2026/04/25 by Vanessa Bowden, Daniel Nyberg, Christopher Wright · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Australian History and Society #Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism #Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/09644016.2026.2664291
openalex publication_date 2026/04/25 · openalex created_date 2026/04/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/22
Despite widespread public concern and mounting climate impacts, Australia’s climate policy remains stalled. This paper investigates how political, industrial, and environmental actors narrate climate change and each other, contributing to persistent inaction. Drawing on 62 interviews with key stakeholders, we identify three mechanisms – division, paralysis, and displacement – that sustain political inertia. These mechanisms operate through competing problem framings, strategic blame-shifting, and economic narratives that obscure the need for structural change. While existing literature has traced obstructionist tactics, our actor-centred analysis adds depth by showing how discursive interactions across stakeholder groups reproduce inertia, even in the absence of overt denial. Importantly, we argue that inertia is not merely passive but actively maintained by those with institutional power. By foregrounding the role of narrative in shaping climate politics, this study offers insight into the endurance of obstruction and the challenges of building coalitions for transformative climate action in Australia.