Presentation short abstract

The presentation outlines the connections between different forms of social control mechanisms that emerge around the environmental and social harms caused by an EV battery factory in a Hungarian town, with a particular emphasis on the factors that contribute to the suppression of local resistance.

Presentation long abstract

How do local residents perceive the environmental harm and social conflict caused by an EV battery factory operating in their neighbourhood? What tools are available to the local civil organization, and what hinders their activities? The presentation outlines the points of connection between different forms of social control mechanisms that emerge around environmental harm, with particular emphasis on the factors that make mobilization difficult and contribute to the suppression of local resistance in an authoritarian context. The theoretical background of the presentation integrates social control theory into a green-cultural criminological framework, distinguishing between formal control (laws and institutions) and informal control (local resistance) of environmental harm. The case study illustrates how green transition policies can themselves generate new environmental harms and social conflicts, while the state prioritizes economic interests over environmental protection and public health. Due to weak institutional control, local resistance becomes the primary informal mechanism for addressing harm, yet authorities and corporate actors employ legal, administrative, rhetorical, and soft control tools to suppress it.