Green Backlash and Fossil Societies

More and more research across the social sciences is uncovering the role of the fossil fuel industry (oil and gas in particular) in pushing back on climate policy and erecting roadblocks to thwart the clean energy transition. How has this translated to green backlash? In this memo, Paasha Mahdavi, an associate professor of political science and affiliated professor of environmental science and management at UC Santa Barbara, first reviews existing research, and then provides two future work streams on green backlash from fossil fuel actors—the fossil fuel industry, governments reliant on fossil fuels, and individuals living in fossil fuel communities—by exploring (1) the role of national oil companies in international climate politics, and (2) the intensity of backlash across oil and gas communities. He concludes with a set of questions around the consequences of green backlash by fossil fuel actors on democratic governance.

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On January 30–31, 2025, IGCC convened a first-of-its-kind research incubator to examine the links between climate change, democratic backsliding, and public backlash against green policies. The conversation aimed to bridge the divide between scholars within the political and climate sciences to promote interdisciplinary studies at the crossroads between global environmental and governance challenges. Workshop participants prepared memos before the meeting responding to two questions: under which conditions can climate change and climate policies trigger a green backlash? And what are the consequences of climate change disruptions and green backlash for democracy? These memos are now published as part of an ongoing IGCC essay series on Climate Change, Green Backlash, and Democracy.