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Global Governance, Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Development, International Relations, International Law, International Studies, and 52 moreInternational Relations Theory, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Energy and Environment, Environmental Law, Development Studies, Environmental Management, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate change policy, Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies, Climate Politics, United Nations, Kyoto Protocol, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDGs post-2015, UNEP, Earth system governance, Globalization, Global Warming, Globalisation and Development, Global Justice, Global Studies, International Development, Nature Conservation, Anthropocene, Anthropocene studies, The Anthropocene, Anthropocene Theory, Anthropocene Age and Environment Security, Societal governance structures of the late anthropocene, Society in the Anthropocene, Societal governance strictures of the late anthropocene, Political Science, Environmental Science, Scientific Assessment, Sustainability Science, Social sustainability, Sustainability, Future Earth, Human Security, Environmental Security, Environmental Policy and Governance, Emvironmental Management, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations politics, Cosmopolitanism, World environment organization, Global Environmental Governance, Global Environmental Law and Governance, Global Environmental Politics, and Global (North/South) Environmental Politics edit
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I am a professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University, director of the ERC GlobalGoals project, ... moreI am a professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University, director of the ERC GlobalGoals project, founder of the Earth System Governance Project, and editor of the Earth System Governance journal.
I research new models for effective and equitable global governance in an era of human-caused planetary transformation and disruption. My work provides analytical groundwork for policy reform and charts detailed directions for new research. I propose ‘earth system’ governance as an empirical reality and a political necessity.
See www.frankbiermann.org for recent updates on my work and for my blog. edit
The scale, rate, and intensity of humans’ environmental impact has engendered broad discussion about how to find plausible pathways of development that hold the most promise for fostering a better future in the Anthropocene. However, the... more
The scale, rate, and intensity of humans’ environmental impact has engendered broad discussion about how to find plausible pathways of development that hold the most promise for fostering a better future in the Anthropocene. However, the dominance of dystopian visions of irreversible environmental degradation and societal collapse, along with overly optimistic utopias and business‐as‐usual scenarios that lack insight and innovation, frustrate progress. Here, we present a novel approach to thinking about the future that builds on experiences drawn from a diversity of practices, worldviews, values, and regions that could accelerate the adoption of pathways to transformative change (change that goes beyond incremental improvements). Using an analysis of 100 initiatives, or “seeds of a good Anthropocene”, we find that emphasizing hopeful elements of existing practice offers the opportunity to: (1) understand the values and features that constitute a good Anthropocene, (2) determine the ...
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In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The launch of this comprehensive and inclusive set of global goals was expected to lead,... more
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The launch of this comprehensive and inclusive set of global goals was expected to lead, among other things, to more integrative policymaking, which is widely seen as important for sustainability governance. In this article, we draw on a detailed empirical case study of the German government to analyze whether the launch of the SDGs has indeed strengthened policy integration and which mechanisms may account for this. With statistical methods and extensive network analysis, our analysis captures changes in horizontal, vertical, and sectoral policy integration between 2012 and 2019. In addition, we use semi-structured interviews to explore institutional, leadership, and ideational integration mechanisms. The study shows that sectoral and horizontal policy integration has increased after 2015, but that the SDGs still have not changed the conditions for system-wide policy integration. Our findings shed new light on the possibilities and limitations of integrative sustainability governance through global goals.
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Global Governance, Sustainable Development, United Nations, Environmental Policy and Governance, Environmental Sustainability, and 8 moreGlobal Environmental Governance, Germany, Development policy, German Government and Politics, Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The launch of this comprehensive and inclusive set of global goals was expected to lead,... more
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The launch of this comprehensive and inclusive set of global goals was expected to lead, among other things, to more integrative policymaking, which is widely seen as important for sustainability governance. In this article, we draw on a detailed empirical case study of the German government to analyze whether the launch of the SDGs has indeed strengthened policy integration and which mechanisms may account for this. With statistical methods and extensive network analysis, our analysis captures changes in horizontal, vertical, and sectoral policy integration between 2012 and 2019. In addition, we use semi-structured interviews to explore institutional, leadership, and ideational integration mechanisms. The study shows that sectoral and horizontal policy integration has increased after 2015, but that the SDGs still have not changed the conditions for system-wide policy integration. Our findings shed new light on the possibilities and limitations of integrative sustainability governance through global goals.
