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elliemartus.bsky.social
@elliemartus.bsky.social
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cssn.org
From surveillance and shifting “red lines” to data manipulation and participant safety, our new brief by the Climate Obstruction in Authoritarian and Non-Democratic States working group gives strategies for researchers investigating in restrictive environments.

bit.ly/Mar_Pob_etal_25
Researching Climate Obstruction in Authoritarian and non-Democratic Contexts
In this brief developed by the Climate Obstruction in Authoritarian and Non-Democratic States working group, researchers share the challenges they faced when investigating climate obstruction in restr...
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November 19, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted
environmentalpol.bsky.social
New article!

Partnerships of developmental pragmatism: greenwashing the BRI in Southeast Asia by Hui Feng & Stephen McCarthy.

doi.org/10.1080/0964...
ABSTRACT Beijing has responded to the environmental and transparency concerns of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by transforming it into a ‘green BRI’. This article examines the agency of the BRI host countries and develops a relational model of their partnership with China to explain the dynamics behind the greenwashing of the of the BRI. Such a partnership, which we term as developmental pragmatism, features utilitarian and transactional arrangements that are based on common developmental mindsets, mutual material interests, weak institutions and lack of external alternative funding. This partnership highlights an underlying problem in the international drive for decarbonisation that ignores a trade-off between economic affordability and environmental sustainability on the part of local developmentalism. These dynamics are demonstrated by examining efforts at environmental cooperation and the expansion of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia.
October 20, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Reposted
environmentalpol.bsky.social
New article!

Influencing climate change adaptation in authoritarian states: a deliberative systems analysis in Vietnam by @wendyconwaylamb.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0964...
ABSTRACT Involving those most affected by climate change in adaptation governance is crucial for procedural justice, legitimacy, and effectiveness. Empirical evidence indicates that democracies tend to perform better on climate change than authoritarian states. However, many highly climate-vulnerable countries lack key hallmarks of democracy, such as free and fair elections, while transitions to electoral democracy are hard to predict and difficult to foster. This article applies deliberative systems analysis to support a more nuanced understanding of climate politics and the diverse ways implicated groups influence decision-making in authoritarian states. Drawing on interviews with government officials, civil society, and international development practitioners involved in adaptation in Vietnam, three forms of influence are identified: coercive, persuasive, and deliberative. Despite hierarchical structures, the research reveals distinct dynamics of deliberative influence and reflects on the implications for non-governmental and international organizations seeking to use climate finance to support inclusive and accountable adaptation in climate-vulnerable countries.
September 30, 2025 at 6:20 AM