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Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability
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Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2020) | Viewed by 113138

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Maria Ivanova

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Guest Editor
Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security and Global Governance, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125-3393, USA
Interests: global governance; resilience and fragility; international organizations; science-policy interface; environmental conventions; climate change governance; United States foreign environmental policy; United Nations reform; sustainability on campuses and in organizations; Sustainable Development Goals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

“Reform is not a onetime action, it is a permanent attitude,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized upon taking office in 2017. Reform is indeed a perpetual state for the United Nations because the problems it seeks to address evolve over time and require new approaches and actions. However, reform also requires learning from past achievements and challenges. As the state of the global environment deteriorates progressively, governments and citizens are questioning the effectiveness of global environmental policy and governance. The system centers around the United Nations Environment Programme, the anchor institution for the global environment, and a series of multilateral environmental agreements on specific environmental issues. What have we accomplished through these institutions and why? Where have we encountered difficulties? And what can be done to improve environmental policy and governance in order to attain sustainability?

This Special Issue assesses the achievements and challenges in environmental governance globally and regionally, discusses the implementation of the reform efforts in environment and sustainable development to date, and offers a range of possible innovations in environmental policy and governance that would contribute to sustainability. It seeks to inform the reform initiatives in the United Nations and the debates within national governments and thus engages a number of scholars, policymakers, experts, and public opinion influencers from around the word.

Prof. Maria Ivanova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • global environmental policy
  • global environmental governance
  • sustainability
  • UN reform
  • 2030 Agenda
  • science-policy interface
  • multistakeholder governance

Published Papers (16 papers)

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21 pages, 1442 KiB  
Article
A Regional Response to a Global Problem: Single Use Plastics Regulation in the Countries of the Pacific Alliance
by Adriana Abril Ortiz, Dolores Sucozhañay, Paul Vanegas and Andrés Martínez-Moscoso
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8093; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12198093 - 01 Oct 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6525
Abstract
Unsustainable production and consumption patterns of single use plastics are causing worldwide negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts on land-based and marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, in Latin America, plastics governance is still fragmented across borders because of dispersed normative adoption and limited regional coordination. In [...] Read more.
Unsustainable production and consumption patterns of single use plastics are causing worldwide negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts on land-based and marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, in Latin America, plastics governance is still fragmented across borders because of dispersed normative adoption and limited regional coordination. In this context, the instrumental level of articulation between the international principles of environmental law and the formal legal arrangements from the Pacific Alliance countries is assessed to analyze how this strategic platform can contribute to offering a regional response to the global problem of single use plastics. For this purpose, an illustrative case study of the national and subnational regulation developed by the Pacific Alliance and its members was performed. To this end, a framework analysis was conducted on the official legal documents from Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The results show extensive and scattered subnational regulation to control the consumption of plastic bags and single use plastics, with diverse policies on extended producer responsibility, educational and economic strategies to influence mainly the consumer’s behaviour. Recommendations are presented in order to improve plastics governance in the region through the legal component. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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15 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Salience, Credibility and Legitimacy in a Rapidly Shifting World of Knowledge and Action
by David W. Cash and Patricio G. Belloy
Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7376; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12187376 - 08 Sep 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4804
Abstract
We are in a rapidly changing world where new dynamics are stressing the knowledge-action landscape: a greater understanding that cross-scale interactions are critical; increasing pressure to more fully address issues of equity in sustainable development challenges; rapidly transforming digital technologies; and the emergence [...] Read more.
We are in a rapidly changing world where new dynamics are stressing the knowledge-action landscape: a greater understanding that cross-scale interactions are critical; increasing pressure to more fully address issues of equity in sustainable development challenges; rapidly transforming digital technologies; and the emergence of a “post-truth world”. These stressors are ripening at a time in which there is increased urgency in linking knowledge to action to solve some of the earth’s most pressing human-environment problems. This paper explores to what degree one model of knowledge-action may be useful in the face of these stressors. This model relies on co-production of knowledge across boundaries, and the importance of knowledge in meeting criteria of salience, credibility and legitimacy. Tentative explorations suggest utility of this model in responding to the changing knowledge-action landscape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
23 pages, 3052 KiB  
Article
Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements: Rationale and Design of the Environmental Conventions Index
by Natalia Escobar-Pemberthy and Maria Ivanova
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 7098; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12177098 - 31 Aug 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 8981
Abstract
Global environmental conventions are created to address and resolve global environmental problems. Assessments of the achievement of specific environmental goals, however, indicate that there is room for progress and that improved collective action is required. Given the few existing studies that measure the [...] Read more.