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Global Governance, Sustainable Development, United Nations, Sustainability (Organisational Strategy), Environmental Policy and Governance, and 11 moreEnvironmental Sustainability, Germany, Sustainability Reporting, German Government and Politics, Sustainability of Germany, Environmental Policy and Management, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDGs post-2015, UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), and German Environmental Policy
In 1992, governments worldwide agreed to work towards a more sustainable development that would eradicate poverty, halt climate change and conserve ecosystems. Although progress has been made in some areas, actions have not been able to... more
In 1992, governments worldwide agreed to work towards a more sustainable development that would eradicate poverty, halt climate change and conserve ecosystems. Although progress has been made in some areas, actions have not been able to bend the trend in other, critical areas of sustainable development – areas such as those providing access to sufficient food and modern forms of energy, preventing dangerous climate change, conserving biodiversity and controlling air pollution. Without additional effort, these sustainability objectives also will not be achieved by 2050. This report analyses how combinations of technological measures and changes in consumption patterns could contribute to achieving a set of sustainability objectives, taking into account the interlinkages between them. The potential exists for achieving all of the objectives. The fundamental question here relates to the type of governance structures that could bring about the transformative changes required to meet the sustainable development objectives. We suggest a pragmatic governance approach that consists of a shared vision for 2050, strengthened short-term targets, and strong policy actions by governments, building on the strength of civil society and business.
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Aligning private finance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promises to close the multi-trillion-dollar SDG ‘financing gap’ while unlocking trillions more in market opportunities. This article explores the processes mobilised... more
Aligning private finance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promises to close the multi-trillion-dollar SDG ‘financing gap’ while unlocking trillions more in market opportunities. This article explores the processes mobilised for this alignment in Indonesia, an emerging country exemplified as a site where such opportunities are profuse. We do so through assessing modalities of planning, prototyping and building project pipelines designed to facilitate market development for green and SDG bonds. As these types of bonds are supposedly used only to finance socially and environmentally beneficial projects, they are placed at the forefront of innovations to align financial returns with sustainable development outcomes. To make sense of what these forms of innovative finance do, we weave scholarship on the financialisation of development and on (shifting) governance practices surrounding the development project, together with empirical material gathered from SDG finance events, document analysis and semi-structured interviews. We argue that the processes shaping market development for green and SDG bonds functionally iterate upon and extend an open-ended project of making development legible to capital: to see and act on the SDGs as an investable proposition. This legibility rests upon and engenders standard(ising) techniques to define what counts as ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ in ways that (in)visibilise impacts, promising – albeit speculatively – the realisation of social, environmental and financial goals. Here, the SDGs provide the institutional locus to enliven this promise, erasing the unevenness of finance-oriented development and legitimising capitalist modes of ‘seeing’ and ‘doing’ development around this promissory imaginary.
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There is a growing consensus in the literature that governance architectures matter. However, we lack sufficient knowledge about their emergence, dynamics and impacts. This concluding chapter summarizes all insights in the book... more
There is a growing consensus in the literature that governance architectures matter. However, we lack sufficient knowledge about their emergence, dynamics and impacts. This concluding chapter summarizes all insights in the book Architectures of Earth System Governance, and emphasizes how this book has made a scientific contribution by enhancing conceptual clarity, synthesizing a decade of intense research, and charting directions for future research. The book has made at least one point clear: the ‘architecture lens’ offers a bird’s-eye view on the global governance landscape that is highly valuable in explaining outcomes of world politics. The architectures matter in how institutions interact with others, how institutions are entangled with others in larger regime complexes and how institutions are affected by broader architectures that are more or less fragmented or polycentric. In this concluding chapter, we also illustrate how such key insights gained could inform a set of transformative policy proposals regarding the architecture of earth system governance.
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Information and communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly used to engage civil society in intergovernmental negotiations on sustainable development. They have emerged as a potential remedy to the democratic legitimacy deficit that... more
Information and communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly used to engage civil society in intergovernmental negotiations on sustainable development. They have emerged as a potential remedy to the democratic legitimacy deficit that pervades traditional mechanisms for civil society representation and, ultimately, intergovernmental policymaking. However, many observers have contested the benefits of ICT for democratization on both theoretical and empirical grounds. This article contributes to this debate by evaluating the democratic legitimacy of ICT in civil society consultations in intergovernmental policy, taking the numerous online dialogues of the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 conference) as a case study. The article argues that, despite its promise, ICT reinforce rather than reverse embedded participatory inequalities in a global context, and fail to substantially increase transparency and accountability. This prevents, in turn, a meaningful participation of civil societ...
