Risk Perceptions of Climate Change in International Environmental Negotiations

Climate change poses an unprecedented risk to global human security and future generations. Yet actions to mitigate or adapt to the changing climate system vary greatly among countries and their constituencies. Despite mounting evidence detailing the economic, social, and ecological risks of climate change, many scholars agree that the greatest threats associated with climate change involve delaying or ignoring necessary action. Using theorizing of “risk society” from Ulrich Beck and others, this thesis examines how countries, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and business interests construct the risk of climate change and how their respective discourses conflict in international environmental negotiations. This research uses computer-assisted qualitative data analysis to explore statements submitted by each of these constituencies to the sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010. Analysis of these texts identifies climate change discourse as crisis or opportunity, in addition to discourses of development, environmentalism, and rights or responsibilities to provide us a better understanding of how we perceive and respond to ecological risk.

Author dc:creator

• Dellert, Christine

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jacques, Peter

• Climate change
• risk
• united nations
• ulrich beck
• risk society
• united nations framework convention on climate change
• ngos
• environmental
• Political Science

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0005602

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1069