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- Tilsted, Joachim Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Narrating decarbonisation: Stories of climate action in the petrochemical industry
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite its role in ensuring the ubiquity of fossil fuels in modern society, the petrochemical sector has long flown under the public radar in energy and climate debates. However, faced with increasing pressures from its involvement in driving multiple and intersecting ecological crises, firms in the petrochemical industry are seeking to make sustainability a core part of their public image. Although recent climate commitments might signal a start towards a low-carbon transition, there is a risk that industry leaders follow the pattern that has consistently been the case throughout their history and only pay lip service to current trends to ease legislative pressure, secure financing and continue business as usual, legitimizing the strong carbon lock-in within the sector. Therefore, this paper aims to identify and explore commonly invoked industry narratives of climate action. To do so, we focus on climate communication from the largest petrochemical companies, most of which also are fossil fuel extractors, mapping their discursive strategy. We argue that the set of strategic narratives that we identify portray the petrochemical industry as of unquestionable societal importance, promoting the idea that stringent regulation is not needed, and that criticism leveraged against the industry are based on misunderstandings. This discourse strategy works to reduce pressure for deep mitigation cuts while repositioning the industry as part of the solution. Relating this to the broader literature on the use of discursive power and corporate framing of climate change, we compare the discursive strategy around petrochemical production to that of fossil fuel extraction. Despite relying on fossil feedstock and being solidly placed in the fossil-based energy order with strong historical, knowledge-based, and economic linkages to oil, gas, and coal, discursive strategies in key aspects. In making this argument, we show how downstream actors work to legitimize continued exploration and production of fossil fuels.
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| 2. |
- Tilsted, Joachim Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Petrochemical transition narratives: Selling fossil fuel solutions in a decarbonizing world
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6326 .- 2214-6296. ; 94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being integral to the fossil-based energy order and as a key driver of multiple and intersecting ecological crises, the petrochemical industry faces increasing pressures to transform. This paper examines how major petrochemical companies navigate these pressures. Drawing from literatures on discursive power, narratives, and neo-Gramscian political economy, we introduce the concept of narrative realignment as a nuanced iteration of corporate discursive power that reframes problems of and solutions to green transitions. Specifically, we identify and explore common transition-related narratives, analysing climate and sustainability communications from the largest producers in the petrochemical sector. We argue that these strategic narratives portray the petrochemical industry as key to a successful transition and fend off criticisms by reducing them to misunderstandings. This framing works to reduce pressures for deep mitigation while repositioning the industry as part of the solution. Building on these findings, we demonstrate how petrochemical transition narratives relate to but also diverge from the position of fossil fuel extractors. Despite relying on fossil feedstock and being solidly placed in the fossil economy, petrochemical majors increasingly focus on repositioning themselves proactively as transition enablers. The argument illustrates the work of downstream actors to legitimize the existing energy order.
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