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The chapter focuses on the inclusion of “governance goals” in global goal-setting mechanisms, especially the Sustainable Development Goals, and is centred on a question; can better governance, in itself, be a subject for global goal... more
The chapter focuses on the inclusion of “governance goals” in global goal-setting mechanisms, especially the Sustainable Development Goals, and is centred on a question; can better governance, in itself, be a subject for global goal setting? We focus in this chapter on three core qualities of governance, which are good governance, effective governance, and equitable governance. In our understanding, “good” governance focuses on qualitative characteristics of governance such as accountability, transparency, participation, and the rule of law. Effective governance looks at improving the overall problem-solving capacity of governance. Equitable governance focuses on the processes and distributive outcomes of governance, including the need to protect the interests of poor and vulnerable groups. The uncertain relationship between good, effective, and equitable governance shows the importance of monitoring indicators that are related to these concepts at various levels of aggregation, both in relation to particular goals and national or even local contexts.
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In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals built on and broadened the earlier Millennium... more
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals built on and broadened the earlier Millennium Development Goals, but they also signaled a larger shift in governance strategies. The seventeen goals add detailed content to the concept of sustainable development, identify specific targets for each goal, and help frame a broader, more coherent, and transformative 2030 agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to build a universal, integrated framework for action that reflects the economic, social, and planetary complexities of the twenty-first century. This book examines in detail the core characteristics of goal setting, asking when it is an appropriate governance strategy and how it differs from other approaches; analyzes the conditions under which a goal-oriented agenda can enable progress toward desired ends; and considers the practical challenges in implementation. Koleksi tersedia dalam bentuk elektronik. Jika membutuhkan, dapat menghubungi pustakawan melalui email perpustakaan[at]komnasham.go.id dan/atau perpustakaankomnasham[at]gmail.com atau dengan mengisi formulir di tautan berikut: s.id/kolek
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Transforming governance and institutions for a Planet under Pressure: Revitalizing the institutional framework for global sustainability-Key insights from social science research (one of nine policy briefs produced by the scientific community to inform the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustai...more
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Governance through goals, a relatively new global governance mechanism, has recently gained prominence, particularly since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through this mechanism, internationally agreed policy goals... more
Governance through goals, a relatively new global governance mechanism, has recently gained prominence, particularly since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through this mechanism, internationally agreed policy goals orchestrate the activities of governmental and non-governmental actors. This chapter argues that governance through goals has important effects on governance architectures and their degree and type of fragmentation. To analyze these effects, we review literature around four characteristics of governance through goals: their non-legally binding nature, weak global institutional arrangements, inclusive goal-setting processes and national leeway. We argue that alternative forms of bindingness, such as reporting and accountability mechanisms, can steer actors toward a shared vision. This may result in synergistic fragmentation if broad support is obtained through inclusive processes. However, tensions and cherry-picking may arise when goals are prioritized and implemented. Further research on the effects of governance through goals is crucial given that it is likely to maintain – and gain – importance in earth system governance.
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The Anthropocene requires of us to rethink global governance challenges and effective responses with a more holistic understanding of the earth system as a single intertwined social-ecological system. Law, in particular, will have to... more
The Anthropocene requires of us to rethink global governance challenges and effective responses with a more holistic understanding of the earth system as a single intertwined social-ecological system. Law, in particular, will have to embrace such a holistic earth system perspective in order to deal more effectively with the Anthropocene's predicaments. While a growing number of scholars have tried to reimagine law and legal scholarship in a more holistic way, these attempts remain siloed. What is required is a shared epistemic framework to enable and enhance collaborative intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and co-learning that go hand in hand with thorough transdisciplinary stakeholder engagement. We argue that the nascent concept of earth system law offers such an overarching epistemic framework. This article serves as an invitation to fellow explorers from various legal fields, other disciplines, and from a wide range of stakeholders to explore new frontiers in earth system law. Our aim is to further stimulate the study of earth system law, and to encourage collaboration and co-learning in a fertile epistemic space that we share.
