Presentation short abstract

This article explores the potential for climate solidarity by analysing Niger Delta oil workers’ articulated social and environmental interests. Interests should be empirically explored, not theoretically assumed, as it is crucial for workers’ agency.

Presentation long abstract

This article explores the social relations and environmental experiences of Nigerian oil workers, as a potential basis for climate solidarity. Our starting point is that interests are the foundation for building climate alliances. In much academic literature, workers’ interests in relation to the environment are assumed, rather than empirically studied. We emphasise that interests need to be subjectively experienced to be relevant and actionable, and consequently researchers need to engage with how workers’ express interests. Based on interviews with four groups of oil workers, our analysis shows that they depict a social landscape that is deeply fragmented, and which is a challenge to solidarity. However, they also describe these disconnections from others as manipulated by state and capital to undermine their agency. Further, they express an interest in improving the environment and climate change, as its impacts negatively affect their own and families’ health, safety and lives. This indicates a potential for climate solidarity—not necessarily to phase out petroleum, but to reduce emissions and pollution. Such alliances could contribute to enhancing oil workers’ agency.