The Environmental Agenda in the Election Programs of Russian Political Parties

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of environmental agenda in the Russian political field on the example of the analysis of the election programs of Russian political parties. The study analyzes the factors and features of the inclusion of the environmental issues in the political programs of Russian political parties. The main environmental problems raised by political parties and the dynamics of its considering were highlighted, and the specific of their discursive representation were analyzed. The study revealed the following features of the appeal of political actors to environmental issues: techno-utopianism as an unconditional belief in “green technologies” that does not imply major institutional changes; eco-populism, manifested in the connection of environmental problems with more popular social issues; ritualization as a formal mention of the “green” agenda, which does not receive careful consideration. Special attention was paid to the (un)formation of the climate agenda in Russia, which showed the limitations of the global process influence on the Russian political agenda. The study was carried out on the basis of a qualitative methodology.