Setting targets is not enough: discursive contestation of climate change related policies in Latvian society

In order to meet the ambitious goals of the European Green deal, the member states of the European Union (EU) face a double challenge of initiating rapid reforms and convincing societies to participate in them. Though considerable resources are devoted to communicate climate goals to the public the effects of communication can hardly be controlled by governments. People perceive things differently, therefore a closer look is needed at the perception side of the communication. Informed by the strategic narrative conceptual framework, which highlights the importance of perception in the persuasive power of strategic narratives, this study explores how climate change and related policies are perceived in Latvian society. Applying a method of narrative analysis to the analysis of websites of 32 organisations representing Latvian society in the period from January 1, 2020, till December 31, 2021, as well as carrying out semi- structured interviews with a selected sample of the organisations, the study reveals different levels of acceptance of political ambitions about green transition in Latvian society. Though climate change related policies attract an increasing attention, narratives are fragmented and contest the official endeavours. On the one hand, reality and threat of climate change, as well as a need for an ambitious EU climate policy is recognised. On the other hand, there is a scepticism about government’s abilities, intentions and honesty regarding implementation of climate-friendly policies. The costs of green transition for Latvian economy and society are underlined, as well as an imbalance between environmental, economic and social goals. The opaque and exclusive process of climate policy making is criticised. Nevertheless, an explicitly formulated climate denial is not observed in the narratives of Latvian society. This study implies that narratives predict action, therefore analysis of perception side of the official political narratives provides both the scientists and the policy-makers with the knowledge on the obstacles the transition to climate neutrality might face.