Environmental (Climate) Activism and Discourses in Recent History

Welcome to the page of Environmental (Climate) Activism and Discourses in Recent History, the research seminar of the Master in European Contemporary History for the academic year 2023-2024. This three-semester seminar explored the complex landscape of climate change discourse and the energy transition in Luxembourg, examining how different social actors frame environmental challenges and solutions in our rapidly warming world.

The seminar aimed at understanding the barriers and enablers of a low-carbon transition in Luxembourg through a transnational lens, focusing specifically on the perspectives of non-state actors. We analysed the discursive strategies employed by three key groups: environmental activists, employer organizations, and trade unions. Rather than examining policy from above, we investigated how these social movements and interest groups construct meaning around climate change, who they hold responsible, and what solutions they propose.

Our historical framework spanned from 1997 (Kyoto Protocol) to 2021 (Glasgow Climate Pact), allowing us to trace the evolution of climate discourse over 25 years of intensifying global awareness. We examined “frame disputes” and “frame alignment” processes, exploring how different generations and social groups have negotiated their understanding of environmental responsibility. A particular focus was placed on generational dynamics: do we observe conflicts between “boomers” and “zoomers,” or can we identify surprising cross-generational alliances in the fight against climate change?

The seminar combined rigorous theoretical grounding with hands-on methodological training. In the first semester, students mastered qualitative research techniques, conducting semi-structured interviews and oral history sessions with activists, union representatives, and business leaders. They also engaged in participant observation at demonstrations and organizational meetings, experiencing firsthand how environmental discourse is constructed and contested in real-world settings. The second semester shifted focus to digital humanities approaches, with students analysing social media data, policy documents, and press coverage to understand how climate narratives circulate and evolve in public discourse.

The pedagogical philosophy behind this approach was to bridge the gap between academic analysis and contemporary social engagement. Students didn’t merely study climate activism from a distance, but they encountered it directly, grappling with the ethical and methodological challenges of researching ongoing social movements. This immersive approach allowed them to understand not just what people say about climate change, but how they organize, mobilize, and make meaning in the face of an unprecedented global challenge.

The culmination of this three-semester journey was the production of a collaborative podcast series, “Let’s Talk about Climate”, broadcast on Radio ARA. This trilingual series offers a historical perspective on environmental activism in Luxembourg, drawing on interviews with experts and actors from different periods as well as press archives. The three episodes trace the evolution of ecological consciousness and climate action:

Episode 1: Les débuts d’une prise de conscience écologique dans les années 1970 à 1990 : du Club de Rome à la centrale nucléaire de Remerschen (in Luxembourgish) This episode explores the early emergence of ecological awareness in Luxembourg, from the influence of the Club of Rome’s warnings about planetary boundaries to local opposition against the planned nuclear power plant in Remerschen.

Episode 2: Les années 2000 : les débuts difficiles de la consommation bio et de la mobilité douce (in French) Focusing on the 2000s, this episode examines the challenging beginnings of organic consumption and sustainable mobility initiatives in Luxembourg, revealing how environmental practices slowly entered mainstream discourse.

Episode 3: La mobilisation des jeunes : grèves scolaires pour le climat et nouveaux départs (in Luxembourgish) The final episode analyses youth mobilization, particularly the school climate strikes, and explores how new forms of environmental activism emerged in the 2010s and beyond.

This format challenged students to translate their academic findings into accessible public discourse, becoming climate communicators themselves. Through this exercise, they experienced firsthand the very processes of framing and alignment they had been studying, learning how scholarly knowledge can contribute to public debate about one of the defining issues of our time.

On this platform, you can explore the diverse findings that emerged from this research. You’ll discover how Luxembourg’s environmental landscape reflects broader European tensions between economic growth and ecological sustainability, between individual responsibility and systemic change, between local action and global coordination. The students’ work reveals the rich complexity of contemporary climate discourse, showing how abstract concepts like “carbon transition” become lived realities for different social groups, traced through decades of environmental activism and debate.

We invite you to listen to these episodes and discover how Luxembourg’s environmental story connects to broader European and global narratives about climate change. Through the voices of activists, experts, and ordinary citizens, these podcasts reveal that the climate crisis is not just about science and policy. It’s about people, communities, and the stories we tell ourselves about our shared future.