Green Divide: Coalition Dynamics in the Low-Carbon Transition Movement

• In Event: How Politics and Policy Impact Energy-Related Processes and Outcomes

Abstract

The transition to low-carbon energy presents a paradoxical challenge: achieving climate goals demands land-use changes that may conflict with traditional conservation priorities. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), this study examines how such “green dilemmas” shape coalition dynamics among environmental nonprofits, citizen groups, and other key policy actors in the northeastern United States. 

Through semi-structured interviews (n = 25) with organizational leaders, we explore how belief systems influence positions on renewable energy siting, balancing the urgency of climate action with broader environmental protection. We employ a hybrid deductive–inductive thematic coding strategy guided by the ACF’s hierarchical belief structure, supplemented by Punctuated Equilibrium Theory’s concept of policy image to capture how framing strategies can amplify or attenuate intra- and inter-coalitional tensions. 

Preliminary analysis suggests that, while shared deep core beliefs often motivate collective climate advocacy, variations in policy core and secondary beliefs regarding siting criteria, procedural requirements, and development timelines produce distinct advocacy stances. Our findings highlight how severe external threats—such as accelerating climate change—can transform coalition alliances, offering insights for both policy scholars studying belief system evolution and practitioners navigating trade-offs between immediate conservation goals and long-term decarbonization imperatives.

Author

• Juniper Katz, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  Presenting Author