Van woord naar daad. Discoursen van Vlaamse organisaties die klimaatgerelateerde ontwikkelingsprojecten realiseren in het Globale Zuiden.

Mainstream views of climate change and development cooperation are challenged by critical theories that centre attention on historically shaped injustices. Development organisations that undertake climate related projects inevitably need to address this debate. For this reason, world ecology, climate justice and theories about (post)development, decolonisation and (de)growth are explored to gain insight in issues regarding climate change and development cooperation. Acknowledging climate justice and decolonising is not exclusively about actions but also about words that inform actions. Therefore, these theories are used as frameworks to analyse the discourses of development organisations that undertake climate related projects. For this thesis, eleven interviews with nine different organisations were conducted. Results indicate significant differences in degree of orientalism and othering between organisations: some organisations use stereotyping of the Global South when talking, others are more cautious. While historical responsibilities of the Global North in CO2 emissions are recognized, pressure on natural resources is framed as being caused by the Global South. Development cooperation and not international cooperation and solidarity is still the main paradigm, as (financial) trust and perceptions on expertise contradict the principles of equal partnership. Although organisations seem to be aware of changing paradigms in the sector of development cooperation, (implicit) assumptions continue to negate climate justice and critical development theories.

Keywords: climate justice, world ecology, discourse analysis, development organisations, decolonisation, orientalism