Author:

Abstract

A trend has recently sprung up among several European countries: adopting climate laws to deal with the current climate crisis. Comparing these laws, it seems as though there are vast differences between the levels of commitment to take climate action. In particular, one case stands out significantly as it is much more ambitious in many regards: The Danish Climate Act of 2019. This case is unique because Danish civil society was heavily involved in creating the policy outcome. Thus, with this paper, I explore the role of non-state actors on the normative shifts experienced by countries and civil society regarding CC. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to answer the following puzzle: What is the role and influence of the Danish climate movement – posing as norm entrepreneurs – in the adoption of Denmark’s Climate Act? Using qualitative semi-structured expert interviews, I identify two significant explanatory variables likely to have resulted in the adoption of Denmark’s climate law. The first variable concentrates on structural conditions. The structural conditions further facilitate the second key finding of this research project, which argues that the affective character of the social mobilization around the cause, triggered by the strategic agency of the Danish climate movement has led to the adoption of Denmark’s Climate Act

Keywords: climate movement, laws, civil society, Danish Climate Act

How to Cite: Andraschko, L., 2022. A New Hope: The role and influence of civil society in the return of the environmental state. The Public Sphere: Journal of Public Policy, 10(1).