Global environmental conventions are created to address and resolve global environmental problems. Assessments of the achievement of specific environmental goals, however, indicate that there is room for progress and that improved collective action is required. Given the few existing studies that measure the implementation of international environmental law, it is important to expand existing analytical frameworks about international environmental agreements and their translation into national policies. This article explains the rationale and design of the Environmental Conventions Index, an implementation measurement tool we have developed at the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The Index assesses the implementation of global environmental conventions in two clusters—conservation and pollution—showcasing the main trends for both countries and conventions. Using a mixed-method approach, we explain the development of this measurement tool as an instrument to inform policy changes at the national and global levels and present aggregate results of the analysis. As global environmental challenges in the conservation of natural resources and the persistence of pollutants become critical, assessment of countries’ performance on international environmental goals is essential. We offer an innovative method that provides academic analysis and policy input to improve implementation, and thus the effectiveness of these governance instruments in addressing global environmental challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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25 pages, 336 KiB  
Article
International Forest Governance and Policy: Institutional Architecture and Pathways of Influence in Global Sustainability
by Metodi Sotirov, Benno Pokorny, Daniela Kleinschmit and Peter Kanowski
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 7010; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12177010 - 27 Aug 2020
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6357
Abstract
This paper reviews the design of the international forest governance and policy, and analyses its impacts in addressing deforestation and forest degradation as global sustainability issues. Informed by literatures on international relations, regulatory governance of global commodity production, and international pathways of domestic [...] Read more.
This paper reviews the design of the international forest governance and policy, and analyses its impacts in addressing deforestation and forest degradation as global sustainability issues. Informed by literatures on international relations, regulatory governance of global commodity production, and international pathways of domestic influence, key arrangements are aggregated into six types, and mapped in terms of their main aims, instruments, and implementation mechanisms. Key analytical dimensions, such as the actors involved (state–private–mixed), the character of legal authority (legally binding–non-legally binding), and the geopolitical scope (global–transnational) helped to identify the potential and limitations of arrangements. They were assessed and compared in terms of their main pathways of influence such as international hard-law rules, cross-sectoral policy integration, non-legally binding norms and discourses, global market mechanisms, and direct access through capacity building. Our results reveal important challenges in the design and implementation, and in the pathways of influence, of the forest governance arrangements, including major inconsistencies with forest-adverse economic sectors. We conclude about the need for coherent international forest-related policy cooperation and integrative actions in agriculture, bioenergy, and mining to enhance the prospects of achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
20 pages, 353 KiB  
Article
The Role of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Emerging Issues of International Environmental Law
by Franz Xaver Perrez
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5680; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145680 - 15 Jul 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6956
Abstract
This article takes a closer look at the scientific, policy and catalytic functions of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its Assembly (UNEA) and UNEA’s role in addressing emerging issues in international environmental policy and law by examining two concrete examples. The [...] Read more.
This article takes a closer look at the scientific, policy and catalytic functions of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its Assembly (UNEA) and UNEA’s role in addressing emerging issues in international environmental policy and law by examining two concrete examples. The first shows how UNEA was able to contribute to the international environmental law on mercury: UNEA played a catalytic policy role by contributing to the development of international soft law, customary law, and treaty law. Further, UNEA played a policy shaping role by influencing the further development of key international environmental law principles in the negotiations of new environmental norms in other fora. The second example describes UNEA’s unsuccessful attempt to address geoengineering. Building on the two examples, the article identifies factors that support or impede the fulfilment of UNEA’s role in addressing emerging issues of international environmental policy and law. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
28 pages, 1661 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Sustainability in Traditional Agriculture: Indicators for Monitoring the Conservation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in Japan
by Sheryl Rose C. Reyes, Aya Miyazaki, Evonne Yiu and Osamu Saito
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5656; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145656 - 14 Jul 2020
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 6787
Abstract
The advent of modern technology in agriculture has increased the efficiency of our food production but also poses pressures on the sustainability of our planet. The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) [...] Read more.
