Books in the Earth System Governance series

An exploration of the need for innovative mechanisms of governance in an era when human actions are major drivers of environmental change.

A new model for effective global environmental governance in an era of human-caused planetary transformation and disruption.

An analysis of patterns of change in international environmental regimes, with five case studies illustrating the patterns identified.

A methodology for evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of international regimes is developed and applied to a successful example of such a regime.

An argument that secretariats-the administrative arms of international treaties-are political actors in their own right.

An analysis of the European Union's engagement with China and India on climate change policy that sheds light on Europe's claim to international climate leadership.

Prominent scholars and practitioners consider the role of global environmental politics in the face of increasing environmental stress.Humanity's collective impact on the Earth is vast. The rate and scale of human-driven environmental destruction is quickly outstripping our political and social capacities for managing it. We are in effect creating an Earth 2.0 on which the human signature is everywhere, a “new earth” in desperate need of humane and insightful guidance. In this volume, prominent scholars and practitioners in the field of global environmental politics consider the ecological and political realities of life on the new earth, and probe the field's deepest and most enduring questions at a time of increasing environmental stress. Arranged in complementary pairs, the essays in this volume include reflections on environmental pedagogy, analysis of new geopolitical realities, reflections on the power of social movements and international institutions, and calls for more compelling narratives to promote environmental action. At the heart of the volume is sustained attention to the role of traditional scholarly activities in a world confronting environmental disaster. Some contributors make the case that it is the scholar's role to provide activists with the necessary knowledge and tools; others argue for more direct engagement and political action. All the contributors confront the overriding question: What is the best use of their individual and combined energies, given the dire environmental reality?ContributorsErik Assadourian, Frank Biermann, Wil Burns, Ken Conca, Peter Dauvergne, Daniel Deudney, Navroz Dubash, Richard Falk, Joyeeta Gupta, Maria Ivanova, Peter Jacques, Sikina Jinnah, Karen T. Litfin, Michael F. Maniates, Elizabeth Mendenhall, Simon Nicholson, Kate O'Neill, Judith Shapiro, Paul Wapner, Oran R. Young

A detailed examination of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the shift in governance strategy they represent.

An examination of whether accountability mechanisms in global environmental governance that focus on monitoring and enforcement necessarily lead to better governance and better environmental outcomes.

"This book helps us to better understand how learning in decision-making processes impacts policy change and the integration of climate change objectives into other policy areas in the European Union"--