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The effective integration of the environmental with the economic and social dimensions of sustainability will only succeed when the core problem perceptions of professionals in these fields adjust as well. Yet, while sustainability... more
The effective integration of the environmental with the economic and social dimensions of sustainability will only succeed when the core problem perceptions of professionals in these fields adjust as well. Yet, while sustainability integration in general has been thoroughly researched, few studies have analysed the specific role of subjective understandings among professionals. This article bridges this gap by asking how professionals understand and operationalise sustainability integration. Which factors shape their perceptions and practices? We present the results of an online survey that was circulated to a diverse sample of professionals and then analysed using statistical methods. Responses from 508 participants show that sustainability integration is mostly perceived as a balance across all three sustainability dimensions rather than a hierarchy with the environment at its basis. However, perceptions also vary significantly across professional and geographical contexts. This s...
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In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an “integrated and indivisible” set of policy objectives with the aim, among others, to unite the diverse and vast system of international organizations... more
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an “integrated and indivisible” set of policy objectives with the aim, among others, to unite the diverse and vast system of international organizations under one shared normative agenda. And yet, have these SDGs really become such an integrative force in global governance? Our conclusion here is negative, and our research suggests that the SDGs have not lived up to these high expectations. We find instead that the 17 global goals have not been taken up by a substantial group of international organizations, and some organizations rather cherry-pick those goals that best fit their own agenda and interests. To overcome these challenges and to fulfill the promise of integrated global sustainability governance enshrined in the SDGs, we propose three urgent actions: first, to further push the use of the SDGs across all international organizations, in particular regional organizations outside the United Natio...
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Law, Environmental policy, Global Governance, Political Science, Sustainable Development, and 9 moreUnited Nations, Environmental Policy and Governance, Environmental Sustainability, Global Environmental Governance, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDGs post-2015, and UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an "integrated and indivisible" set of policy objectives with the aim, among others, to unite the diverse and vast system of international organizations... more
In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an "integrated and indivisible" set of policy objectives with the aim, among others, to unite the diverse and vast system of international organizations under one shared normative agenda. And yet, have these SDGs really become such an integrative force in global governance? Our conclusion here is negative, and our research suggests that the SDGs have not lived up to these high expectations. We find instead that the 17 global goals have not been taken up by a substantial group of international organizations, and some organizations rather cherry-pick those goals that best fit their own agenda and interests. To overcome these challenges and to fulfill the promise of integrated global sustainability governance enshrined in the SDGs, we propose three urgent actions: first, to further push the use of the SDGs across all international organizations, in particular regional organizations outside the United Nations system; second, to facilitate better collaboration across policy domains; and third, to focus attention on those SDGs that are so far "left behind."
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Environmental policy, Global Governance, Sustainable Development, United Nations, Environmental Policy and Governance, and 8 moreEnvironmental Sustainability, Global Environmental Governance, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDGs post-2015, United Nations Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, and UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)
The effective integration of the environmental with the economic and social dimensions of sustainability will only succeed when the core problem perceptions of professionals in these fields adjust as well. Yet, while sustainability... more
The effective integration of the environmental with the economic and social dimensions of sustainability will only succeed when the core problem perceptions of professionals in these fields adjust as well. Yet, while sustainability integration in general has been thoroughly researched, few studies have analysed the specific role of subjective understandings among professionals. This article bridges this gap by asking how professionals understand and operationalise sustainability integration. Which factors shape their perceptions and practices? We present the results of an online survey that was circulated to a diverse sample of professionals and then analysed using statistical methods. Responses from 508 participants show that sustainability integration is mostly perceived as a balance across all three sustainability dimensions rather than a hierarchy with the environment at its basis. However, perceptions also vary significantly across professional and geographical contexts. This signifies the need to better account for how individual circumstances affect processes of integration.
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The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were an important precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, identifying the conditions that made the MDGs successful enhances our understanding of global goal-setting and informs... more
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were an important precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, identifying the conditions that made the MDGs successful enhances our understanding of global goal-setting and informs the global endeavour to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on a comprehensive review of 316 articles published between 2009 and 2018, we identify six factors that have enabled or hindered MDG implementation. Our analysis stresses the importance of path dependencies and shows that the MDGs catalysed changes only for those countries with sufficient resource availability, administrative capacity and economic development, as well as adequate support from external donors. National ownership and NGO pressure bolstered efforts to implement the MDGs. These findings suggest that globally agreed goals do not easily trickle down from the global to the national level. Thus, this article adopts a forward-looking perspective and draws key lessons for the current implementation of the SDGs in developing countries.
