Global Environmental Governance

The world’s oceans and coasts are awash in a sea of politics. The marine environment is increasingly busy, changing, and a site of degradation, marginalization, injustice, contestation and conflict over declining resources and occupied spaces at local to global scales. Themes of political ecology, such as power and politics, narratives and knowledge, scale and history, environmental justice and equity, are thus salient issues to understand in ocean and coastal governance and management. This subject review examines research on these themes of political ecology in the ocean and coastal environment and reflects on how the insights gained might be applied to governance and management. Political ecology provides important insights into: the influence of power in ocean management and governance processes; the manner in which narratives, knowledge, and scale are used to legitimize and shape policies and management efforts; the effects of historical trajectories on present circumstances, options, and practices; and the nature of inequities and environmental injustices that can occur in the marine environment. Moreover, ocean and coastal researchers, practitioners, and decision makers ought to engage with the political processes and injustices occurring in the ocean. Moving from critical insights to constructive engagements will ensure that political ecology helps to plant seeds of hope in the Anthropocene ocean.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, was probably the largest event in a long series of megasummits on environmental protection and sustainable development. Roughly 44 000 participants descended on Rio de Janeiro to take part in ten days of preparatory committee meetings, informal consultations, side events, and the actual conference. Yet despite this unprecedented high attendance by participants from governments and civil society, the outcome of the conference is less than many had hoped for. In this paper I review the outcomes of the 2012 Rio conference in detail, with a special focus on its contributions towards the reform of the institutional framework for sustainable development. Following this review, I discuss the way ahead and options for structural reform to restrengthen earth system governance.

O artigo apresenta a ideia das cidades como novos atores da governança ambiental global (GAG). O objetivo é o estudo e análise do papel das cidades na abordagem das questões ambientais globais. O método de pesquisa foi o teórico-dedutivo, partindo do entendimento da GAG, analisando a organização destas, assim como soluções locais aos problemas ambientais de relevância global. Se revisaram instrumentos internacionais, bibliografia nacional e estrangeira e planos de ação ambientais de cidades. Como conclusão se confirma o papel destacado das cidades na temática ambiental e a existência de redes de política e paradiplomacia para abordar questões ambientais.

