Russian climate scepticism: an understudied case

Abstract

In this paper, we consider climate scepticism in the Russian context. We are interested in whether this has been discussed within the social scientific literature and ask first whether there is a discernible climate sceptical discourse in Russia. We find that there is very little literature directly on this topic in either English or Russian and we seek to synthesise related literature to fill the gap. Secondly, we consider whether Russian climate scepticism has been shaped by the same factors as in the USA, exploring how scientists, the media, public opinion, the government and business shaped climate scepticism in Russia. Climate scepticism in the USA is understood as a ‘conservative countermovement’ that seeks to react against the perceived gains of the progressive environmental movement, but we argue that this is not an appropriate framework for understanding Russian climate scepticism. Articulated within a less agonistic environment and situated within an authoritarian regime, Russian expressions of climate scepticism balance the environmental, political and economic needs of the regime under the constraints of a strong ‘carbon culture’ and closed public debate.

Arctic environmental governance: challenges of sustainable development

“…The AC used to limit institutionally (at least to some extent) Russia's Arctic agenda, balancing its priorities of economic benefits (exploitation of natural resources) by imposing some values, norms, and policies against climate change. This trend used to spread well beyond exclusively Arctic gover-nance confronting so-called "climate skepticism" of Russian political elite (e.g., Ashe and Poberezhskaya 2022). Such issues as the rights of the indigenous population have now lost meaning for Russian policy-makers at both subnational and national level.…”

The effect of social network sites usage in climate change awareness in Latin America

“…The phenomenon has been the object of extensive empirical research since the 1980s, along with its determinants at the individual and contextual levels (Brügger et al, 2021 ; Douenne & Fabre, 2020 ; Knight, 2016 ; Lee et al, 2015 ; Nauges et al, 2021 ; Nistor, 2022 ; Poortinga et al, 2019 ; Zhou, 2015 ). Its counterforce, climate denial or skepticism, have also received scientific attention (Ashe & Poberezhskaya, 2022 ; Capstick et al, 2015 ; Whitmarsh, 2011 ).…”

“…Climate change is one of the main challenges that humankind is facing today (International Panel on Climate Change, 2018 ; United Nations Environment Programme, 2021 ). Although the scientific community, followed by significant sectors of society, widely agrees on its existence and its anthropogenic roots, this phenomenon is still denied by many people around the world (Ashe & Poberezhskaya, 2022 ; Fagan & Huang, 2019 ; McCright & Dunlap, 2011 ; Weintrobe, 2013 ). Interestingly, this situation overlaps with the ongoing heated debate as to whether social network site usage merely produces slacktivism (Smith et al, 2019 ) and reinforces environmental skepticism (Dunlap, 2013 ), or if it helps to promote acknowledgement of the problem in creative ways (Parham, 2016 ) and fosters green citizenship (Anderson, 2017 ; Boykoff, 2020 ; Gil de Zúñiga et al, 2012 ; Lindgren, 2015 ; Rotman et al, 2011 ; Takahashi et al, 2017 ).…”

Russia in a changing climate

“…Although Russians regularly cite environmental pollution as a main problem facing the country, they are relatively unconcerned about climate change and do not see it as an urgent government priority (Ashe & Poberezhskaya, 2022; Kurbanov & Prokhoda, 2019). Russian citizens largely agree with Russian policymakers that foreign policy interests and conspiracy drive international climate diplomacy more than environmental concerns (Korppoo, 2020).…”