ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the phenomenon of “green populism” within the context of increasing climate change contestation, where digital media plays a crucial role in the creation of new forms of knowledge. We explore how green populist groups use discursive antagonism, positioning the people against the elite, to frame climate issues. Digital media facilitates the formation of counterpublics where populist discourses and identities challenge mainstream climate politics and hegemonic knowledge. Our proposed model conceptualises counterpublics as sites of identity production (either progressive or sceptical), discourse (antagonistic relations between the people and the elite), and knowledge (challenging and creating new forms of expertise). Through the cases of Scientist Rebellion and Klimarealisme in Denmark, we illustrate how green populism operates across ideological, identity, and knowledge dimensions. Scientist Rebellion emphasises scientific truth (science- and academic-based) and anti-elitism, while Klimarealisme critiques mainstream climate science and political actions. This analysis highlights the importance of understanding green populism’s impact on climate politics, communication, and knowledge production. We suggest future research to explore the relationship between populist counterpublics and conspiracy theories, the convergence of climate concerns with other political issues, and the interplay between online and physical spheres.