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Development Studies, Sustainable Development, Environmental Policy and Governance, Environmental Sustainability, Globalisation and Sustainable Development, and 7 moreGlobal Environmental Governance, Global Warming, Millennium Development Goals, Development Studies and Public Policy, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, Sustainability, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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While most of today's global challenges are deeply interconnected, international organizations often operate in silos. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, have been advanced as a new agenda to... more
While most of today's global challenges are deeply interconnected, international organizations often operate in silos. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, have been advanced as a new agenda to break up these silos and to better integrate environmental, social and economic policies. Yet little is known about whether the SDGs had any effects in advancing policy integration. To investigate this, we conducted a quantitative content analysis on the website texts of 159 international organizations. Our study addresses two questions: (1) whether international organizations increasingly engage with the SDGs in their work; and (2) whether this engagement increased their attention for policy integration. Our results show that the SDGs are indeed increasingly used by most international organizations. However, this has not affected policy integration. We conclude with some possible explanations for this lack of effect and propose several research avenues.
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Business, Global Governance, Sustainable Development, United Nations, Environmental Sustainability, and 8 moreGlobal Environmental Governance, United Nations Development Programme, Environmental Sciences, Environmental science and policy, United Nations Environment Programme, Economic Develompent, Sustainable Development Goals, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
1. Recognizing two decades of failure to achieve global goals and targets, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are in the final phase of negotiating a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework for the conservation, sustainable... more
1. Recognizing two decades of failure to achieve global goals and targets, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are in the final phase of negotiating a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework for the conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing of biodiversity. The framework attempts to set out pathways, goals and targets for the next decade to achieve positive biodiversity change. 2. This perspective intends to help that framework set people firmly as part of nature, not apart from it. Despite work done so far through four meetings, new thinking and focus is still needed on ‘what’ changes must be conceptualized and implemented, and ‘how’ those changes are to be delivered. To help achieve that new thinking, as a broad range of people, many with a focus on aquatic systems, we highlight six key foci that offer potential to strengthen delivery of the framework and break the ‘business as usual’ logjam. 3. These foci are as follows: (i) a reframing of the narrative of ‘people's relationship with the rest of nature’ and emphasize the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in delivering positive biodiversity change; (ii) moving beyond a focus on species and places by prioritizing ecosystem function and resilience; (iii) supporting a diversity of top-down and bottom-up governance processes; (iv) embracing new technologies to make and measure progress; (v) linking business more effectively with biodiversity and (vi) leveraging the power of international agencies and programmes.
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While most of today's global challenges are deeply interconnected, international organizations often operate in silos. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, have been advanced as a new agenda to... more
While most of today's global challenges are deeply interconnected, international organizations often operate in silos. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, have been advanced as a new agenda to break up these silos and to better integrate environmental, social and economic policies. Yet little is known about whether the SDGs had any effects in advancing policy integration. To investigate this, we conducted a quantitative content analysis on the website texts of 159 international organizations. Our study addresses two questions: (1) whether international organizations increasingly engage with the SDGs in their work; and (2) whether this engagement increased their attention for policy integration. Our results show that the SDGs are indeed increasingly used by most international organizations. However, this has not affected policy integration. We conclude with some possible explanations for this lack of effect and propose several research avenues.
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Global Governance, Sustainable Development, United Nations, Environmental Sustainability, Global Environmental Governance, and 5 moreUnited Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, Economic Develompent, Sustainable Development Goals, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were an important precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, identifying the conditions that made the MDGs successful enhances our understanding of global goal-setting and informs... more
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were an important precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hence, identifying the conditions that made the MDGs successful enhances our understanding of global goal-setting and informs the global endeavour to achieve the SDGs. Drawing on a comprehensive review of 316 articles published between 2009 and 2018, we identify six factors that have enabled or hindered MDG implementation. Our analysis stresses the importance of path dependencies and shows that the MDGs catalysed changes only for those countries with sufficient resource availability, administrative capacity and economic development, as well as adequate support from external donors. National ownership and NGO pressure bolstered efforts to implement the MDGs. These findings suggest that globally agreed goals do not easily trickle down from the global to the national level. Thus, this article adopts a forward-looking perspective and draws key lessons for the current implementation of the SDGs in developing countries.