The advent of modern technology in agriculture has increased the efficiency of our food production but also poses pressures on the sustainability of our planet. The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been developed to safeguard traditional agricultural systems of global importance, which harnesses the harmonious relationship between people and nature. First launched in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 to address the sustainable development of family agriculture and traditional farming practices for developing countries, it now has 59 sites located in 22 different countries as of March 2020. Despite almost two decades of its implementation, FAO has not set any requirements nor given guidance on monitoring of the conservation of GIAHS, but leaves it to the discretion of each GIAHS site to conduct voluntary self-evaluation. This study is a comprehensive review of all 11 GIAHS application proposals in Japan, which aims to (1) conduct characteristic analysis to identify elements and perspectives related to the GIAHS selection criteria, (2) understand the motivations and socioeconomic conditions, including challenges and opportunities related to the GIAHS application, so as to (3) propose a set of indicators and perspectives to address these challenges and opportunities for improving the application, monitoring, and management of the GIAHS. The study finds that motivations for applying to GIAHS designation are primarily driven by push factors of abandonment of traditional farming practices and farmlands and underuse of farming resources resulting from Japan’s decreasing and aging rural population, as well as the pull factor of biodiversity conservation. The importance of continuing traditional farming practices, cultural heritage, and involvement of various stakeholders are emphasized against the background of an aging farming population, rural-urban migration, youth exodus, poor maintenance of farmlands, and transferring traditional and local knowledge. By identifying the drivers of change and understanding the current socioeconomic conditions of the agricultural heritage systems in Japan as portrayed in the GIAHS application proposals, the study has clarified the strengths and challenges of the sustainability of these systems. Based on the analysis, the study proposes a comprehensive set of indicators to be considered when developing the GIAHS proposals and for updating the action plan for monitoring and managing the GIAHS sites. It is expected that the findings and recommended indicators will contribute not only in the improvement of the information integrity of future GIAHS proposals, but also as reference for the development and monitoring of GIAHS conservation action plans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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17 pages, 323 KiB  
Article
A Global Pact for the Environment: The Logical Outcome of 50 Years of International Environmental Law
by Yann Aguila
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5636; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145636 - 13 Jul 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5241
Abstract
The Global Pact for the Environment is a project for an international treaty that seeks to recognize the environmental rights and duties of citizens, states, and businesses. The text of the initial Pact project was drafted in June 2017 by a network of [...] Read more.
The Global Pact for the Environment is a project for an international treaty that seeks to recognize the environmental rights and duties of citizens, states, and businesses. The text of the initial Pact project was drafted in June 2017 by a network of over 100 environmental law experts from more than 40 countries. In May 2018, the United Nations General Assembly paved the way for its negotiation by adopting the resolution “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”. These talks resulted in a recommendation for states to adopt a “political declaration” in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference. This article retraces the origins of the Global Pact project and makes the case for its adoption. It argues that a Global Pact is the missing piece to implement the 2030 Agenda and would help to “constitutionalize” fundamental environmental principles. The article further responds to concerns raised about the Global Pact project, such as interactions with existing instruments, the applicability of broad principles at the national level, as well as the risk of regression. It ultimately asserts that all stakeholders would reap benefits from its procedural and substantive provisions, should it be adopted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
21 pages, 1461 KiB  
Article
Ecological City-States in an Era of Environmental Disaster: Security, Climate Change and Biodiversity
by John E. Fernández and Marcela Angel
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5532; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145532 - 09 Jul 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4000
Abstract
Recently, there has been increasing evidence of the emergence of systemic strains that threaten international cooperative efforts on global issues, especially climate change, biodiversity loss and security. Non-state actors have responded by declaring their commitment to work together alongside nations as climate agreements [...] Read more.
Recently, there has been increasing evidence of the emergence of systemic strains that threaten international cooperative efforts on global issues, especially climate change, biodiversity loss and security. Non-state actors have responded by declaring their commitment to work together alongside nations as climate agreements struggle to deliver the necessary global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, conservation goals are not met, and security issues diversify. A principal constituent of the world’s non-state actors are cities. With many cities now home to more than 10 million individuals and several cities of more than 20 million, the urban world has come to dominate the global economy as well as the resource needs and environmental burdens imposed upon the planet by our species. Urban economies are responsible for more than half of global greenhouse gas emissions and substantially affect the world’s biodiversity by driving the extraction of resources and the degradation of global natural capital. Cities have become concentrators of diverse risk that complicate and broaden global security priorities. Cities are also crucibles of innovation in technology, business and governance and strong alliances between the world’s cities have formed to address the challenges of climate change, biodiversity and more. This paper asserts the unique potential for cities to assume a greater role in global priorities, including climate change, biodiversity loss and a realignment of security priorities. The transformative changes required in these three domains calls for a renewal of the city as a semi-autonomous neo-state, an ecological city-state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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23 pages, 417 KiB  
Article
Youth Mobilization to Stop Global Climate Change: Narratives and Impact
by Heejin Han and Sang Wuk Ahn
Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4127; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12104127 - 18 May 2020
Cited by 125 | Viewed by 33715
Abstract
Galvanized by Greta Thunberg’s idea for Friday school strikes, “climate strikes” emerged in 2018 and 2019 as a form of youth social movement demanding far-reaching action on climate change. Youths have taken various actions to combat climate change, but academics have not paid [...] Read more.
