Global Environmental Governance

The leather sector is Bangladesh’s second-largest export industry, contributing 2.37% of total exports in FY 2024–25 and employing over 350,000 workers directly and indirectly. Despite its economic significance, the sector particularly the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate (STIE) faces persistent structural, social, and environmental challenges. Weak enforcement of labour laws, inadequate occupational safety, exploitative wage systems, and limited social protection expose workers to severe vulnerabilities, while climate change and environmental degradation further intensify risks. Using a mixed-methods case study of Bangladesh Labour Foundation initiatives, this study maps worker vulnerabilities and explores pathways for a Just Transition (JT) in the leather industry. Findings reveal systemic wage deficits, precarious employment, widespread health hazards from chemical exposure, and socio-economic insecurities compounded by climate-induced disruptions. Awareness of JT remains low among workers, employers, and associations, though trade unions and civil society actors highlight its urgency. The study identifies key barriers, including governance failures, weak social dialogue, and resistance to sustainable practices. Proposed JT pathways include eco-friendly technological upgrades, strengthened occupational health and safety, expanded social protection, reskilling programmes, policy reforms, and inclusive financing mechanisms. Ensuring a worker-centred Just Transition is critical to securing both the industry’s global competitiveness and the livelihoods of its workforce.

Sustainable development in Ecuador faces a significant challenge due to the lack of jurisprudence that integrates sustainability principles into judicial decisions, compounded by the prevalence of environmental conflicts and the absence of specific studies. This study aimed to analyze how Ecuadorian courts applied these principles in their rulings on protective actions resolved in the Northern Judicial Complex of Quito, to identify decision-making patterns and potential cognitive biases in the adjudication process. The analysis adopts both a quantitative and qualitative approach to 1,020 cases resolved in 2023. The systematic review considers the legal and environmental context, as well as a detailed examination of judicial rulings to assess the application of sustainable development principles. Cases were classified based on the dimensions of sustainable development to which the violated rights were linked. The results indicated that a total of 156 accepted cases directly declared the violation of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, with 1 case indirectly involving environmental protection. This represents 15.29% of the total reviewed cases and 56.32% of the accepted cases. Of the total, 98.72% were linked to the economic and social dimension, while only 1.28% corresponded to the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Ecuadorian courts demonstrate a low level of integration of sustainability dimensions in their rulings, hindering the progress of sustainable development in the country. The ambiguity in defining these principles increases judicial discretion and the likelihood of biases in decisions. Therefore, a more systematic approach and ongoing training are needed to help judges avoid biases in their rulings.

The recent US disengagement from global governance has revived concerns—first theorized in the 1970s and 1980s—about the vulnerability of international institutions to hegemonic decline. While these concerns appear valid in many issue areas, the global environmental regime complex presents a notable exception. Unlike more centralized global governance structures, it has a high degree of complexity and this characteristic enhances its capacity to absorb shocks, including the withdrawal of US leadership. In hindsight, it may be fortunate that proposals to centralize global environmental governance, such as the creation of a World Environmental Organization, never materialized. Complexity, once viewed as a weakness of global environmental governance, may now prove to be its greatest strength in an era of geopolitical turbulence.

Local governments have formed city networks bridging borders and geopolitical differences since the 1990s to face the climate emergency. This review shows what has been achieved in three decades of climate action, and indicates the importance of improving inclusiveness, recognition, and reach of these city networks going forward. Peer review information: Nature Cities thanks Bruno Asdourian, Kian Goh, and Marielle Papin for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

As governments and companies clash over how satellite constellations such as Starlink should be regulated, a paradox is emerging: regulatory efforts designed to constrain unauthorized satellite operations may inadvertently strengthen the market position of the very players they seek to control.

Die Klimakatastrophe ist nicht nur eine Krise der Natur, sondern auch eine Krise der Menschenrechte, so die Physikerin
und Philosophin Friederike Otto. Denn Klimafolgen wie Ressourcenknappheit, steigende Lebenserhaltungskosten, Hitzewellen oder Flutkatastrophen treffen einige, besonders vulnerable gesellschaftliche Gruppen härter als andere. Dies sind vor allem Gruppen, die meist weniger bis gar nicht zum Klimawandel beigetragen haben und sich zugleich weniger gut vor ihm schützen können. Der Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über Extraktivismus, Umweltgewalt und Klimagerechtigkeit.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is an independent scientific body focused on assessing the state of the world's ecosystem services and biodiversity. IPBES members agreed in 2017 that a review of the Platform's first work programme should be undertaken by an independent panel examining all aspects of IPBES' workincluding implementation of the four functions of IPBES; policies, operating principles and procedures; governance structure and arrangements; communication, stakeholder engagement and partnerships; and funding mechanisms. The review found that for IPBES to have its anticipated transformative impact: • All four functions of IPBES (i.e. assessment, knowledge generation, policy support, capacity building), with better communication, must be significantly strengthened, integrated and delivered together; • The policy aspects of IPBES work need to be strengthened and greater emphasis needs to be placed on the co-design and co-production of assessments; • A more strategic and collaborative approach to stakeholders is needed; and • IPBES must develop a more sustainable financial base. Given those changes, IPBES, as an embryonic boundary organization, can become the key influencing organization in the global landscape of biodiversity and ecosystem services organizations, helping thus to catalyze transformative change in the relationship between people and the rest of nature.