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1. Recognizing two decades of failure to achieve global goals and targets, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are in the final phase of negotiating a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework for the conservation, sustainable... more
1. Recognizing two decades of failure to achieve global goals and targets, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are in the final phase of negotiating a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework for the conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing of biodiversity. The framework attempts to set out pathways, goals and targets for the next decade to achieve positive biodiversity change.
2. This perspective intends to help that framework set people firmly as part of nature, not apart from it. Despite work done so far through four meetings, new thinking and focus is still needed on ‘what’ changes must be conceptualized and implemented, and ‘how’ those changes are to be delivered. To help achieve that new thinking, as a broad range of people, many with a focus on aquatic systems, we highlight six key foci that offer potential to strengthen delivery of the framework and break the ‘business as usual’ logjam.
3. These foci are as follows: (i) a reframing of the narrative of ‘people's relationship with the rest of nature’ and emphasize the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in delivering positive biodiversity change; (ii) moving beyond a focus on species and places by prioritizing ecosystem function and resilience;
(iii) supporting a diversity of top-down and bottom-up governance processes;
(iv) embracing new technologies to make and measure progress; (v) linking business more effectively with biodiversity and (vi) leveraging the power of international agencies and programmes.
2. This perspective intends to help that framework set people firmly as part of nature, not apart from it. Despite work done so far through four meetings, new thinking and focus is still needed on ‘what’ changes must be conceptualized and implemented, and ‘how’ those changes are to be delivered. To help achieve that new thinking, as a broad range of people, many with a focus on aquatic systems, we highlight six key foci that offer potential to strengthen delivery of the framework and break the ‘business as usual’ logjam.
3. These foci are as follows: (i) a reframing of the narrative of ‘people's relationship with the rest of nature’ and emphasize the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in delivering positive biodiversity change; (ii) moving beyond a focus on species and places by prioritizing ecosystem function and resilience;
(iii) supporting a diversity of top-down and bottom-up governance processes;
(iv) embracing new technologies to make and measure progress; (v) linking business more effectively with biodiversity and (vi) leveraging the power of international agencies and programmes.
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The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, paved the way for a new hybrid global climate governance architecture with both bottom-up and top-down elements. While governments can choose individual climate goals and actions, a global stocktake... more
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, paved the way for a new hybrid global climate governance architecture with both bottom-up and top-down elements. While governments can choose individual climate goals and actions, a global stocktake and a ratcheting-up mechanism have been put in place with the overall aim to ensure that collective efforts will prevent increasing adverse impacts of climate change. Integrated assessment models show that current combined climate commitments and policies of national governments fall short of keeping global warming to 1.5 °C or 2 °C above preindustrial levels. Although major greenhouse gas emitters, such as China, the European Union, India, the United States under the Biden administration, and several other countries, have made new pledges to take more ambitious climate action, it is highly uncertain where global climate policy is heading. Scenarios in line with long-term temperature targets typically assume a simplistic and hardly realistic level of...
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ABSTRACT We performed a comparative analysis of eight case studies worldwide from the perspective of transboundary aquifer governance efficacy. First, we mapped variation in institutional design, applying institutional design criteria in... more
ABSTRACT We performed a comparative analysis of eight case studies worldwide from the perspective of transboundary aquifer governance efficacy. First, we mapped variation in institutional design, applying institutional design criteria in four dimensions linked to The OECD Principles on Water Governance. We then identified explanatory factors: (1) physical variables, including aquifer size and hydrogeological characteristics; (2) watershed variables, including groundwater exploitation capacity and water transfer infrastructure; and (3) political factors, including international donor support. We found that transboundary aquifer governance efficacy is closely linked to problem structure and less attributable to institutional design in the presence of specific contextual variables.
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This paper introduces the concept of earth system governance as a new social phenomenon, as a political programme, and as a subject of research. It then sketches the key problem structures that complicate earth system governance, and... more
This paper introduces the concept of earth system governance as a new social phenomenon, as a political programme, and as a subject of research. It then sketches the key problem structures that complicate earth system governance, and derives principles for earth system governance both as a political project and as research practice, namely credibility, stability, adaptiveness and inclusiveness. The main part of the paper introduces five research and governance challenges that lie at the core of earth system governance: architecture, agency beyond the state, the adaptive state, accountability, and allocation.