Galvanized by Greta Thunberg’s idea for Friday school strikes, “climate strikes” emerged in 2018 and 2019 as a form of youth social movement demanding far-reaching action on climate change. Youths have taken various actions to combat climate change, but academics have not paid sufficient attention to youth climate mobilization. This study thus examines the questions of what has motivated youth to mobilize and how they have shaped global climate politics and governance. This study focuses particularly on the narrative of youth activists to address their understanding of climate change and their ideas regarding how to respond to it. Youth collective action has succeeded in problematizing global climate inaction and inertia and in framing climate change from a justice perspective, but activists have faced limitations in converting their moral legitimacy into the power required for sweeping changes. Overall, this study demonstrates the emergence of young people as agents of change in the global climate change arena and the urgency of engaging them in climate change governance and policymaking. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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26 pages, 4833 KiB  
Article
Fuzzy Cognitive Map Clustering to Assess Local Knowledge of Ecosystem Conservation in Ecuador
by Maritza Satama and Eva Iglesias
Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2550; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12062550 - 24 Mar 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3548
Abstract
Smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Ecuador have contributed widely to ecosystem conservation. Although they have been affected by the consequences of climate change, the synergy of Pachamama care and technical knowledge has become key to sustaining dynamics in their local territories. [...] Read more.
Smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Ecuador have contributed widely to ecosystem conservation. Although they have been affected by the consequences of climate change, the synergy of Pachamama care and technical knowledge has become key to sustaining dynamics in their local territories. This paper presents a combined methodology approach based on fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to capture perceptions of ecosystem conservation. The purpose was to assess the impact of the “Biocorridors for Living Well” program on the application of local knowledge by smallholder farmers. The findings showed that program managers had a limited narrow focus based on the general program ideology, whereas peasants’ perceptions revealed a more complex map, highlighting the importance of building capacities beyond sustainable agricultural techniques. Also, both groups were aware of the contribution of ecosystem conservation to rural development. However, it is essential to stress that the contribution of smallholder farmers to conservation was critical, and most of the time, their efforts were not valued. Therefore, to scale up program outcomes, national and international institutions require an understanding of local peasants’ perceptions to guarantee action sustainability and to avoid repetitive actions in their local territories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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15 pages, 553 KiB  
Article
Beyond the Right of Access: A Critique of the Legalist Approach to Dissemination of Climate Change Information in Kenya
by Joe Ageyo and Idah Gatwiri Muchunku
Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2530; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12062530 - 24 Mar 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3950
Abstract
Kenya has strengthened its climate change governance by developing national level instruments. Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration requires countries to ensure that each individual has appropriate access to public environmental information. Kenya has anchored the right to information in its constitution and [...] Read more.
Kenya has strengthened its climate change governance by developing national level instruments. Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration requires countries to ensure that each individual has appropriate access to public environmental information. Kenya has anchored the right to information in its constitution and the 2016 Access to Information Act. However, this legalist approach has left a translation gap since climate change information is availed in a form and language that is largely inaccessible to the public. To address the gap, this study reviewed the effectiveness of dissemination and access to climate change information among Kenyans as a measure of the country’s fidelity to the decisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, to which it is party. The study, guided by the diffusion of innovations theoretical framework and the encoding/decoding model, adopted a qualitative research design. Desk research and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Results revealed that the current dissemination practices of climate change information in Kenya were not effectively reaching grassroots communities due to socio-economic and language barriers. The study recommends repackaging the information into vernacular and non-scientific narratives that resonate with the daily experiences of local Kenyan communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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12 pages, 248 KiB  
Article
The Outcome of the Negotiations on the Global Pact for the Environment: A Commentary
by Géraud de Lassus St-Geniès
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 877; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12030877 - 24 Jan 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2470
Abstract
In May 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”. This resolution established an intergovernmental working group to discuss the opportunity to open treaty negotiations to codify the fundamental principles of international environmental law into [...] Read more.
