Climate Activism and Harm to Innocents

Informations projet

ClimActiv

N° de convention de subvention: 101024225

DOI

10.3030/101024225

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 12 Avril 2021

Date de début 1 Juillet 2021

Date de fin 30 Juin 2023

Financé au titre de

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coût total

€ 224 933,76

Contribution de l’UE

€ 224 933,76

Coordonné par

LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ClimActiv (Climate Activism and Harm to Innocents)

Période du rapport: 2021-07-01 au 2023-06-30

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

The project aimed at morally assessing forms of climate activism that risk harming innocents. Climate activism was defined broadly, encompassing any attempt by an individual or group to push for climate-change mitigation policies. Climate activism ultimately aims at preventing serious climate harms. Such activism, however, often risks imposing economic, democratic, and other costs on people. The research focused on two forms of activism: climate direct action, and corporate climate lobbying.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

The project first produced a review article that documents the main ethical debates around the most prominent forms of climate activism. This includes debates on whether there is a duty to become a climate activist, and debates on whether climate activism is adequately inclusive, democratic, and non-violent.
The project then produced a paper on whether certain forms of climate direct action (such as power plant occupations and cruise ship sabotage) that aim at directly stopping greenhouse gas emissions can be justified as an act of self-defense.
Finally, the project produced a paper on whether corporate lobbying that aims at pushing in favour of climate policies can be justified despite being undemocratic.

The project results were disseminated in 3 academic events at the LSE and the University of Manchester, and an expert panel at the LSE aimed at the general public. The events featured leading academic experts such as Simon Caney and Elizabeth Cripps, and leading civil society practitioners such as Edward Collins (InfluenceMap) and Clare Richards (Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change).
The results were also disseminated in opinion notes on the LSE Government blog, newspaper, radio, and NGO websites.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

The project made progress beyond the state-of-the-art in three main ways. First, it produced the first review article on the ethics of climate activism. Secondly, the project produced the first paper to systematically apply the self-defense philosophical framework to the ethics of climate direct action, showing that this action can sometimes be justified as a form of necessary and proportionate other-defense. Thirdly, the project developed a novel view on corporate lobbying’s democratic credentials, and showed that corporate lobbying in favour of ambitious climate policies can be justified despite being undemocratic in important senses.

The results can help shape European policy and public discourse. Regarding climate corporate lobbying, the results suggest ways in which corporations can improve the democratic credentials of their lobbying for climate policy, and suggest ways in which governments can improve lobbying regulation so as to make it more democratic. Regarding activism, the results suggest reasons why governments should tolerate disruptive forms of activism, given their potential for significant influence on climate-related goals.

Image representing climate political change. (Image generated by Bing Chat)