Call for papers: Special Issues of the journal Sustainability "The Oil and Gas Industry and Climate Change: Role and Implications"

[Marco Grasso]

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of the journal Sustainability aims to address a fast-growing concern in the academic and non-academic debate on climate change, namely: the role of the oil and gas industry, as well as the consequent implications for climate policy and politics, and for the governance of climate change.

By indiscriminately flooding the global economy with fossil fuels, oil and gas companies are the driving force behind the current carbon-intensive socio-economic system. Yet, they have somehow managed to dodge the bullet, so to speak—they have adroitly avoided being recognized for their role in it. To clarify, this Special Issue does not aim to downplay the role of other agents, like states, consumers, civil society, businesses, and stakeholders various, who must all contribute to defining the much-needed initiatives in order to support climate efforts. However, a novel, more effective approach for dealing with the disastrous consequences of the climate crisis should call attention to the significant role the oil and gas industry has played in engendering the climate problem, and place a burden on it to urgently help redress the situation accordingly.

In this vein, the Special Issue seeks articles that address this complex and multifaceted topic. In particular, works that consider the following:

- explore the contribution of the oil and gas industry to climate change in terms of tangible and intangible facts, which range from carbon emissions, to climate denial, to the actions that obstructed climate policy;
- investigate the responsibilities that, based on its contribution, the oil and gas industry should shoulder in relation to climate change;
- clarify the implications of such responsibilities on climate policy and the practical actions and strategies that they require of both private and public oil and gas companies, if they want to retain their social license to operate in a climate-shaken world.

Deadline: 30 June 2020

Further information: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/Oil_Gas_Industry_Climate_Change

Please do not hesitate to contact me (marco....@unimib.it) for doubts or clarifications.

Marco Grasso
Guest Editor