The Politics of Human Vulnerability to Climate Change: Exploring Adaptation Lock-ins in China and the United States

This book compares how the social consequences of climate change are similarly unevenly distributed within China and the United States, despite different political systems. It explores path-dependent factors that hinder climate adaptation by local governments, showing that vulnerability is a core component in both locations. The book challenges the assumption that developed countries have higher adaptive capacity than developing or emerging economies and interrogates the role of knowledge and political institutions in addressing social justice issues in adaptation.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into a comparative analysis of the social consequences of climate change in China and the United States, despite their distinct political systems. By examining the cases of Atlanta, USA, and Jinhua, China, Julia Teebken explores a set of path-dependent factors, known as "lock-ins," that hinder local governments' ability to effectively adapt to the root causes of vulnerability. These lock-ins contribute to the incremental nature of adaptation efforts in both locations, often focusing on environmental greening. Teebken challenges the notion that China's environmental authoritarian structures are better equipped to handle climate change-related challenges, while also questioning the superiority of certain aspects of the liberal democratic tradition of the United States in addressing social justice issues in the context of adaptation.

The book's findings contradict the widespread assumption that developed countries possess inherently higher adaptive capacity than developing or emerging economies. This volume holds significant appeal to students and scholars engaged in the fields of climate justice, vulnerability, climate adaptation, and environmental policy and governance.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032024042