In an era increasingly dominated by environmental concerns, Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a pivotal tool in enhancing awareness and understanding of ecological issues. This study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) might increase environmental awareness through real-time systems of monitoring, machine learning, and sophisticated data analysis. By leveraging AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, researchers and policymakers can better analyze environmental data, predict trends, and visualize complex environmental phenomena. AIdriven platforms enable the aggregation and interpretation of vast amounts of data from diverse sources, including satellite imagery, sensor networks, and social media, thereby providing comprehensive insights into issues like climate change, deforestation, and pollution. Additionally, AI supports the development of interactive educational tools and personalized awareness campaigns that engage and inform the public about sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. Key applications include predictive analytics for disaster management, automated monitoring of pollution levels, and intelligent recommendation systems for reducing individual carbon footprints. Despite its potential, the integration of AI into environmental awareness efforts also presents challenges, such as data privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure accurate and equitable outcomes. In addition to emphasizing the need for ethical concerns and strong governance structures to manage the associated risks, this study highlights the revolutionary potential of AI in promoting a more knowledgeable and proactive approach to environmental protection. By harnessing AI's capabilities, society can significantly enhance its ability to understand, communicate, and act upon critical environmental issues, paving the way for more effective and widespread environmental advocacy.

da-ufscarcolaboram-com-tratado-contra-poluicao-plastica/@@images/4fd5fd80-d1e8-42a9-b792-db059d45e59b.jpeg) Instalação de Benjamin Von Wong, em frente à sede da ONU (Foto: IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth). Delegações de quase 180 países estão em Genebra, na Suíça, em negociações previstas para seguir até 14 de agosto (Texto: Michele Fernandes Gonçalves). Delegações de quase 180 países estão na sede da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) em Genebra, na Suíça, participando de negociações para assinatura de um tratado global para combate à poluição plástica, previstas para seguir até o final desta semana. Cientistas da UFSCar também estão envolvidos na empreitada. Walter Waldman, docente no Departamento de Física, Química e Matemática (DFQM-So), e Sahudy Montenegro González, do Departamento de Computação (DComp-So), ambos no Campus Sorocaba, enviaram suas contribuições à delegação brasileira nesta que é a segunda 

Governance is one of the most important factors for ensuring effective environmental management and conservation actions. Yet, there is still a relative paucity of comprehensive and practicable guidance that can be used to frame the evaluation, design, and analysis of systems of environmental governance. This conceptual review and synthesis article seeks to addresses this problem through resituating the broad body of governance literature into a practical framework for environmental governance. Our framework builds on a rich history of governance scholarship to propose that environmental governance has four general aims or objectives -to be effective, to be equitable, to be responsive, and to be robust. Each of these four objectives need to be considered simultaneously across the institutional, structural, and procedural elements of environmental governance. Through a review of the literature, we developed a set of attributes for each of these objectives and relate these to the overall capacity, functioning, and performance of environmental governance. Our aim is to provide a practical and adaptable framework that can be applied to the design, evaluation, and analysis of environmental governance in different social and political contexts, to diverse environmental problems and modes of governance, and at a range of scales.

Pogled na sliku na koricama i naslov knjige Nedžada Bašića Globalne strukturalne promjene: kreativna integracija i nova globalna sigurnosna paradigma asocijacijom slijede Castellsov Uspon umreženog društva. Napomene radi, Castells je sociolog i istraživač utjecaja informacijske revolucije na društvo. Slika na mekom uvezu Globalnih strukturalnih promjena pokazuje kartu svijeta u cilindričnoj projekciji kao suvremeni mrežni model, dvolančanu zavojnicu lanca DNK i elemente virtualne stvarnosti, od mrežno urađene figure kiborga do točke na globusu za koju očekujete da će se kao na ekranu razviti u sliku iz nekog specifičnog predjela. I tako od slika teleoperativnih sustava preko najvažnijih strukturalnih posljedica utjecaja novih informacijskih tehnologija, kako na gospodarstvo, tako i na sva ostala područja koja se razvijaju u ovisnosti o protoku informacija, od urbanog planiranja do medija -odnosno do umreženog društva. Razmatrajući tehnologiju, gospodarstvo i kulturu umreženog društva Castells je naglasio da je sve značajno za razvitak globalne ekonomije umreženo, od Vijeća ministara Europske Unije do polja gdje se uzgaja koka, odakle se isporučuje trgovcima droga i uličnim bandama mladih širom svijeta; od televizijskih sustava do lokalnih izvjestitelja o događajima. Castellsovo je poimanje mreže jednostavno: mreže su tvorevine kojima ljudi prilagođavaju svoje djelovanje. Upravo u tom smislu počinje prikaz knjige Nedžada Bašića Globalne strukturalne promjene: kreativna integracija i nova globalna sigurnosna paradigma. Slijedi još jedna napomena koja zaslužuje posebno izdvajanje. Na samom početku zabilježeno je da je ovo izdanje knjige besplatno za studente Pravnog fakulteta Univerziteta u Bihaću. Uz "Sadržaj" i "Uvodna razmatranja", knjigu čini 13 poglavlja: "Historijski kontekst razvoja međunarodnih odnosa", "Doktrine međunarodnih odnosa", "Realistička teorija međunarodnih odnosa", "Neoliberalna institucionalistička teorija međunarodnih odnosa", "Marksističke teorije svjetskog sistema", "Teorija socijalnog konstruktivizma", "Globalna ekonomija i promjena globalne političke paradigme", "Globalizacija strukturalnih promjena", "Globalna međuzavisnost i difuzija moći nacionalne države", "Promjena političkog okruženja i kontraverze post-moderne", "Promjena spektruma konflikta i novi rizici", "Globalne strukturalne promjene i novi koncept sigurnosne para-brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

