National Oil Companies and Climate Discourses in Russia and Kazakhstan

• In Event: National Oil Companies and Climate Politics

Abstract

This paper aims to further our understanding of the role of national oil companies in climate politics by comparing two important actors: Russia and Kazakhstan. These states are major global oil producers and exporters, significant greenhouse gas emitters, and are both home to large and politically powerful national oil companies including Rosneft, Gazprom Neft, and KazMunayGas. Russia is a notorious climate laggard, while Kazakhstan has made some progress in advancing their climate agenda though like Russia still reluctant to move away from the fossil fuel dependent economy. Despite their significance in the global climate regime, both countries are understudied in the comparative literature on climate politics. In this paper, we draw on an extensive range of corporate and government documents, to understand the relationship between national oil companies and political institutions in Russia and Kazakhstan, and how these companies have responded to climate change. In particular, we seek to identify the discursive framings on climate change promoted by these companies in their efforts to shape the politics of climate and understand the similarities and differences between the two states.

Authors

• Ellie Martus, Griffith University

• Marianna Poberezhskaya, Nottingham Trent University

• Marat Karatayev, University of Graz