‘The green, green grass of home’; an eco linguistic analysis of the environmental responsibility urban discourse of Europe's most polluted cities

Ever-growing urbanization, unsustainable consumption, and industrialization continue to cause severe environmental effects and accelerate ecological degradation. In response, cities have increasingly started utilizing green-economy focused initiatives to enhance their urban image and appeal to a growing number of environmentally conscious visitors. Therefore, discourses of environmental responsibility and ecological modernization remain critical in counteracting ineffective passive environmental protection and societal attitudes. This study aims to identify and scrutinize the eco-linguistic aspects of such 'environmental responsibility' urban discourse in several polluted European cities. In particular, it seeks to examine the discourse construction of environmental responsibility appeals and determine whether individual or collective environmental action is legitimated thereby. Results show environmental responsibility urban discourse as progressively transitioning from focusing on effects and consequences to emphasizing opportunities and solutions. The study is important in providing mitigation strategies to foster global discourses of sustainability and translate environmental responsibility discourses into local programs of action to effectively address urban pollution and the challenges of civic environmentalism.