Environmental constitutionalism is a scheme that protects the national and international environment by applying national and global constitutional law. By this, constitution-makers agree to include in their constitutions provisions aimed at environmental protection and sustainability, whereby procedural and substantive rights are written in the constitutions. The courts are in such jurisdictions called upon to enforce and protect such rights. This article addresses constitutionally embedded rights in the national constitutions of the United States of America and Nigeria. It analyzes constitutional environmental provisions in both how their judiciaries respond to such issues. This article looked at the problems associated with environmental constitutionalism in the United States and Nigeria and their connection with environmental rights. The aim is to take a holistic examination of the topic. The methodology adopted for the research is empirical. The primary and secondary sources of material selection were adopted through the use of the law libraries and the internet, books, journals and periodicals to gather information for this article. In conclusion, it was observed and recommended that no matter the similarities shared by the Untied States and Nigeria, the former has a more developed environmental jurisprudence on environmental protection by the courts. This is a truism, notwithstanding the fact that Nigeria's constitution contains '"state environmental duties". The value of the research is that Nigeria should identify areas to be improved upon in its law and practice of environmental constitutionalism.

Aos meus pais, Maria e Atílio, meus ancestrais do campo que me propiciaram condições existenciais para estudar e perceber a natureza e a sabedoria do mato. À companheira, Julia, pela paciência e amor dedicados nos momentos mais difíceis de recuperação. Ao amigo e orientador Marcos Bernardino, responsável pelo meu aprimoramento intelectual e pela qualidade alcançada com a presente investigação. Foi também maestro de muitos momentos filosóficos agradáveis que propiciaram leveza durante os dois anos e meio de pesquisa. A todos os professores e funcionários do Programa de Mudança Social e Participação Política, pela eficiência e dedicação aos discentes. Aos professores doutores participantes da qualificação Andréa Viúde (ProMuSPP) e Gustavo de Oliveira Coelho de Souza (PUC-SP), pela profunda contribuição a esta pesquisa. Por fim agradeço a Deus, Budas das dez direções, Oxalá, Nhanderu, "Pacha Mama", Orixás; enfim, às entidades metafísicas que me permitiram concluir este trabalho e aprimorar minha conexão com o "divino".

The global community remains significantly off track in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), prompting calls for not only stronger political commitments but also more effective and credible expert guidance. This paper contributes to this discourse by examining a critical form of global environmental expertise: the conduct of global environmental assessments. Such expertise has become a foundational component of the institutional architecture underpinning global sustainability governance. Focusing on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), one of the most prominent and widely recognized international expert bodies, this study examines the challenges that researchers face when synthesizing research findings and making them policyrelevant within the IPCC's assessment work. The empirical material consists of an interview study (N = 18) conducted with experts involved in the IPCC, from its first assessment (1990) to the most recent one (2023). The data were analyzed thematically using NVivo. The analysis reveals four key internal challenges that the IPCC must address to enhance its advisory capacity: epistemic hierarchies, leadership and management dynamics, the complexities of formulating recommendations, and inequities in recognition and reward systems. By identifying and analyzing these challenges, the paper contributes to ongoing discussions about the IPCC's future development and offers broader insights into the evolving role of scientific expertise in global environmental governance.

