Campus Fossil Fuel Divestment (CFFD) Counter-Repertoires

Under the contentious politics theoretical framework the actions of activists are understood metaphorically as a particular set of 'performances' drawn from a broader potential 'repertoire.' The expectation within the framework is that as activist repertoires are deployed defenders of the status quo will undertake performances of their own to avoid taking the actions demanded. My thesis overall examines how organizing CFFD campaigns affected the political beliefs and behaviours of activists. This excerpt catalogues the main counter-repertoires resisting fossil fuel divestment on the part of universities, the fossil fuel industry, and governments. It is relevant both for activists seeking to critically assess the movement and for scholars designing protective ethics protocols for use with activist research participants.