Esta dissertação trata do regime da biodiversidade, sob o paradigma da mudança ambiental global. Partindo da imagem pluralista das relações internacionais, o texto dá ênfase ao caráter transnacional do sistema global, e supõe que a humanidade é capaz, em algumas circunstâncias, de transformar relações de interdependência em oportunidades de cooperação, em que todos tenham algo a ganhar. A ideia de que a humanidade aprende enquanto faz história também marca a dissertação. A análise do regime da biodiversidade é feita com os instrumentos metodológicos presentes na literatura sobre regimes ambientais internacionais recente.
No Capítulo I, a evolução dos regimes ambientais internacionais é vista sob uma perspectiva histórica, que se inicia em 1902, quando foi assinado o primeiro tratado ambiental para proteção dos pássaros úteis para a agricultura e silvicultura, na Europa. Desde então até a Conferência de Estocolmo sobre o Meio Ambiente Humano; e a partir de Estocolmo até o Protocolo Ambiental do regime antártico, são listados os mais importantes momentos da questão ambiental internacional. O Capítulo II analisa o conceito de mudança ambiental global, entendida como a série de alterações na biogeoquímica terrestre causadas por ação humana. O regime do ozônio – Convenção de Viena (1985), Protocolo de Montreal (1987), Emendas de Londres e de Copenhague (1990 e 1992) – é considerado um novo paradigma da política e do direito internacional ambiental, exatamente por abordar com sucesso um problema ambiental global: a depleção da camada de ozônio, demonstrando que as relações internacionais podem ser pontuadas por comportamentos racionais e equilibrados, que vão além da fórmula tradicional de atores unitários procurando a todo custo satisfazer suas necessidades, no curto prazo. As dinâmicas e os resultados da Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento - Conferência do Rio, são avaliados em seguida. É reservada uma parte do segundo capítulo para uma análise do regime do clima, que em sua primeira fase é considerado – em comparação ao regime do ozônio – um exemplo a ser evitado em política ambiental global, pois com a adoção de uma Convenção-Quadro sobre Mudança Climática, trazendo compromissos muito aquém do esperado, teria sido desperdiçada uma oportunidade de fazer avançar a proteção do clima global. Entretanto, são destacados alguns desenvolvimentos recentes que parecem indicar uma transformação positiva na trajetória deste importante regime ambiental global.
O regime da biodiversidade é o objeto do Capítulo III. Sua história tem início ainda nos anos setenta, quando já se denunciava a necessidade de um tratado conservacionista global, que articulasse as fragmentadas políticas internacionais de conservação. Entretanto, o processo de preparação das versões preliminares só começa realmente em meados dos anos oitenta, a partir de uma iniciativa de juristas da IUCN - União Internacional para Conservação da Natureza e dos Recursos Naturais. O PNUMA - Programa das Nações Unidas para o Meio Ambiente se envolve no processo de preparação da Convenção a partir de 1987, e logo que é convocada a Conferência do Rio, fica decidido que a Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica deverá ser um de seus documentos finais. A partir do momento em que é incluída no processo da Conferência do Rio, a Convenção da Biodiversidade tem suas características alteradas, e o que antes era um tratado conservacionista por excelência se torna um tratado de desenvolvimento sustentável aplicado à conservação dos recursos biológicos. São, portanto, analisadas as dinâmicas do regime, desde o processo preparatório até a Primeira Conferência das Partes, em novembro/dezembro de 1994. Seguindo-se um modelo de avaliação da eficácia dos regimes, chega-se à conclusão de que o regime tem se mostrado eficaz, apesar das lacunas que permanecem e dos desafios que se apresentam, agora que se inicia a fase de implementação. Neste sentido, é possível afirmar que, até aqui, o regime da biodiversidade pode ser considerado um exemplo de que a comunidade de atores transnacionais é capaz de aprender a negociar melhor e em bases mais eficientes e equitativas.

In March 2008, the six world leading agro-biotechnology companies, presented a private, international instrument for liability and redress to cover the environmental damage caused by genetically modified organisms.
The proposal was rejected by governments, who instead adopted a binding supplementary liability and redress protocol to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, with no content transfer from the business initiative. Elaborating on this case study, it is explained how powerful business proposals can turn into a policy failure. Business conflicts are identified as one major explanatory factor. The fragmentation of business interests and the lack of business support for the six major firms’ initiative have discredited the role of corporations as regulatory leaders. Business unity is found to be a decisive, necessary condition for the endorsement of corporate proposals by policymakers.

Case study analysis of the Arctic Council as a "new governance paradigm". Using case study model from Athabasca University GOVN500-Governance and Leadership course. Case study examines 5 areas or foundations: historical, philosophical/ideological, sectoral convergence, leadership and accountability. The overarching theme of "where are the people" is addressed in all sections of the paper.
The final section will draw a conclusion from the information provided in the case study to answer the question: Does the Arctic Council represent a new governance paradigm where sectoral lines are no longer relevant in the production of knowledge and public policy? Yes, the Arctic Council represents a new governance paradigm that blends sectoral lines in pursuit of knowledge production and public policy.

The adoption of digital technologies by a large number of civil society organizations has provided them with new tools that foster their functions in global environmental governance. Although they are not the only actors to consider, they offer prominent illustrations of the use of digital technologies in a global governance context, and more precisely how technology could help overcome some limitations such as restricted access to decision-making processes and limited financial and human resources.

The world currently faces a number of challenges that no single country can solve. Whether it is managing a crisis-prone global economy, maintaining peace and stability, or trying to do something about climate change, there are some problems that necessitate collective action on the part of states and other actors. Global governance would seem functionally necessary and normatively desirable, but it is proving increasingly difficult to provide. This accessible introduction to, and analysis of, contemporary global governance explains what it is and the obstacles to its realization.  Paying particular attention to the possible decline of American influence and the rise of China and a number of other actors, Mark Beeson explains why cooperation is proving difficult, despite its obvious need and desirability.