INTRODUCTION
Environment is the aggregate physical setting within which the systems of the universe relate (Okidi, 2008).  Enduring interactions between its components such as the anthropogenic sphere, land, water, space, atmosphere, climate, sound, odour, taste, biodiversity, aesthetics, inter alia, are crucial for life  (GoK,1999;  Sec 2: Okidi (2008). The environment is a critical factor in human civilization. Diplomacy, dealings between governments of independent states, is an integral part of international relations. It encompasses the means of managing negotiations among international personalities. States, among other international personalities, do engage in it to deal with the environment. Pertinent international relations is conducted through diplomatic excursions and can be looked at from two prisms. Firstly, states’ territoriality is not only in reference to their very environmental spaces but also the importance of underscoring their sovereignty.  So the environment is part of sovereign states’ rationale within a backdrop of global community. Secondly, the environment is one of the reasons why sovereign state entities must out of necessity, and perpetually, engage in mutual dialogues and agreements amongst them. Therefore, international relations, conducted through mutual environmental diplomacy, is essential.

International relations emanate from states’ foreign policies as modified through actual diplomatic exertions founded on their foreign policies.  The conception and execution of foreign policy is one of the primary state functions. States strive to make the best advantage of their involvements in international relations. So, novel foreign policy formulation and diplomacy, making pertinent goals and resources work for a country, are an integral part of statecraft. Further, it is acknowledged that one of the greatest outcomes of diplomacy has been the enactment of various laws, both international and domestic. For example international treaties are direct products of diplomacy. The rights and obligations of states more often than not, emanate from established principles in international law. These are useful in bestowing rights on third party states and citizens. In practice, international law regulates a wide spectrum of international relationships in the economic, social, political and environmental arena.

The aim of this discussion is to assay the emanating history of Kenya’s foreign policy-environmental diplomacy interactions since 1963. Kenya’s foundation was the integration of various cacophonous polities from 1885 under a British colonial enterprise. It became an independent country in 1963. At that point it joined the international community of nations, replete with both the inherited and newly perceived international environmental agenda. Kenya’s independence also coincided with a period of growing importance of the environment as a subject of international cooperation. As a former colony and developing country, Kenya has tended to join other third world countries in bringing up their pertinent world view in environmental diplomacy.

Diverse subthemes have emerged under environmental diplomacy, such as pollution, biodiversity conservation and use, climate change and the human ecology-resources deployment node. The most ubiquitous diplomatic objective over all history has been about health and safety concerns. Myriad international dialogue, especially linking health and safety to good neighborliness and international cooperation, have place to grapple with them. A subject such as covid19, today much discussed in various diplomatic fora, does not only come out as a medical issue but also an environmental concern. The environment also impact on international security. Countries have even fought over natural resources. So are the economic ramifications, gleaned through the efficiency matrix. Other objective areas are the pertinent advancement of science and technology, human rights and community stability, humanitarian assistance, aesthetics and recreation, sustainable development, among others. Management tools such as command and control schemes, novel technological adaptations, environmental assessments, planning and mitigations, models such as carbon credit trade under the climate change, procedural agenda, among others, have been employed.

According to Kiss (1992), international environmental management as we know it today is largely attributed to the aftermath of the Second World War. The post war reconstruction led to unprecedented global economic development. This also exerted a lot of pressure on ecological stability. Maurice Strong (2001) opined that ‘the essential theme of the modern age is interdependence of all the life elements, which sustain life on the planet.’ This symbiosis includes that of ‘man with those elements, of the natural system with man’s needs and aspirations and most of all man with man’, he continued.

For historians, who generally agree that history is not a predictive science, forecasting seems at first sight to be a paradoxical subject for research. For the authors of this volume, forecasting is above all a fascinating topic, capable of shedding new light on the history of political and economic governance in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Through various case studies, the new research published here shows that the history of forecasting — i.e. the attempt to formulate predictions about the future based on an analysis of the past and to draw useful lessons for decision-making — evolves with the technical possibilities and political priorities of the time. From the inter-war period to the present day, at the interface of different scientific fields and covering a vast geographical area from the United States to the ex-Soviet Union and Europe, the contributions in this volume offer a compelling overview of the history of forecasting.

The rapid urbanization in India has amplified civic challenges such as waste mismanagement, poor sanitation, pollution, and deteriorating public infrastructure. Traditional grievance redressal systems often suffer from delays, lack of transparency, and inefficient routing of complaints, leaving citizens dissatisfied and disengaged. This project proposes a centralized digital platform accessible via web and mobile that enables citizens to lodge civic grievances in a structured, track able, and transparent manner. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), the system automatically verifies and categorizes complaints, prioritizes them based on urgency, and routes them to the appropriate authorities for timely resolution. Real-time tracking, automated notifications, and escalation mechanisms ensure accountability and improved response times. Additionally, the platform includes an administrative dashboard equipped with data analytics to monitor complaint patterns, resolution times, and geographic issue density. By integrating technology with governance, this project aims to promote cleaner urban environments and enhance citizen trust in public systems contributing toward the broader vision of a Smarter India.

