Att möta utmaningen - En diskursanalys av europeiska staters inställningar till utsläppsreduktioner

Abstract

The European Union is a self proclaimed leader in the field of climate change and has a common target for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. In spite of this, there are great differences between the member states capacity and dedication to the cause of implementing the Unions climate policy and reduce their emissions. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to an understanding of how different European states construct their identity in the context of climate change mitigation. By analyzing national documents from three European states and using tools deriving from discourse analysis, I aim to illuminate differences and similarities in their rhetoric. The result is that due to the states relationship to the European Union and the United Nations, there are great similarities in the way they construct mitigation and their identity. These similarities are results of socialization between states and the legitimizing effects of certain constructions. The similarities are also somewhat superficial, since a deeper scrutiny of the results show that the states emphasize different values. It also reveals some internal contradictions between the norms within the constructions.