Evolving EU climate policy discourses and self-representation

This thesis analyzes EU international climate policy discourses around the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, its entry-into-force and the COP15-negotiations in Copenhagen. Using EU-press releases and employing Hajer s argumentative approach, the main focus lies on discursive shifts and self-representation. In addition evidences of discourse institutionalization are presented. The thesis also gives an extensive insight into the theoretical underpinnings used in the analysis and provides references to the actual EU-climate-policy around and during the analyzed timeframes. The thesis finds considerable discursive shifts, including a changing role of science, global responsibility and the economy. Findings also include the self-representation of the EU changing from an emerging to an established and powerful actor but with a sharp rupture after COP15.

Autorentext

Benjamin Otterbach has studied Advertising and Market Communications in Stuttgart, Germany, and International and European Relations in Linköping, Sweden. Related to these two studies, he is interested in the communication patterns of international politics.