Environmental governance systems are expanding in size and complexity as they become more integrated and ecosystem-based. In doing so, governance transitions often involve more actors and knowingly or unknowingly alter the autonomy of actors to make decisions, and thereby the ability of the governance system to self-organise. In other words, these governance systems are becoming increasingly polycentric, moving towards an institutional structure that is reported to confer a number of benefits to social-ecological systems. This article adds to a growing body of evidence on polycentric environmental governance in practice. It adds nuance to the normative and apolitical portrayals of governance transitions in general, and transitions towards more polycentric forms of governance in particular. We analyse the relations amongst actors and historical development of four large-scale marine governance systems in Southeast Asia to understand how context, particularly power, shapes the emergence and evolution of polycentric marine governance in practice. Our data indicate that transitions towards increased polycentricity do increase diversity and autonomy of decision-making centres, which can enable more innovation or flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. However, these innovations do not always underpin sustainability and equity. Coordination mechanisms are critical for channelling the power dynamics that emerge among diverse actors towards sustainability. Yet, in these emergent, ad hoc polycentric governance arrangements such mechanisms remained nascent, ineffective, or inactive. The transaction costs involved in coordinating a semi-autonomous polycentric system are seemingly difficult to overcome in low-to middle-income contexts and need investment in resources and accountability mechanisms.

Outer space is infinite, useable planetary orbits are not. This makes the Earth's orbit a unique case of an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) complex to address, difficult to use in a sustainable and equitable way and almost intractable to regulate at an international level. As of 2023, we remain far from attaining a sustainable orbital environment, and future uses of the Earth's orbits for new satellites constellations appear now increasingly at risk. Adopting a probability-based empirical model to project the growth trajectory of objects in space, this article argues that the sector will cross a 'critical density' threshold within the upcoming years unless strong remedial actions to clear up the orbits are implemented and estimates the potential costs of active debris removal measures. Our findings suggest that orbital sustainability is unlikely to come from technology alone, no matter how advanced or groundbreaking. A long-term solution will necessarily require a radical rewriting of the outdated, often conflicting international regulatory framework, which contributed to creating this debris crisis in the first place, shrinking the Earth's orbit to (almost) the point of no return.

The rapid expansion of commercial space activities, technological innovation, and geopolitical competition necessitates a comprehensive and adaptive governance framework for outer space. This paper proposes a multidimensional framework to advance space law and policy governance by addressing critical gaps in existing international treaties, national legislations, and soft law instruments. Centered on four key pillars-legal harmonization and institutional coordination, equitable access and capacity-building, sustainability and environmental protection, and accountability and security governance-the framework seeks to balance national interests with the collective stewardship of space as a global commons. Through comparative legal analysis and scenario-based testing, the study demonstrates the framework's potential to enhance cooperation, mitigate conflicts, and promote sustainable and equitable space utilization. The paper further discusses strategic, ethical, and policy implications, highlighting the importance of inclusive multilateralism and adaptive legal mechanisms. This research contributes to shaping a resilient and forward-looking governance architecture essential for the peaceful and sustainable development of outer space in the 21st century.

This Publication may be produced in whole or part and in any form for education or non-profit uses, without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. IUCN would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which uses this publication as a source. No use of thispublication may be made for resale or other commercial purposes withot the prior written permission of the IUCN.The views expresed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or those of the sponsors of the publication. The World Conservation Union

Philosophical ecology, a branch of philosophy, focuses on analyzing, studying, and developing core ecological concepts related to scientific ecology. These ideas are explored concerning philosophical issues stemming from ecological challenges and the ecological impacts of key philosophical doctrines. Sustainability refers to how well a biological system remains diverse and productive over time, an ideal condition that is rarely achieved. Recently, the idea of sustainability has become the primary focus in development and environmental discussions (Malette, 2012; Vladykova, 2011). Philosophical ecology explores the conceptual foundations and ethical implications of the intellectual framework behind ecology and its language. Ecological inquiry involves concepts like ecosystem and diversity, which have recently inspired new areas of philosophy and environmental ethics. Additionally, the push toward sustainability, the development of a new ecological ethic, and traditional ecological thought all serve as inspiration for philosophical discussion (Donhauser, 2016). Before philosophy investigates these many and diverse concepts, its underlying methods and assumptions should be made clear and subject to critical evaluation (James, 2009).

I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Prof. K. K. Ahuja, who always gave me the valuable suggestions and guidance during the project. I feel proud to present my compiled project report on the topic 'Evaluating Ethical Perspectives -Anthropocentrism vs. Ecocentrism in Environmental Decision-Making'. This research would not have been possible without the kind support and guidance of our teacher. The blessings, support and guidance given by him from time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I would also like to thank our institute for accepting my research project in the desired field. Lastly, I would like to thank the Almighty, my parents, my friends for their constant encouragement without which this project would not have been possible.

