EXC 2060 B3-31 - Religion as a Resource in European and International Climate Governance

Basic data for this project

Description

Under which circumstances does religion serve as a resource for agreement in climate policy? Increasingly, religious actors of different faiths are pursuing ambitious goals in international climate policy. Also, religious references are increasingly made in climate policy discourse. Against this background, the project examines the relationship between religion and politics and the potential for cooperation and agreement in climate policy practice: To what extent can common values and norms be identified between religious actors, but also between them and other civil society actors, in the context of the European and international climate policy discourse and the engagement of religious actors? Are these values and norms used as a basis for cooperation, and if so, under what conditions? Or are there normative conflicts that hinder or even prevent cooperation and agreement? In order to study in particular the role of non-state actors in international climate policy, the adopts a governance approach to explore these questions. Empirically, the project focuses on the climate policy of the European Union and the United Nations, where an increased involvement of religious groups can be observed. Thus, European and international climate policy takes place in a space in which non-state actors with different religious backgrounds meet and negotiate. Using the methodology of text mining, the project will analyze expert interviews and relevant, publicly accessible documents on climate policy conversations and negotiations in the period 2015-2021 in pursuit of its objectives.