LIST OF PANELS

Southeast Asia is critical to efforts to combat climate change. Yet most countries in the region, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, have rising populations, rising emissions, and rising energy demand, not to mention a continued reliance on coal. In this context climate change action remains a pressing challenge in the region, but efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions continue to confront political failure. One reason for poor policy outcomes is because of the limited understanding of the oppositional groups determined to protect the fossil fuel dependent status quo. While there is a growing body of literature across political science, sociology, public policy, and legal studies, among other fields, on climate obstruction in North America and Europe, much less is known about climate obstruction in other regions of the world.

This panel aims to explore climate obstruction in Southeast Asia. Climate obstruction refers to intentional actions and efforts to slow or block policies on climate change that are commensurate with the current scientific consensus of what is necessary to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The shape and form of such efforts vary depending on whether it occurs in electoral democracies or autocracies, pluralist or corporatist interest group systems, economies dominated by extractive industries or service industries, among other factors. This panel seeks to encourage empirical and theoretical research papers on the actors, political activities, and institutions that shape climate obstruction in Southeast Asia. Questions might include:

·      What actors are obstructing climate action, such as government agencies, state-owned enterprises, corporations, industry trade associations, and think tanks?

·      What types of resources do these actors have at their disposal, including financial resources?

·      What strategies and tactics are these actors using, such as lobbying, political donations, coalition building, public relations, or legal challenges?

·      How do political, economic and social institutions shape climate obstruction in the region?

·      And how are other actors, including social movements, seeking to counter climate obstruction?

We welcome papers that draw on a variety of theoretical and methodological traditions to answer these questions. This could include single country studies or comparative studies, papers focused on specific actors or coalitions, or on specific strategies and tactics. We are especially interested in papers that interrogate those organizations that act as enablers for government agencies and emissions intensive industries, such as trade associations, think tanks, public relations firms, and legal and lobbying firms. We also welcome papers on Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Panel will be in person to encourage participation - hybrid possible.