This thesis analyses the contestation surrounding the Coca river case in the context sustainable energy development in Ecuador to understand how the politics of energy transition agendas manifest in extractive states. I use a relational analytical framework to examine the different narratives and knowledges of the actors and groups involved in the case, and the multiple interactions and tensions between them which include relations other than explicit conflict. I connect the contestation to an implied hierarchy of knowledge that shapes the responses of all the actors and highlight how the responses of particular actors or groups have also been shaped by the reception of their knowledges by others. I link this knowledge hierarchy to the extractive state imaginary in Ecuador which is based on an economic vision of the Amazon region, and which reflects a hegemonic extractive imaginary that originates in the international arena that informs national policy agendas. Analysis of the clashes between different knowledges in this case illustrates (i) how political governance shaped the official interventions through the selection of specific knowledge and the deployment of a discursive strategy to legitimise interventions and shape public understanding, (ii) the spillover effects of extractivisms in national policy frameworks and state institutions, (iii) the limitations of the extractive state imaginary. I also identify the paradox of renewable energy projects in the Coca river case because the promotion of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project as inherently clean and with minimal impacts is undermined by the uncertainty surrounding whether its impacts contributed to the waterfall collapse, and the reality that large infrastructures that exploit natural resources have large eco-system impacts. Additionally, I highlight the need for energy transition policies to be considered within the whole national energy landscape to understand how and why contestation emerges.

Dal Seicento a oggi, le questioni ambientali hanno contribuito a connettere continenti e popolazioni e a tessere reti planetarie per la protezione, gestione, conoscenza e sfruttamento della natura. Nell’età contemporanea, ambienti trasformati da processi di colonizzazione e migrazione, impoveriti dall’estrattivismo o contaminati dalle radiazioni nucleari hanno convissuto con forme di tutela della natura e politiche per il clima e lo sviluppo sostenibile.
Il volume, da una parte, invita a ripensare la storia degli ultimi quattro secoli su scala globale attraverso cinque percorsi tematici incentrati sulla relazione umani-natura; dall’altra, propone una riflessione teorica sul cambio di paradigma introdotto dalla storia ambientale e dalle emergenze ecologiche a partire dagli anni Settanta fino ai nostri giorni.

Whether your view is from the deck of a sailboat or the bridge of a garbage barge, Long Island Sound is in trouble. Stretching for 110 miles, locked between highly developed shorelines with some of the most intense land use in the world, and draining a 16,000 mile watershed that stretches to Canada, the Sound is "downhill" from eight million people.'

Mangroves are among the most productive ecosystems, known for their diverse provisioning, regulating, supporting and aesthetic services. The ecosystem directly supports livelihoods and ensures food security and nutrition of people through its ecosystem services (ES) such as wood, fish and medicines while protecting them by stabilizing shorelines, reducing flooding, and mitigating climate change and natural disasters such as tsunamis. In so doing, the ecosystem promotes several sustainable development goals (SDGs) and co-benefits several others. This relationship however remains under explored with limited studies on the co-benefit scenarios and the cognitive views of mangrove resource users. This paper highlights gaps in knowledge of the role of mangroves in development and the implications on ecosystem governance. The study analysed the 'ideal' scenario presented in secondary data in comparison to community perspectives on mangrove-related development. Bearing in mind the complexity of the concept of sustainability, development was categorised at local, national and international levels, and community members were asked to mention any known links to mangrove ES at any of the three levels. Results indicate that 45.4 % (n=166) of the community understood the roles of mangroves in development. The majority (79.5 %) were able to link the ecosystem to local (village level) development, 43.1 % to both local and national development while only 13.5 % could link the ecosystem to local, national, and international development. Forty-three per cent (n=157) of the community did not know of the relationship between mangroves and development while 11.6 % (n=43) felt that mangroves do not contribute to development. The study further disaggregated this knowledge socio-demographically, highlighting opportunities for enhancing governance, conservation and the use of mangrove ecosystems in Kenya.

Reasons for the current siting impasse, including participatory activism, regulatory failure, the multiplication of considered interests, and the "investigative caveat," are reviewed, and the existing logic of regulator behavior, viewed as a rational choice model, is summarized. Three sets of goals for agency participants are identified: personal goals of agency decision-makers, organizational goals of the agency as a whole, and goals of agency clients; and the incentive system of a new administrative agency structured so as to make satisfaction of these goals contribute toward informed and impartial decision-making. Major structural components of the agency would be a Director, a Corps of Examiners, counsel(s) for special interest(s) of special merit, a Public Counsel, and a Research and Information Office. The model is applied to the case of a regional or state-level agency to handle power plant siting.

Der Blick in die Zukunft scheint wichtig. Prognosen werden in allen Lebensbereichen gestellt, es existiert ein hoher Bedarf, auch wenn viele Prognosen scheitern. Das erstaunlichste Phänomen jedoch: Es gibt eine ganze Anzahl an ernst zu nehmenden Prognosen, die kaum Konsequenzen haben. Am Beispiel der Klimaprognosen wird dies verdeutlicht: Obwohl Wissenschaftler seit Jahren auf die Gefahren des hohen CO2-Ausstoßes hinweisen, gibt es kaum Verhaltensänderungen. Scheren wir uns doch nicht um Prognosen? Ist der Homo sapiens gar ein Homo ignorans?

