....................................................................................................
 122

3.8.2
  Preliminary
 Theoretical
 Model
 –

 The
 Nested
 Public
 Spheres
 of
 the
 UNFCCC
 and
 CAN
 ...............
 124

3.9
  Conclusion
 ...................................................................................................................................
 133

Chapter
 4
 Contextualising
 ENGO
 Participation
 in
 the
 UN
 Climate
 Change
 Regime

History,
 Politics
 and
 Institutional
 Make-­‐up
 of
 the
 UNFCCC
 .................
 135

4.1
  A
 Brief
 History
 of
 Climate
 Change
 as
 an
 Issue
 in
 International
 Politics
 ..........................................
 136

4.2
  UNFCCC
 Politics
 During
 the
 Fieldwork
 Phase
 ................................................................................
 142

4.3
  The
 Carbon
 Market
 Instruments
 of
 the
 UNFCCC
 Regime
 ..............................................................
 147

4.4
  Developments
 in
 Carbon
 Markets
 During
 the
 Fieldwork
 Phase
 ....................................................
 150

4.5
  The
 Institutional
 Make-­‐up
 of
 UN
 Climate
 Change
 Negotiations
 ....................................................
 153

4.5.1
  Participants:
 Parties,
 Observer
 Organisations
 and
 the
 Media
 .......................................................
 153

4.5.1.1
  Parties
 ...................................................................................................................................
 153

4.5.1.2
  Observer
 Organisations
 ........................................................................................................
 160

4.5.1.3
  Media
 ....................................................................................................................................
 166

4.5.2
  Negotiation
 Arenas
 ........................................................................................................................
 167

4.5.3
  Text
 ................................................................................................................................................
 171

4.6
  Conclusions
 ..................................................................................................................................
 177

Chapter
 5
 Inclusion
 and
 Exclusion,
 Influence
 and
 Resources
 ................................
 181

5.1
  General
 Access
 to
 the
 UNFCCC
 Negotiations
 and
 Barriers
 .............................................................
 182

5.2
  Access
 to
 CAN
 Work
 and
 Activities
 ...............................................................................................
 192

5.2.1
  Main
 CAN
 Activities
 in
 the
 In-­‐Session
 Setting
 ...............................................................................
 192

5.2.2
  CAN
 Activities
 in
 the
 Virtual
 Setting
 ..............................................................................................
 203

5.2.3
  CAN
 and
 the
 Hybrid
 Fieldwork
 Setting
 ..........................................................................................
 212

5.2.4
  Access
 to
 CAN’s
 In-­‐Session
 Setting

 ...............................................................................................
 213

5.2.5
  Access
 to
 CAN’s
 Virtual
 Setting

 .....................................................................................................
 217

5.2.6
  Access
 to
 CAN’s
 Hybrid
 Setting

 .....................................................................................................
 221

5.3
  Addressing
 Access
 Limitations

 .....................................................................................................
 222

5.3.1
  Financial
 Barriers
 and
 the
 Southern
 Capacity
 Programme
 ............................................................
 223

5.3.2
  Language
 Related
 Barriers

 ............................................................................................................
 227

5.3.3
  Technological
 Barriers

 ..................................................................................................................
 231

5.3.4
  Organisational
 Barriers
 ..................................................................................................................
 231

5.3.5
  Consensus
 and
 CAN
 Charter
 ..........................................................................................................
 232

5.4
  Conclusions

 .................................................................................................................................
 233
Table
 of
 Contents

  6

Chapter
 6
 Publics
 and
 Counterpublics
 in
 the
 UNFCCC
 –

On
 Hierarchy,
 Inequality
 and
 Discursive
 Practice

 ................................
 236

6.1
  Hierarchy,
 Status
 and
 Inequality

 ..................................................................................................
 238

6.1.1
  UNFCCC

 .........................................................................................................................................
 238

