Green dreams or fossil schemes? Mapping Canada's green growth policy-planning network

Abstract

Green growth is a leading framework and project for addressing climate change. While social science research has challenged the possibility of green growth and the proposed means of achieving it, less work has examined the actors and business sectors that define, support and mobilize the project in different regions. Employing a neoGramscian lens and using tools of social network analysis and content analysis, this paper maps a green growth policy-planning network in Canada and considers its potential to support energy transition. It finds that while a tightly knit coalition has formed in support of green growth, fossil fuel firms and banks that heavily fund fossil fuel projects are central in the network. Consistent with ties to carbon firms, central policy organizations advance solutions that sustain the viability of the fossil fuel sector, as they emphasize the merits of reducing production emissions from fossil fuels, while avoiding or opposing policy to phase out the industry. The findings indicate a network that accommodates pressures for decarbonization while delaying energy transition. The Canadian case highlights the failure of green growth to challenge fossil fuel incumbents and vested interests, pointing to a key limitation of the project, especially in fossil fuel producing regions.