Climate policies, such as the EU’s Green Deal, pose serious challenges to the operations of energy companies, especially those that are strongly dependent on fossil fuels. This lecture is based on a joint study that explores the case of a Polish energy company PGE that operates a lignite mine in the Czech-Polish borderlands. Methodologically, the study is based on a combination of content and frame analysis.

In a public affairs campaign, PGE aimed to challenge the constraints imposed by the EU Green Deal and a CURIA (Court of justice of the EU) order to cease mining operations. In a skilfully designed corporate propaganda, PGE re-frames the Green Deal and delegitimizes the European institution so that the message ties in with anti-EU sentiments and thus establishes a viable connection to the conservative Polish public and the Eurosceptic right-wing politicians.