Analysing the challenge of reconciling a prominent fossil fuel industry with climate mitigation policies: a discourse analysis in Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

Concepts such as climate change and sustainability have often been discussed at national debates or international conferences. However, the understanding of these concepts can differ for different actors, as there are multiple interpretations of the concepts. As a consequence, actors try to shape the definition of a problem, as this influences how this problem is dealt with. In such discussions, patterns can be found, which are referred to as discourses. These discourses can influence the policy output, and by analysing them, it can be understood why certain climate mitigation policies are chosen. This research will look at the province of Alberta in Canada, which has a prominent oil and gas industry due to the oil sands that are located there. As a consequence, this province emits a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Such a prominent industry can influence the climate mitigation policies that are implemented, and is therefore relevant to analyse this province. All in all, the following question guided this research: To what extent, and in what way, do discourses on climate mitigation influence the approaches to reconcile climate mitigation policies with fossil fuel dependencies in the province of Alberta, Canada? This research looks at the time period between 2014 and 2020. In total, 150 news articles were collected from four different news platforms, as well as industry reports from three different companies from the oil and gas industry and policy documents. Three discourses were identified during the analysis. Firstly, a business-as-usual discourse that emphasizes the importance of the fossil fuel industry to the economy. Secondly, an environmental discourse that emphasizes the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify the economy. Lastly, a green growth discourse that emphasizes the need for both climate action and economic growth, and argues that they are mutually dependent on each other. The discourse that institutionalised into the policy output was primarily the green growth discourse, while the business-as-usual discourse also institutionalised.