Do socially disruptive climate protests actually work?

Is the buzz around climate protests translating into real change?
January 30, 2024
man in yellow and blue shirt holding blue and white strap
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona, Unsplash

Quotes:

  • Climate protesters in the Netherlands blocked a major highway through Amsterdam on 30 December, demanding that ING, the country’s largest bank, immediately stops financing fossil fuel projects. It was just the latest example of an increasingly fervent climate movement willing to disrupt the daily functioning of society in order to convince powerful stakeholders to take action. Indeed, last September alone saw a swathe of climate-related protests across 65 countries, with more than 600,000 people worldwide taking part in actions linked to a Global Fight to End Fossil Fuels.
  • So, are socially disruptive climate protests actually working? That depends on what you mean by ‘working’. There is some evidence to suggest they are succeeding in garnering more attention for the climate agenda, but it remains unclear whether that is leading to more climate action by governments and companies.
  • For Fisher, there is no question that the big climate policy successes of recent years would not have come about without all the protests.

Read the full post at Energy Monitor.

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