Karen Bakker’s Privatizing Water: Governance Failure and the World’s Urban Water Crisis is an inspiring and groundbreaking attempt to examine the ideological and historical contexts of water privatization in urban settings. Finding both public and private ownership of water resources unsatisfactory in providing adequate services to urban poor, Bakker scrutinizes governance failure caused by overlapping roles of state, market, and communities on service provision and environmental protection. Rigorous in methodology and multidisciplinary in theoretical framework, Bakker’s seminal work unravels the conventional approach to the privatization debate and opens new horizons for discussion on resource management, state–market relations, and development.

In the recent decades, environmental issues have gained significance on most areas including trade. Many people believed that openness policy of trade harms the environment; however, less widely people recognized the possibility of effect in the opposite direction. In addition to these propositions, I think understanding the role of trade in environmental degradation has two major angles that should be examined. Firstly, as being somewhere between production and consumption, trade is closely related with these processes and therefore when we examine trade in terms of environmental degradation we should also consider production and consumption processes along with trade process. After this, in order to answer kind of questions that whether more trade means more environmental problems or whether trade affects the nature of environment, the process of free trade should be examined itself. On this basis, this article first will review the major hypothesizes ‘race-to-the-bottom’ and ‘gains-from-trade’ and then, will fist have a look at the relationship between production-consumption processes and environmental degradation. Finally we will try to examine the process of free trade itself in terms of environmental issues.

The Earth's orbital space is increasingly threatened by debris. It is frequently described as a common-pool resource vulnerable to a 'tragedy of the commons' scenario. Scholars have suggested ambitious policy proposals to tackle the tragedy of space debris and assure the sustainability of the Earth's orbits. Their proposals can be classified into three categories: hierarchical regulations, economic incentives and property rights. All three categories require some form of central coordination. However, there might be an alternative approach to the problem and other potential solutions. Elinor Ostrom suggested that decentralized, polycentric systems are appropriate for governing common-pool resources. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a polycentric form of governance can encourage a more sustainable use of the Earth's orbits.

Las negociaciones en torno a la Agenda 2030 caminaron durante 2015 con lentitud y paso dudoso, pareciera que nos enfrentamos a un problema geopolítico entre norte y sur ante el escenario de tener una agenda para el desarrollo integral, enfrente, ante los retos de desigualdad y pobreza tenemos un modelo económico, comercial y financiero que pone límites y retrocesos a dicha agenda, ese es el principal reto de su construcción.

