The DOI matches its Crossref record; 64 of the 65 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Backlash to Climate Policy
Open accessAbstract
Hard climate policy (e.g., regulation, taxes/pricing, phaseouts) is needed to meet ambitious climate targets, but when such policy is introduced, it can sometimes trigger backlash. Backlash involves an abrupt and forceful negative reaction by a significant number of actors seeking to reverse a policy, often through extraordinary means that transgress established procedures and norms. Yet, explanations of policy backlash remain nascent and fragmented. I synthesize insights from within and beyond climate politics to argue that contested legitimacy is central to climate policy backlash, which provokes attempts toward delegitimation. I develop a conceptual pathway to explain the occurrence of climate policy backlash and generate hypotheses about how practices of delegitimation occur, and their effects. This contributes to explaining why backlash occurs, highlighting ideational factors alongside interests and institutions. Overall, I suggest the need for a contextually embedded approach to understanding the volatile dynamics of backlash, bringing political sociology into conversation with political economy.
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“Recent data suggest that the world economy is on track to an income reduction of 11–29% by 2050, threatening the social and economic systems on which human health and wellbeing often depend.296,297”
From The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action (2024) · cites this paper as [297]
Citations
Cites
Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches
Suchman, M. C. (1995) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258788 · Cited by 19,903
McAdam, D., Tarrow, S., & Tilly, C. (2001) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511805431 · Cited by 5,558
Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019) · doi:10.1017/9781108595841 · Cited by 2,986
When Effect Becomes Cause: Policy Feedback and Political Change
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Beetham, D. (2013) · doi:10.1007/978-1-137-36117-2 · Cited by 2,397
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The Political Consequences of Social Movements
Amenta, E., Caren, N., Chiarello, E., & Su, Y. (2010) · Annual Review of Sociology · doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-070308-120029 · Cited by 791
Right-wing populism and the climate change agenda: exploring the linkages
Lockwood, M. (2018) · Environmental Politics · doi:10.1080/09644016.2018.1458411 · Cited by 746
Putting Social Movements in their Place
McAdam, D., & Boudet, H. S. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9781139105811 · Cited by 583
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Bernstein, 2005, Legitimacy in Global Environmental Governance, Journal of International Law and International Relations, 1, 139
- Fankhauser, 2018, 10 Years of the UK Climate Change Act
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Romanello, M., Walawender, M., Hsu, S.-C., Moskeland, A., Palmeiro-Silva, Y., Scamman, D., Ali, Z., Ameli, N., Angelova, D., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., et al. (2024) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01822-1 · Cited by 897
Romanello, M. B., Walawender, M., Hsu, S.-C., Moskeland, A., Palmeiro-Silva, Y. K., Scamman, D. P., Smallcombe, J. W., Abdullah, S., Ades, M., Al-Maruf, A., et al. (2025) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(25)01919-1 · Cited by 375
Sovacool, B. K., Geels, F. W., Andersen, A. D., Grubb, M. J., Jordan, A., Kern, F., Kivimaa, P., Lockwood, M., Markard, J., Meadowcroft, J., et al. (2025) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2025.103948 · Cited by 147
Green finance in the global energy transition: Actors, instruments, and politics
Babić, M. (2024) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2024.103482 · Cited by 103
Green backlash and right-wing populism
Bosetti, V., Colantone, I., Vries, C. E. D., & Musto, G. (2025) · Nature Climate Change · doi:10.1038/s41558-025-02384-0 · Cited by 87
Metadata
- Authors
- Patterson, J. J.
- Affiliations
- European Research Council (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Patterson, James J.
- ORCID
- Patterson, James J.
- Venue
- Global Environmental Politics
- Publisher
- MIT Press
- Published
- 2023
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 68-90
- ISSN
- 1526-3800 (ISSN-L)
- 1536-0091
- OpenAlex
- W4307837594
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 65 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 15.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Global Environmental Politics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Climate Change Policy and Economics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Climate Change and Sustainable Development
- Keywords
- delegitimization, climate politics, policy reversal, climate regulation, political sociology, political economy
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