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Das Thema " Politik und Umwelt " weist über die Umweltpolitik als abgegrenztes Politikfeld hinaus. Die Bearbeitung der Herausforderungen, die aus der Konfrontation gegenwärtiger Gesellschaften mit der Begrenztheit natürlicher Ressourcen... more
Das Thema " Politik und Umwelt " weist über die Umweltpolitik als abgegrenztes Politikfeld hinaus. Die Bearbeitung der Herausforderungen, die aus der Konfrontation gegenwärtiger Gesellschaften mit der Begrenztheit natürlicher Ressourcen und der Zerstörung ökologischer Systeme erwachsen, hat die Inhalte, Strukturen und Prozesse der Politik umfassend verändert. In dem Band wird Umweltpolitik sowohl als ein Beispiel der allgemeinen Entwicklung politischer Systeme wie auch als Motor für deren Modernisierung beschrieben. Die einzelnen Beiträge berühren dabei grundlegende Problemstellungen der Politikwissenschaft. Sie diskutieren am Beispiel nationaler, internationaler und transnationaler Umweltpolitik Fragen nach dem Regieren jenseits des Nationalstaates oder in Mehrebenensystemen, den Entwicklungen und Veränderungen grenzüberschreitender Zusammenarbeit im internationalen System, dem Einfluss nicht-staatlicher Akteure, der Interdependenz und Integration verschiedener Politik-domänen, der staatlichen Handlungsautonomie und Steuerungsfähigkeit unter den Bedingungen von Globalisierung und internationalem Wettbewerb, sowie Probleme der Gerechtigkeit, Partizipation und Demokratie. Insgesamt spiegeln die Beiträge dabei die Vielfalt der methodischen Ansätze und theoretischen Orientierungen in der Politikwissenschaft wider. Sie zeigen, dass deren Anwendung in der Untersuchung der Umweltpolitik und ihrer besonderen Herausforderungen sowohl für die Gewinnung von praxisrelevantem Wissen als auch für die Weiterentwicklung der Disziplin fruchtbar ist. Ja, ich bestelle Fax +49(0)611.7878-420
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The notion of global governance is widely studied in academia and increasingly relevant to politics and policy making. Yet many of its fundamental elements remain unclear in both theory and practice. This book offers a fresh perspective... more
The notion of global governance is widely studied in academia and increasingly relevant to politics and policy making. Yet many of its fundamental elements remain unclear in both theory and practice. This book offers a fresh perspective by analyzing global governance in terms of three major trends, as exemplified by developments in global sustainability governance: the emergence of nonstate actors; new mechanisms of transnational cooperation; and increasingly segmented and overlapping layers of authority. The book, which is the synthesis of a ten-year " Global Governance Project " carried out by thirteen leading European research institutions , first examines new nonstate actors, focusing on international bureaucracies, global corporations, and transnational networks of scientists; then investigates novel mechanisms of global governance, particularly transnational environmental regimes, public-private partnerships, and market-based arrangements; and, finally, looks at fragmentation of authority, both vertically among supranational, international, national, and subnational layers, and horizontally among different parallel rule-making systems. The implications, potential, and realities of global environmental governance are defining questions for our generation. This book distills key insights from the past and outlines the most important research challenges for the future.