HIGHLIGHTS • Database attractiveness is independent of data quality. • Global forest products databases have different levels of quality. • Since many data users are not data professionals or statisticians, the quality of a database is not the decisive factor. • A combination of technical, political and developmental factors can explain the increasing discrepancy between the African export and Chinese import forest products trade data. • Global forest statistics providers may be motivated to put more effort into improving database attractiveness and related incentives rather than quality. SUMMARY What drives discrepancies and inconsistencies in global forest statistics? The use of global statistics has influenced academic research and sectoral policies of forest ecosystems since the first global forest assessment was conducted in 1948 or even earlier. Very little work has been done to provide a comprehensive analysis of the governance structure and the quality of predominant international forest databases. Furthermore , very little is known about the attractiveness and/or repulsiveness of global forest statistics platforms to scholars, policy-makers and other users. To reduce knowledge gap, this article examines the governance structure and strategies of three major databases which provide data on global forest products trade including timber export/import flows data, namely FAOSTAT, the United Nations Comtrade, and Chatham House's Resource Trade Earth. This paper uses conceptual and theoretical frameworks of data governance and nudge theories are used to study the production, quality, attractiveness and repulsiveness of global forest statistics and the related platforms through research on a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach. The main findings show that among the above three data platforms, only Comtrade received first-hand data directly from UN producing member states' offices, while the other organisations depend on Comtrade, transform secondhand data. More importantly, the article reveals that the levels of quality and attractiveness of the forest databases in our study are unequal and that database attractiveness is not based on quality. As a result, global forest statistics providers may be motivated to put more effort into improving database attractiveness rather than quality, which is more challenging. Consequently, it is likely that the governance structure and strategies reported in these databases can substantially affect the reliability of numbers used in academic research and policy-decisions since they are generated from the related global forest statistics. Gouvernance des statistiques forestières globales: étude de cas du commerce des produits forestiers entre Afrique Sub-Saharienne et Chine Y. ZHAO, Y.M. KROTT et S. ONGOLO Quelles sont les causes des écarts et incohérences observées dans les données statistiques globales sur les forêts? l'utilisation des données statistiques globales exerce une influence sur les travaux de recherche académique et les politiques publiques sectorielles relatives aux écosys-tèmes forestiers, au moins depuis le premier rapport de l'état globale des forêts publié en 1948. Très peu d'études ont été conduites pour fournir une analyse approfondie sur le système de gouvernance et la qualité des bases de données majeures de production des statistiques globales forestières. De même, il existe assez peu de connaissance sur l'attractivité et/ou répulsivité des plateformes globales des données statistiques forestières pour les chercheurs, décideurs politiques et autres usagers de ces données dans la société. Afin de réduire ce manque de connaissance, cet article examine le système de gouvernance et les stratégies de trois bases de données majeures qui fournissent des données quantitatives sur le commerce global des produits forestiers y compris les flux d'exportation/importation des grumes de bois: il s'agit de FAOSTAT, la base de données Comtrade des Nations Unies et Resource Trade Earth de l'organisation Chatham House. Le cadre conceptuel et théorique de cet article mobilise la théorie de la gouvernance des données et la théorie du 'coup de pouce' afin de questionner les processus de production, la qualité, l'attractivité et/ou la répulsivité des données statistiques globales sur les produits forestiers et des plateformes qui y sont associées. L'approche

Мирополитические реалии современности таковы, что в процессе поиска ответа на глобальную экологическую угрозу вовлечены не только традиционные участники международного управления – национальные государства и межправительственные организации, но и многочисленные негосударственные структуры, создающие новые формы сотрудничества и внедряющие новые управленческие механизмы. Необходимость нахождения способов гармонизации новых форм мирополитических взаимодействий подталкивает мировое сообщество к созданию системы эффективного и разумного управления в области охраны окружающей среды. По мнению авторов, концепция устойчивого развития должна рассматриваться в качестве идеологической базы создания такой управленческой системы.

This article contributes to the process of considering the relationship that ESG initiatives have with corporate law. It argues that the overall design of corporate law, including directors' duties, has a major impact on ESG outcomes. It provides empirical evidence of the priorities of corporate decision-makers when faced with ESG concerns, and suggests pathways towards more effective ESG related law and regulation.

Why are some countries more effective than others at controlling rhino poaching? Rhinos are being poached to extinction throughout much of the world, yet some weak
and poor countries have successfully controlled rhino poaching. This dissertation presents a theory accounting for divergent patterns in the control of rhino poaching, explaining why rhino poaching has been controlled in some countries yet increases exponentially in others. It does so by examining the relational models predominant in each country with wild rhino populations, including institutional analysis of all rhino range states, detailed analysis of social constructions used by nearly two hundred conservationists in Nepal, Swaziland, and South Africa, and an analytic narrative exploring why Nepal effectively controlled poaching. This dissertation shows that when individuals relate to rhinos in a non-economic manner, rhino poaching can be controlled despite weak police capacity and huge profit incentives to participate in poaching. This dissertation thus demonstrates how constructing wildlife with non-economic social dimensions can enable even a weak and poor country to successful conserve highly endangered species.