El presente artículo tiene por objetivo analizar comparativamente los casos de Argentina y Chile respecto a la etapa de preparación del mecanismo de Reducción de Emisiones provenientes de la Deforestación y Degradación Forestal (REDD+) entre 2008 y 2018. Se adopta para el artículo el enfoque teórico de la Gobernanza. Como parte de la gobernanza se identifican los conceptos de “participación” y “eficiencia” los cuales guían el análisis de casos propuesto. Metodológicamente se trata de un análisis de casos comparativo con método cualitativo recurriendo al análisis de documentos, archivos e informes clave intercambiado por los actores estatales y no estatales de relevancia en materia climática y forestal.

Australia and New Zealand are neighbours in the Pacific region. The activities and policies of each have an impact on each other as well as on other countries in the region. Australia for long has enjoyed its economic prosperity through its reserves of coal and other fossil fuels. It is one of the largest exporters of coal (IEA 2018). Thus, it generates enough carbon emissions that pollute the environment. It was ranked last on the Climate Change Performance Index out of 57 countries, which are responsible for more than 90% of the emission of greenhouse gases (CCPI 2020). Australia has set up a target of 26-28% reduction in its carbon emissions by 2030, under the Paris Agreement (Goodman 2020). However, many countries are not happy with this target and claim that it is unambitious. The New Zealand government has passed the Zero Carbon Act 2019 after signing the Paris Agreement. The Climate Change

The project was initiated in response to increasing calls, from both within the UN and from external sources, for a more detailed analysis of the current weaknesses and gaps within the existing system of international environmental governance (IEG) and a more elaborate examination of the various proposals that have been put forward for reform. In responding to these calls, the project has drawn upon the expertise of several renowned academics and practitioners in the fields of international environmental law, science, economics, political science, the humanities, and environmental politics.

Norichika Kanie thanks IDDRI and SciencesPo. Paris for their pleasant support. 2 “Remember, policy isn’t made on paper, it’s a continually changing mix of people and ideas. ” Harold Saunders 2005 Politics is about Relationships Palgrave p 46.

Our article analyses the contribution of Global South youth to global biodiversity politics. Section 2 presents the literature review our research questions and hypotheses are derived from. Because most of the literature is conceptual/theoretical, we decide to develop a quantitative study backed by comprehensive and innovative empirical data. Section 3 presents the methods that we used to develop such data and explains how we confront it to our research hypotheses. Section 4 details the results of our quantitative analyses and Section 5 provides a general discussion, backed by qualitative interviews’ quotations.

The article is devoted to the ontological analysis of conceptual and
systemic-conceptual aspects, as well as the political-institutional challenges of global governance, which collectively create the preconditions for a systemic crisis while simultaneously laying the groundwork for its transformation and improvement. The author emphasises the crucial function of global governance asa process of fostering consensus among its participants to develop approaches
and pathways for mutually acceptable solutions to global and regional issues that transcend national borders and require collective efforts to address. The article examines the role of international business in contemporary global processes, highlighting the intensification of its social and charitable activities, the rise of its political engagement, and new trends in international capital flows. At the same time, it is noted that, despite the significant economic and growing political role of international business in the global agenda, there is currently insufficient evidence to claim that it has become a full-fledged actor in global governance alongside sovereign states. Based on an analysis of the current crisis in the global governance system against the backdrop of tectonic shifts in
world politics, the author concludes that the active inclusion of new actors and partners in global governance – such as businesses, civil society, and international non-governmental non-profit organisations – is leading to the creation of a more flexible, multi-actor, and less hierarchical global governance system.

Based on biological insights, Ludwig von Bertalanffy coined general systems theory (GST) and later expanded his perspective, exploring what GST could mean for other disciplines and other types of systems. We make a case for the relevance, or rather, the importance, of GST for coming to a new understanding of

Summitry as a constructive means of opening up new avenues in international debate has evolved tremendously over time. Covid-19 with its heterogeneous local and regional impact is also showing us the need to overcome the fragmented response at the level of states while competing for resources during a crisis. In a context of pervasive uncertainty and disjointed crisis management, “all digital” summits could be a low cost, environmentally friendly catalyst enabling multi-level coordination across national and subnational entities, with equal involvement of cross-sectoral experts, researchers, scientists, businesses and policymakers. In the realm of protection of both human and environmental health, the world cannot afford to postpone design of globally tailored solutions, thus future summits - be it digital or traditional - must be a trigger to foster a tangible change.

