Abstract
Since 2016, a group of senior women organized in the association KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz have been trying to legally force the Swiss government to take stronger climate protection measures. Parallel to the pursuit of a climate lawsuit, the KlimaSeniorinnen have developed into a growing social movement that is present in the media and participates in the public debate on climate change. Building on this specific climate litigation case, the present article analyzes the strategy formation of new actors in the field of climate governance. Based on existing concepts of social movement research, the strategy formation of the KlimaSeniorinnen is reconstructed in terms of a strategic actor who pursues certain strategic orientations in given strategic contexts. The empirical analysis of the strategic context (by means of opportunity structures), the strategic orientations (via collective action frames), and the strategic actor (by means of interviews) shows a double strategy. On the one hand, the KlimaSeniorinnen attempt to address a specific legal opportunity structure with an ‘injustice frame,’ which emphasizes human rights and the special vulnerability of older women to intense heat waves. On the other hand, they want to mobilize public support for an ambitious climate policy by additionally promoting a ‘grandchildren frame,’ which articulates altruistic values, such as responsibility towards future generations. Based on this analysis, both practical implications and consequences for future research on a new climate politics, which is increasingly taking shape between and across different arenas, are discussed.
Highlights
A growing number of societal actors are combating climate change on various fronts with different strategies (Dietz & Garrelts, 2014; Dryzek, Norgaard, & Schlosberg, 2013)
We argue that new actors in the climate movement, such as the KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz, pursue multiple strategic orientations in more and more varied strategic contexts that provide social movements with different entry points to address their concerns
Besides the opportunities for social actors to participate in the regular legislative process through consultations, the direct democratic system in Switzerland offers numerous opportunities for social movements to bring their demands into the political arena (Kriesi & Wisler, 1996; Van Der Heijden, 1997, p. 30)
Summary
A growing number of societal actors are combating climate change on various fronts with different strategies (Dietz & Garrelts, 2014; Dryzek, Norgaard, & Schlosberg, 2013). Messages proclaimed in mass public rallies and marches, such as “we strike until you act” or “follow the Paris Agreement,” underscore that this new climate activism is again increasingly demanding political action from governments. In addition to mobilizing political pressure on the streets through parties and parliaments, climate activism is increasingly resorting to institutional channels to articulate its concerns. Examples of this polity-directed activism are so-called climate lawsuits or litigation, with which social movements have been fighting for several years for more climate protection In the further course of this article, we want to better understand the strategic considerations behind climate lawsuits by looking at the special case of the KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
