Project Description
In order to reach the climate goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, large emission reductions are needed. The aviation industry uses carbon compensation as one of its primary ways to counter the emissions from its carbon-heavy operations. Despite its widespread use, carbon compensation has received a wide range of critiques from academics for being ineffective in mitigating emissions (Carbon Watch, 2007; Gössling et al., 2007; Hyams & Fawcett, 2013). Lamb et al. (2020) deliver a framework on climate obstructing discourses. However, such obstructing discourses have not been identified for the practice of carbon compensation. Literature on greenwashing is also considered as the use and justification of ineffective climate measures display linkages with the discourses of climate delay. The goal of this study was to gain insight into the argumentation and justification of carbon compensation by the aviation sector, through the execution of a critical discourse analysis on consumertargeted communication. Four discourses of climate delay were observed. These aim at redirecting responsibility to consumers, improving corporate image by claiming contributions to mitigating climate change, justifying carbon compensation as a method to mitigate emissions and downplaying the need for climate action through a voluntary system. Collectively the discourses presented downplay the negative environmental impacts of flying and trivialize the need for climate action. To conclude, this research highlights the strong need for discourses of climate delay and greenwashing practices to be identified, challenged and overcome to make way for meaningful climate action.
Author: S. Van Os (2023)
