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Category: Project

Description: Scholars of comparative and international politics are increasingly interested in how, at the subnational level, major economic adjustments such as climate change mitigation and emissions abatement fuel public opposition to international institutions that foster these policy changes. It remains unclear how policy costs explain the public perceptions of international institutions in charge, and whether the effects are the same across exposed communities. We argue that vulnerability to climate policy costs pushes communities to lash out against international organizations spearheading climate action. At the same time, different subnational communities will have different relationships with the central government that should protect them from these adjustment costs. Thus, the link between policy vulnerability and backlash against international organizations is moderated by the regional politics of subnational communities, specifically their relationship with the national government. We test this argument with new survey data from the United Kingdom and show that opinions on international climate cooperation differ among communities that are likely losers from ambitious climate policy as a function of their regional politics vis-à-vis national representation. These findings characterize conditions under which local politics can attenuate—rather than exacerbate—opposition to international climate politics.