| dc.description.abstract | Climate change has over the last couple of decades come to be acknowledged by political leaders and decision makers around the world as one of the most serious threats facing humankind, and planet earth. The existing knowledge regarding the phenomenon has largely been accumulated by the use of natural sciences, but a growing number of research contributions are now looking to the social sciences to investigate the various social processes interlinked with climate change. Several of these contributions concern themselves with discourses, which are claimed to have the power to determine the range of actions and solutions thought of as appropriate to address the climate change issue. Within the field of international climate politics, it has been pointed out how discourses are interlinked with the national identity and role-adoption of states, and that these factors serve as a foundation for the behavior and approach of nations within this context. In this regard, Norway has been highlighted as an especially interesting case to study, primarily because of efforts to take on the role of a climate leader, while at the same time being a significant producer of oil and gas. This has been claimed to constitute a paradox, as these positions are generally regarded as contradictory within the field of climate politics. The earlier contributions regarding this topic are often interdisciplinary in nature, building on knowledge from various fields within the social sciences. This study borrows knowledge from international relations, political science, and social psychology. It does, however, primarily build on perspectives rooted within the field of sociology. In this study I conduct a qualitative discourse analysis, building on an overarching theory of discourse as well as theoretical assumptions gathered from earlier contributions regarding national identity, role-adoption, and the behavior and approach of states in international climate politics. Through searching for lasting representations and narratives, the following overarching research question is answered: How does Norway´s national identity and role-adoption impact the country´s behavior and approach in international climate politics? The data material consists of submissions and statements made on behalf of Norway to The United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change - which constitutes the main channel for international climate politics – during the decade leading up to the Paris Agreement (2005-2015). Additionally, the material includes transcripts from interviews with Norwegian representatives which participated in the negotiations during the studied period. In the first chapter of the analysis, I explore the national identity discourse of Norway in international climate politics, through the use of the following subsidiary research question; Which identities are used to construct Norway as a nation within the context of the UNFCCC negotiations? The findings indicate that four primary identities were used to construct Norway in the submissions and statements, these narrating the nation as a developed, Annex I country, an Umbrella Group Country, A country strongly concerned with the consequences for climate change, and a cooperative country. In the interview transcripts three additional identities were uncovered, representing Norway as a unique country, a neutral country and a trustworthy country. A storyline is discovered of Norway as a “small” country, which is constructed relationally through the use of significant “others” in which the country thus distances itself from. In the second chapter of the analysis, Norway´s role-adoption in international climate politics is explored. The subsidiary research questioned answered in this chapter is: Which roles does Norway adopt and perform in the UNFCCC negotiations, and how does these roles relate to the nation´s identity discourse and role prescriptions within this context? Through the submissions and statements, it is uncovered that Norway takes on the role as a climate leader, a generous aid-giver, and a policy entrepreneur. A role conception as a petroleum producer is additionally discovered, and in the interview transcripts there were also found signs of role-adoption as a bridge-builder. Signs of cognitive dissonance is discovered between the roles as a petroleum producer and a climate leader, which is discursively managed through the “small” storyline as well as the narration of Norway as an “ambitious petroleum producer”. The third chapter explores the last subsidiary research question: What kind of - and which specific - solutions to the climate change problem is promoted by Norway in the negotiations, and how does these relate to the country´s national identity discourse and role-taking within the UNFCCC context? It is found that Norway primarily promotes solutions which are global, technological, and cost-effective in nature, resonating with earlier research where there has been uncovered an ecological modernization discourse and an economism discourse in relation to Norway´s climate policy. It is lastly discussed how these solutions relates to Norway´s roles as a climate leader and a petroleum producer within this context. | eng |