Climate Obstruction in Spain

Abstract

In Spain, efforts to obstruct climate action have tracked with shifts in politics. Historically, opposing regulation of the energy sector has been a main focus for obstructionist stakeholders, composed in this country mainly of industry lobbyists, political parties, news media, and neoliberal think tanks. In recent years, the ethics and climate impact of animal foods and exploitation have also become topics of public debate, showing the emergence of culture wars around environmental action. As in other contexts, communication strategies, public relations campaigns, and the selective dissemination of knowledge by special interests have characterized climate obstruction in Spain. To exemplify the particular discourses of climate obstruction there, this chapter provides two case studies. One identifies the role of think tanks, which oppose climate change mitigation and are networked with other international organizations. The other examines the efforts of animal agriculture industrial lobbies to slow progress in supporting compassion for nonhuman animals.