In May 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution “Towards a Global Pact for the Environment”. This resolution established an intergovernmental working group to discuss the opportunity to open treaty negotiations to codify the fundamental principles of international environmental law into a treaty dubbed the Global Pact for the Environment. In May 2019, the intergovernmental working group completed its mandate and adopted a set of recommendations that were formally endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in August 2019. Contrarily to what the supporters of the Global Pact for the Environment project had hoped for, the working group only recommended the preparation of a “political declaration” without referring to the codification of the principles of international environmental law. This paper offers a critical commentary of the outcome of these negotiations. The analysis suggests that the decision to elaborate a Global Pact for the Environment would have entailed considerable risks for international environmental law and that if adopted, this instrument would not have necessarily helped to increase the problem-solving capacity of international environmental law. Based on the language used in the recommendation to prepare a “political declaration”, the paper also discusses some of the key elements that could shape and inform the upcoming negotiations of this declaration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
19 pages, 1020 KiB  
Article
Intergenerational Dialogue, Collaboration, Learning, and Decision-Making in Global Environmental Governance: The Case of the IUCN Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability
by Melanie Zurba, Dominic Stucker, Grace Mwaura, Catie Burlando, Archi Rastogi, Shalini Dhyani and Rebecca Koss
Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 498; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12020498 - 08 Jan 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6023
Abstract
This article provides evidence and a rationale based on adaptive governance studies for why creating meaningful youth engagement should be understood in terms of intergenerational dialogue, collaboration, learning, and substantive decision-making in global environmental governance. We have centered our discussion on the International [...] Read more.
This article provides evidence and a rationale based on adaptive governance studies for why creating meaningful youth engagement should be understood in terms of intergenerational dialogue, collaboration, learning, and substantive decision-making in global environmental governance. We have centered our discussion on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as the largest global conservation organization. Through an organizational ethnography approach, we have demonstrated how generational concerns within the IUCN have been framed in terms of participation, and then present the IUCN Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability (IPS) as a case study of a grassroots movement that is focused on transforming the IUCN towards being a fully intergenerational global governance system for nature conservation. We have described the development of intergenerational thinking and action within the IUCN, and discussed intergenerational governance as being essential for addressing nature conservation challenges faced by local communities in times of increasing global uncertainty. We conclude by providing recommendations for enhancing intergenerational dialogue and building intergenerational governance structures within global conservation organizations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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13 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Earth System Law for the Anthropocene
by Louis J. Kotzé
Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6796; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11236796 - 29 Nov 2019
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6051
Abstract
Law has failed to address the ever-deepening socio-ecological crisis of the Anthropocene. In the light of, and as a response to, law’s failures in this respect, this paper argues in support of developing a new legal paradigm for the Anthropocene epoch called Earth [...] Read more.
Law has failed to address the ever-deepening socio-ecological crisis of the Anthropocene. In the light of, and as a response to, law’s failures in this respect, this paper argues in support of developing a new legal paradigm for the Anthropocene epoch called Earth system law. It does so first by briefly describing the Anthropocene trope and the extent and dimensions of its socio-ecological crisis. The paper then specifically focuses on international environmental law as an example of how and why law has become incapable of, and inappropriate for, addressing this crisis, and for being unable to respond to the Anthropocene’s regulatory demands. By drawing on three Earth system-related regulatory implications of the Anthropocene trope (i.e., inclusivity, interdependencies and complexity), the final part of the paper makes out a case in support of reforming law and creating a new Earth system oriented legal paradigm that is fit for purpose in the Anthropocene epoch. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
19 pages, 5243 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Institutional Knowledge for Community Participation in Co-Management
by Ayonghe Akonwi Nebasifu and Ngoindong Majory Atong
Sustainability 2019, 11(20), 5788; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su11205788 - 18 Oct 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2727
Abstract
Critics of participation often examine the undesirable consequences of state-led systems without much analysis of institutional knowledge at the local level. In this paper, we investigate whether smaller institutions could offer useful knowledge for meeting the development needs of local people. Using participation [...] Read more.
Critics of participation often examine the undesirable consequences of state-led systems without much analysis of institutional knowledge at the local level. In this paper, we investigate whether smaller institutions could offer useful knowledge for meeting the development needs of local people. Using participation theory and related literature on development and power, we investigate a co-management system in communities around Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP), in sub-Saharan West Africa. Our study adopts a multimethod approach to survey officials in 16 agencies and locals in 17 village groups. The findings indicate factors that hinder the effectiveness of local participation and avenues by which institutional knowledge can be customized to meet local development priorities. This system of participation, we conclude, could work better through open dialogue that is explicitly accountable and transparent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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18 pages, 244 KiB  
Perspective
The Science-Policy Nexus: U.S. Policy and International Environmental Governance
by Melinda L. Kimble
Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12229515 - 16 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1721
Abstract
In June 1991 I was reassigned from the Bureau of Near East Affairs within the U [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Environmental Policy and Governance in Sustainability)
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