Climate Change and the Voluntary Sector Virtual Seminar Series

Registration Link: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAlc-GtqD4iG9PX8cmqYSIvYFAmotDYr4sR

Building Power? The Role of International NGOS in the Transnational Network Against New Coal

Due to the heavy greenhouse footprint of coal-fired electricity, reducing the amount of coal in the fuel mix will be necessary for many countries to achieve their climate policy goals and, by extension, for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. Public opposition to coal in some locations — including sites in India, Indonesia, and the United States — has become an important factor in project development. This project asks: what explains variation in public opposition to proposed coal-fired power plants? Based on statistical analysis of a global sample of 337 proposed coal fired power plants, I find that domestic connections to the global anti-coal network do increase the likelihood of a given project being opposed. But qualitative case studies reveal a wide range of protest modes and motivations amongst local actors, suggesting that international NGOs are somewhat peripheral in building network power.

Speakers