Another State is Possible

Governments aren't arresting climate change. What's stopping them? And how can they start? The Paris Agreement was meant to mark a turning point in the fight against climate change. Yet a decade later, the world remains dangerously off track. Why have governments failed to meet their commitments? Another State is Possible tackles the paradox at the heart of the climate crisis: despite the renewed ambition of international agreements and a collective commitment to state action, global emissions have continued to rise. Political economist Rosie Collington presents a clear-eyed diagnosis of the systemic failures driving climate inaction. She challenges the conventional excuses of the state - pandemics, wars and economic shocks - and lays bare the real problem: the flawed logic of 'Green State Capitalism', an approach that ties environmental objectives to capitalist economic expansion. By dissecting its mechanisms, from financing and industrial policy to scientific expertise, she spotlights both the promises and flaws of state-led climate action and exposes its contradictions. Despite their shortcomings, governments are the best vehicle for limiting global warming and preventing ecological collapse. It is only by understanding the root causes of governmental failure that we can redefine what and who the state exists for. Collington offers a vision for reshaping state structures and explores how we can work together to achieve it. The message is clear: change is within reach. Another state is possible.