The formal access of transnational actors (TNA) to international organizations (IO) has increased steadily over the past five decades, and a growing body of literature is at the moment concerned with the theoretical and normative implications of these developments. However, very little is known as of yet about who the TNAs in global governance are, where they come from, which issue areas they focus on, and when and where they choose to participate. Using analytical tools from interest group theory, in particular a subfield called population ecology, this study describes and explains the chronological development of two populations of TNAs in global governance, namely the observer communities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. TNAs' financial resources and their geographical proximity to global governance venues emerge as important factors influencing their capacity to participate, causing these TNA populations to be stratified and volatile.

This article examines the influence of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, known as the Rio Summit, on the design of subsequent international environmental agreements (IEAs). In particular, it investigates the extent to which the principles outlined in the Rio Declaration were integrated into IEAs concluded in the following years. We focus our investigation on three principles: the precautionary principle, common but differentiated responsibilities, and the polluter pays principle. Analyzing a collection of 2,211 IEAs and their 509 amendments, we find that the Rio Summit catalyzed the dissemination of these principles. However, our study also reveals that the Rio Conference was an inflection point, wherein weaker expressions of these principles became more prevalent. Stronger expressions, which were included in some IEAs prior to the Rio Summit, became relatively less common thereafter. We call this evolutionary process the ‘survival of the weakest’.

Environmental mega conferences have become the format of choice in environmental governance. Conferences of the Parties (COPs) under the climate change and biodiversity conventions in particular attract global media attention and an ever-growing number of increasingly diverse actors, including scholars of global environmental politics. They are arenas for interstate negotiation, but also temporary interfaces that constitute and represent world society, and they focalise global struggles over just and sustainable futures. Collaborative event ethnography (CEE) as a research methodology emerged as a response to these developments. This volume retraces its genealogy, explains its conceptual and methodological foundations and presents insights into its practice. It is meant as an introduction for students, an overview for curious newcomers to the field, and an invitation for experienced researchers wishing to experiment with a new method. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

People, organisations and governments face a combination of inter-related challenges, global risks and existential threats. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) the outlook for environmental risks over the next decade is alarming, with the top four global risks in terms of severity of impact all being environmental. This Theme Paper explores areas on the agenda of the 26th International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change. It suggests issues and questions that directors, speakers, and other participants might wish to consider ahead of the event and discuss with their peers, and highlights developments since last year’s event. Areas covered include: confronting rather than avoiding realities; environment management challenges; transition planning and corporate boards; climate change related finance; climate change anxiety, deniers and opponents; green and sustainable growth; from fragmented approaches to integrated strategies; clean energy and infrastructure for a sustainable future; innovation, digital and other technologies; pollution and water management; business, policy and climate leadership; and confronting multiple challenges. Boards and companies must cope and survive, with global challenges, risks and existential threats that may be denied or ignored by key players and ensure collaboration efforts are pursued to enhance collective capability to address them. It is questionable whether there is sufficient bandwidth to maintain order and cope with a combination of catastrophic events occurring simultaneously.

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Il conflitto israelo-palestinese ha rappresentato una delle crisi più lunghe e complesse della storia recente, con implicazioni significative per la vita e i diritti dei rifugiati palestinesi. L'UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) è stata fondata nel 1949 come risposta alla crisi umanitaria derivante dall'esodo palestinese dopo la creazione dello Stato di Israele. Questo lavoro esplora il ruolo centrale dell'UNRWA nel contesto della crisi israelo-palestinese, analizzando le sue basi giuridiche, le attività principali e le principali criticità, in particolare quelle relative al finanziamento e alla protezione dei rifugiati. Nonostante l'impatto positivo che l'agenzia ha avuto sulla sopravvivenza di milioni di palestinesi, l’UNRWA si trova ad affrontare sfide crescenti legate alla sua capacità di rispondere alle mutevoli esigenze umanitarie e politiche. Il futuro dell'agenzia appare incerto, con due possibili scenari: da un lato una rinnovata spinta internazionale per una risoluzione duratura della questione palestinese, dall'altro il possibile smantellamento dell'agenzia, intrappolata in un ruolo di emergenza permanente.

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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been one of the longest and most complex crises in recent history, with significant implications for the lives and rights of Palestinian refugees. The UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) was established in 1949 as a response to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Palestinian exodus following the creation of the State of Israel. This work explores the central role of UNRWA within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, analyzing its legal foundations, key activities, and major challenges, particularly those related to funding and refugee protection. Despite the positive impact the agency has had on the survival of millions of Palestinians, UNRWA faces increasing challenges in responding to the changing humanitarian and political needs. The agency's future appears uncertain, with two possible scenarios: on one hand, a renewed international drive for a lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue, and on the other, the potential dismantling of the agency, trapped in a perpetual emergency role.

Unlike the traditional DPSIR framework, which remains embedded in anthropocentric and economically driven paradigms, the E-DPSIR model introduces a morally anchored escalation logic. It integrates ethical thresholds, ecological irreversibility, and mandatory supranational intervention triggers when planetary boundaries are breached. This transforms environmental policy from a reactive instrument into a duty-bound system of planetary stewardship — capable of responding to catastrophic scenarios where conventional governance fails.