Russian discourses on benefits and threats from international climate diplomacy

Abstract

The Russian climate policy debate pays special interest to the economic and political benefits and threats related to international climate policy. Applying critical discourse analysis, in this study, I dismantle issue discourses into sub-discourses, identifying six central themes, and then discuss the truth-value of the claims made. Policy decisions relevant to climate diplomacy are often in line with sub-discourses of low truth-value. Thus, socially constructed reality can go against statistical data and scientific research, setting the context for policy decisions and international climate cooperation. That makes it difficult to influence Russia’s climate position or domestic policies by sharing knowledge. However, the sub-discourses also indicate a domestic debate on Russia’s climate-diplomacy options—a debate of higher truth-value that may influence constructions of social reality. Thus far, the Russian government has managed to avoid costly domestic emissions-reduction measures. However, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will impose carbon costs on Russian export products, forcing reconsideration of this social reality.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 2 Benefits and threats discourses identified in earlier discourse and frame analyses on Russian climate policy in international literature

Appendix 2

Table 3 Research materials / previous work used, by sub-discourse

Appendix 3

Table 4.

Table 4 Evaluation of the truth-value and evolution of sub-discourses