Global Environmental Governance
Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies
Global Environmental Governance offers the essential information, theory, and practical insight needed to tackle this critical challenge. It examines ten major environmental threats-climate disruption, biodiversity loss, acid rain, ozone depletion, deforestation, desertification, freshwater degradation and shortages, marine fisheries decline, toxic pollutants, and excess nitrogen-and explores how they can be addressed through treaties, governance regimes, and new forms of international cooperation.
Written by Gus Speth, one of the architects of the international environmental movement, and accomplished political scientist Peter M. Haas, Global Environmental Governance tells the story of how the community of nations, nongovernmental organizations, scientists, and multinational corporations have in recent decades created an unprecedented set of laws and institutions intended to help solve large-scale environmental problems. The book critically examines the serious shortcomings of current efforts and the underlying reasons why disturbing trends persist. It presents key concepts in international law and regime formation in simple, accessible language, and describes the current institutional landscape as well as lessons learned and new directions needed in international governance. Global Environmental Governance is a concise guide, with lists of key terms, study questions, and other features designed to help readers think about and understand the concepts discussed.
Contents
Preface
Chapter I- Introduction: Toward Planetary Stewardship
Stewardship Assignments: A Thought Experiment
The Real World: Only One Earth
Chapter II- Global-Scale Environmental Challenges
The Globalization of Environmental Threats
Ten Major Global Environmental Challenges
Acid Rain and Regional Air Pollution
Ozone Depletion
Climate Disruption
Deforestation
Land Degredation and desertification
Freshwater Degradation and Shortages
Marine Fisheries Decline
Toxic Pollutants
Loss of Biological Diversity
Excess Nitrogen
Some Connections among the Issues
Underlying Drivers of Deterioration
Chapter III- From Stockholm to Johannesburg: First Attempt at Global Environmental Governance
The Stockholm Conference: Setting Out
Stockholm to Rio: Across New Frontiers
The Earth Summit: A peak on the Journey
Rio to Johannesburg: A Zigzag Trail
The Johannesburg Summit: Too Steep an Incline
Concluding Observations
Chapter IV- Environmental Accord: Treaties and International Environmental Law
International Law and Collective Action: The Basics
The Ozone Layer Protection Regime: The Little Engine That Could:
Problem Identification, Fact Finding, and Agenda Setting
Negotiation, Bargaining, and Agreement on Actions to Be Taken
Formal Adoption
Implementation, Monitoring, Assessment, and Strengthening
Treaty Regimes and Other Major Global Environmental Threats
Will Climate Protection be the Next Success?
Chapter V- Key Actors, Expanding Roles: The United Nations, International Organizations, and Civil Society
The United Nations System
Development Assistance and the Environment
The World Trade Organization, Environment, Trade, and Globalization
Civil Society and Governance without Governments
Chapter VI- Paths to the Future: A Second Attempt at Global Environmental Governance?
Reformist Visions: How to Make the System Work Better
Cooperative Environment
Capacity
Concern
Reformist Visions: Major Innovations
A world Environment Organization
Opening the System to the Public
Global Issue Networks
Alternative Visions: How to Change the System
Addressing the Underlying Drivers: Beyond Dealing with Symptoms
Natural Capitalism: Beyond Blinkered Capitalism
Ecological Economics: Beyond Neoclassical Economics
Local Control: Beyond Corporate Globalization
Bottom-up Change: Beyond Global Governance
Questions for Discussion
References
Further Reading
Index
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