6.1.2
  CAN
 and
 Other
 Environmental
 Observer
 Organisations

 ..............................................................
 246

6.1.3
  Counterpublics
 and
 Environmental
 NGOs
 in
 the
 UNFCCC
 Regime

 ...............................................
 259

6.2
  Competing
 Discourses
 –
 Scientific
 Reality,
 Realpolitik,
 Social
 Justice
 ............................................
 264

6.2.1
  Science,
 Realpolitik
 and
 Justice:
 CAN’s
 policy
 on
 Annex
 I
 emissions
 .............................................
 269

6.2.2
  Political
 Strategy
 –
 The
 Unifying
 Conceptualisation
 of
 Rationality
 ...............................................
 276

6.3
  Conclusions

 .................................................................................................................................
 279

Chapter
 7
 Discussion
 and
 Conclusions:
 Re-­‐Imagining
 a
 Transnational

Public
 Sphere
 of
 Climate
 Change
 Politics
 ..................................................
 285

7.1
  Introduction

 ................................................................................................................................
 285

7.2
  The
 Multi-­‐Dimensional
 Publics
 of
 Climate
 Change

 .......................................................................
 287

7.3
  Conclusions

 .................................................................................................................................
 295

Glossary
 .....................................................................................................................................
 303

References
 ................................................................................................................................
 310
7

Lists
 of
 Tables
 and
 Figures

Table
 1:

  Attendance
 of
 UNFCCC
 Negotiation
 Sessions
 –

Fieldwork
 in
 "In-­‐Session"
 Setting
 ....................................................................................
 90

Table
 2:

  NGO
 Participation
 at
 UNFCCC
 Sessions
 2007-­‐2009
 and

Share
 of
 Delegates
 from
 Non-­‐Annex
 I
 Countries,
 by
 Constituency
 ................
 163

Table
 3:

  Time
 Line
 and
 Negotiation
 Arenas
 of
 Negotiations
 Regarding
 Flexible

Mechanisms
 During
 AWG-­‐KP
 Session
 in
 Bonn,
 28
 Mar
 to
 8
 Apr
 2009
 ........
 169

Table
 4:
  Overview
 of
 Requests
 for
 Submissions
 from
 Parties
 from

the
 AWG-­‐KP
 during
 its
 Sessions
 up
 to
 Session
 10
 (Copenhagen)
 ..................
 175

Table
 5:
  Demography
 of
 Medium-­‐
 and
 High-­‐Frequency

Participants
 on
 Selected
 CAN
 Email
 Lists
 .................................................................
 220

Figure
 1:

 The
 Constituting
 Processes
 of
 the
 Public
 Sphere
 and
 its

Corresponding
 Centre
 of
 Authority
 .............................................................................
 126

Figure
 2:
 Negotiation
 Streams
 Related
 to
 the
 UNFCCC
 Over
 Time
 (1990-­‐2010)
 .......
 146

Figure
 3:
 Participation
 Breakdown
 at
 COPs
 (COP
 1
 -­‐
 COP
 15)
 ............................................
 154

Figure
 4:
 Participation
 at
 UNFCCC
 Sessions
 in
 2007-­‐2009
 by
 NGO
 Constituency
 .....
 162

Figure
 5:
 Average
 Daily
 Email
 Volume
 on
 Selected
 CAN
 Email
 Lists

During
 UNFCCC
 Sessions
 and
 Intersessional
 Periods
 .........................................
 205
8

Acknowledgements

Throughout
 the
 journey
 that
 has
 been
 this
 PhD
 research,
 I
 have
 encountered
 many

fabulous
 people
 who
 have
 helped
 me
 a
 great
 deal
 (while,
 of
 course,
 any
 errors
 or

omissions
 are
 entirely
 mine!).
 First
 and
 foremost,
 I
 am
 deeply
 indebted
 to
 all
 the
 CAN

members
 who
 have
 crossed
 my
 path
 during
 these
 years.
 I
 am
 grateful
 to
 you
 all
 for

your
 hard
 work
 trying
 to
 help
 saving
 my
 most
 favourite
 planet
 (and
 for
 doing
 it
 with

