The sky of the EU principles and the ground of their (concrete) application: conflicts in contemporary environmental movements

The European Green Deal has been launched by the European Commission as response to the climate crisis and the environmental-related challenges, including the loss of biodiversity, increasing pollution of oceans and destruction of forests. It prescribes a set of policies which are expected to promote a green and just transition at the same time ensuring economic growth. While the ultimate goal is to achieve zero greenhouses gas emissions by 2050, the Deal also states that “this transition must be just and inclusive. It must put people first, and pay attention to the regions, industries and workers who will face the greatest challenges” (European Commission 2019). Moreover, it must also entail “active public participation” as “confidence in the transition is paramount if policies are to work and be accepted” (ibid.). As the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is a major pillar of the European Green Deal, the present paper verifies whether and how the conditions for environmental justice and inclusion are met at the local level of environmental mobilization in cases of implantation of wind turbines in hills. What happens in local communities when a place is chosen a site for a wind turbines plant? The study of the “Villore case” in the countryside in Tuscany shows that a fracture emerges between citizens supporting the projects and citizens opposing them, though both advancing ecological concerns. Using the lens of social movement studies, the paper maps the reasons of opposing groups, showing that at least three of the prerequisites by the European Commission for a green and just transition are not met, namely respect of biodiversity, attention to the specificity of the regions, and active public participation, and highlighting a conflict in contemporary environmental movements, which can possibly undermine the “confidence in the transition”. From this point of view, social movement studies can contribute to “eco-social” literature by providing a broader understanding of the concept as to include a bottom-up vision of what is “eco” and what is “social” that goes beyond a merely economic understanding of social benefits as to embrace also social cohesion, and respect of place as source of collective identity and well-being. Bibliography: European Commission. (2019). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: “the European Green Deal”, Com(2019) 640 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1588580774040&uri=CELEX%3A52019DC0640