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International Relations, Climate Change, International Studies, International Law, Environmental Studies, and 12 moreClimate change policy, United Nations, Global Environmental Change, Environmental Sustainability, Global Environmental Governance, Global Warming, Global Environmental Politics, Political ecology, NGOs, sustainable development, biodiversity, agroecology, amazonia, brazil, global change, environmental actors, protect areas, nature conservation., United Nations Environment Programme, Global Warming Mitigation, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, and United Nations Environment Organization
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International Relations, International Relations Theory, International Law, International Development, International organizations, and 10 moreUnited Nations, Global Environmental Governance, International Environmental Law, Global Environmental Politics, International Environmental Law and Policy, United Nations Environment Programme, Global (North/South) Environmental Politics, Global Warming/environment and Sustainable Livelihood Technologies, United Nations Environment Organization, and World environment organization
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Research Interests:
... legitimacy 77 4.3 Accountability mechanism assessment targets 78 4.4 Partnership contributions to ... current professional focus is on new modes of governance in global en-vironmental ... of Business Administration, Emeritus at the... more
... legitimacy 77 4.3 Accountability mechanism assessment targets 78 4.4 Partnership contributions to ... current professional focus is on new modes of governance in global en-vironmental ... of Business Administration, Emeritus at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Governance, Umwelt, UNEP, Umweltpolitik, Umweltgovernance, Vereinte Nationen, Umweltpolitik, and 10 moreVereinte Nationen, Ostsee, Nordsee, Ozeanographie, International Maritime Organization (IMO), Tourismus Im Mittelmeerraum, Schifffahrtsgeschichte, Frankreichs Mittelmeerpolitik, Mittelmeer, and Meeresumweltpolitik
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... Politikinnovation auf der globalen Ebene. ... XVII the Research Vessel POLARSTERN Fahrbach Reports Polar and Marine Research Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven Aahke Hohmann Kierdorf Matthiessen... more
... Politikinnovation auf der globalen Ebene. ... XVII the Research Vessel POLARSTERN Fahrbach Reports Polar and Marine Research Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven Aahke Hohmann Kierdorf Matthiessen Vernaleken Parameterisierung ...
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Research Interests:
Freihandel und Umweltschutz, so die These dieses Papiers, schließen sich nicht aus. Sie erfordern jedoch begrenzte Reformen im Recht der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO), insbesondere mit Blick auf das Allgemeine Zoll- und Handelsabkommen... more
Freihandel und Umweltschutz, so die These dieses Papiers, schließen sich nicht aus. Sie erfordern jedoch begrenzte Reformen im Recht der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO), insbesondere mit Blick auf das Allgemeine Zoll- und Handelsabkommen (GATT). Unter anderem muß sichergestellt werden - hierfür bietet sich die geplante WTO-Jahrtausendrunde an -, daß weithin anerkannte internationale Umweltverträge, die Beschränkungen des Handels von ihren Parteien verlangen, mit dem Welthandelsrecht vereinbar bleiben. Andererseits müssen dem umweltpolitischen Unilateralismus der großen Welthandelspartner Schranken gezogen werden, um die Interessen der kleineren und schwächeren Staaten zu schützen. Dieses Spannungsfeld, so wird hier argumentiert, wäre zu lösen durch einen Beschluß der WTO-Ministerkonferenz zur verbindlichen Auslegung des GATT sowie des Übereinkommens über die Anwendung sanitärer und phytosanitärer Maßnahmen und des Übereinkommens über technische Handelshemmnisse. Diese Regeln sollten d...
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Research Interests:
Climate and Bureaucracy
This chapter analyses the extent to which recent trends in governance are likely to contribute to an encompassing industrial transformation. These trends are (1) the emergence and involvement of non-governmental actors in the policy... more
This chapter analyses the extent to which recent trends in governance are likely to contribute to an encompassing industrial transformation. These trends are (1) the emergence and involvement of non-governmental actors in the policy process, (2) the development and introduction of new instruments, and (3) the growing importance of the international and the subnational level of policy-making.
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... this includes issues such as local farming practices, which affect at Page 145. THE RATIONALE FOR A WORLD ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATION 129 This GEO concept is technically problematic, potentially unfair, and difficult to implement. First,... more
... this includes issues such as local farming practices, which affect at Page 145. THE RATIONALE FOR A WORLD ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATION 129 This GEO concept is technically problematic, potentially unfair, and difficult to implement. First, the terms' global environmental ...
Page 102. 4 Whose Experts? The Role of Geographic Representation in Global Environmental Assessments Frank Biermann Introduction Global environmental assessments are often hailed as the collective effort of the entire ...
... Stand from May ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Saline outflow from the Arctic Ocean its contribution the deep waters the Greenland Norwegian and Iceland Seas Journal Geophysical Research Aagaard Fahrbach Meincke Swift Structure and... more
... Stand from May ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Saline outflow from the Arctic Ocean its contribution the deep waters the Greenland Norwegian and Iceland Seas Journal Geophysical Research Aagaard Fahrbach Meincke Swift Structure and geological processes The ...