style).
 Of
 course,
 I
 am
 immeasurably
 grateful
 for
 your
 welcoming
 me
 to
 CAN,
 particu-­‐
larly
  to
  Christoph
  and
  Matthias.
  The
  number
  of
  amazing
  individuals
  within
  CAN

whom
 I
 should
 thank
 is
 too
 large,
 so
 forgive
 me
 if
 I
 single
 out
 only
 a
 few
 of
 you:
 Chris

for
 being
 such
 a
 great
 UNFCCC
 room
 mate,
 the
 non-­‐group
 “environmentalists
 with

perverted
 humour”,
 Jan
 for
 his
 hospitality
 in
 Bonn,
 Kaisa,
 Payal,
 Barabara,
 Tomas,

Wolfgang,
 Eva,
 Naoyuki
 and
 the
 rest
 of
 the
 group
 for
 your
 shared
 “love”
 for
 CDM
 and

everything
 else
 carbon
 market,
 all
 you
 CAN
 people
 –
 named
 or
 not
 –
 for
 sharing
 insights,

thoughts
 and
 feedback
 with
 me
 and
 for
 many
 interesting
 and
 enlightening
 discussions.

  At
 the
 University
 of
 Glasgow,
 a
 number
 of
 individuals
 helped
 me
 with
 this

endeavour
 –
 especially
 my
 supervisors
 at
 various
 stages:
 Robert
 for
 his
 help
 before

the
 start,
 Justin
 for
 guiding
 me
 to
 find
 out
 the
 specific
 whats
 and
 hows
 and
 for

suggesting
 that
 ethnography
 might
 be
 worthwhile
 considering,
 Matthew
 and
 Kelly
 for

so
 much
 detailed,
 constructive
 and
 immensely
 useful
 feedback
 and
 for
 your
 encour-­‐
agement
 (and
 friendly
 pressure)
 all
 the
 way
 to
 the
 end.
 Thanks
 so,
 so
 much!
 I
 am
 also

grateful
 to
 Bridget
 who
 has
 always
 offered
 encouragement
 and
 support
 when
 needed

and
 to
 John
 for
 introducing
 me
 to
 the
 Sociological
 Imagination
 and
 a
 new
 way
 (for
 me)

of
 thinking
 about
 sociology.
 And
 of
 course
 to
 all
 my
 fellow
 postgraduates
 in
 Glasgow,

in
 particular
 Ali,
 the
 best
 office
 mate.
 Also,
 I
 am
 grateful
 to
 the
 ESRC
 for
 paying
 for
 my

tuition,
 rent
 and
 chocolate,
 and
 trips
 to
 UNFCCC
 conferences.
 Thanks
 to
 Carleton

University
 in
 Ottawa
 for
 letting
 me
 use
 their
 library
 to
 finish
 writing
 the
 thesis.

  Finally,
 my
 roomie,
 partner
 and
 soul
 mate,
 Rena.
 The
 ways
 I
 am
 indebted
 to
 you

are
 too
 many,
 but
 include
 encouraging
 to
 choose
 a
 PhD
 topic
 on
 something
 that
 is

close
 to
 my
 heart
 even
 if
 it
 meant
 venturing
 into
 unfamiliar
 empirical
 and
 theoretical

terrain,
 for
 encouraging
 me
 to
 keep
 going
 when
 I
 considered
 quitting,
 for
 creating

space
 when
 I
 needed
 it
 and
 so,
 so
 much
 more.
 And
 my
 dear
 little
 Essa
 for
 not
 being

too
 upset
 when
 you
 barely
 saw
 me
 for
 so
 many
 weeks
 last
 summer.
 You
 are
 awesome!
9

Author’s
 Declaration

I
 declare
 that,
 except
 where
 explicit
 reference
 is
 made
 to
 the
 contribution
 of
 others,

this
 dissertation
 is
 the
 result
 of
 my
 own
 work
 and
 has
 not
 been
 submitted,
 in
 full
 or
 in

part,
 for
 any
 other
 degree
 at
 the
 University
 of
 Glasgow
 or
 any
 other
 institution.

Signature:

  (Christian
 Holz)