Geoengineering, or climate engineering, is the umbrella term for large-scale technological interventions into the climate system that seek to counter some of the effects of global warming. Due to limited progress in reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions thus far, geoengineering has been increasingly investigated as a potential addition to the portfolio of climate responses. At this point, however, the shape and role that geoengineering will take in the future remain highly uncertain. In this report, we look 10 years ahead, at the year 2025, and present two scenarios of geoengineering’s possible evolution, with the goal of providing policy recommendations for its effective governance. Geoengineering technologies are generally divided into approaches that aim to reflect sunlight away from the earth (solar radiation management, SRM), and approaches that aim to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide removal, CDR). This report focuses on SRM interventions, and particularly on those methods that aim to reflect sunlight by injecting reflective particles into the stratosphere. Such interventions raise important governance issues that are different from those raised by CDR techniques. This is because SRM would have a quick, global effect, could be deployed by a single actor or a small group of actors at a relatively low cost, and would have different impacts on different regions of the world. SRM is also likely to be perceived as a more fundamental intervention than CDR into the workings of the planet, with the potential for significant societal conflict to result from different worldviews and value systems. Most CDR technologies, on the other hand, would act only over long time scales, are prohibitively expensive at the moment and would require collaboration between many actors in order to have a significant effect on the climate. SRM has also generated various concerns. First, it has been argued that SRM would create a “moral hazard” by reducing the incentive for states to engage in mitigation and adaptation efforts, for SRM may prove to be faster, cheaper and less difficult to agree upon in international negotiations. Second, its potential impacts are highly uncertain. Factors that will be particularly difficult to predict and understand include regional and local impacts on agricultural production, water resources and biodiversity. Third, it has been questioned whether it is ethically permissible to interfere with Earth-system processes at such a fundamental level. The global governance of SRM will have to take these concerns into account. Although SRM is still in its infancy and may take decades to research, develop and deploy, it is precisely this early stage of development that offers a critical window of opportunity for developing collaborative and inclusive approaches to effective global governance of the potential SRM life cycle, or parts thereof.

This forum reflects upon the current state of research on post-conflict natural resource management. It identifies two dominant perspectives on environmental peacebuilding in the literature: one focused on environmental cooperation, the other on resource risk. Both perspectives share a concern for the sustainable management of natural resources in post-conflict settings and prescribe environmental cooperation at large as a means to foster peace and stability. Yet both perspectives also feature notable differences: The cooperation perspective is driven by a faith in the potential of environmental cooperation to contribute to long-term peace through spillover effects. The resource risk perspective , however, recognizes that resource-induced instability may arise after intrastate conflict; stressing the need to mitigate instability by implementing environmental cooperation initiatives. Despite the significant contributions of both perspectives, neither has provided any cohesive theoretical understanding of environmental peacebuilding. This article suggests a timely revision of the research agenda to address this gap. For international and domestic actors, post-conflict situations constitute one of the most difficult policy arenas to understand and operate within. In this context, the role of natural resources management has received increasing scholarly attention over the past two decades, as researchers have focused on the ecological foundations for a socially, economically, and politically resilient peace. However, this research has not led to a cohesive theoretical understanding of the pathways by which environmental cooperation facilitates peace. This is concerning, because it is increasingly evident that the interaction between social, political, and ecological processes decisively shapes the post-conflict landscape.

Global Environmental Politics provides a comprehensive introduction to the key concepts, theories, methods, and debates in environmental politics. The authors' analytical approach encourages students to critique a wide variety of political perspectives, equipping them with the necessary tools to develop their own arguments and opinions.
*  Adopts an analytical approach, encouraging students to critique a wide variety of political perspectives, reconsider their own assumptions, and develop their own viewpoints and perspectives
*  Provides up-to-date coverage of developments in environmental policy and debate since the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015
*  A well-balanced analysis of a broad range of pertinent topics, from climate change to 'summit diplomacy', and gives students an accessible introduction to the central ideas and debates in the field
*  An interdisciplinary approach draws upon a range of disciplines, including political science, economics, law, and sociology, to introduce students to different perspectives
*  An accompanying website contains a wealth of online learning resources, such as interactive figures to help students comprehend the key trends in issues such as climate change and quizzes for each chapter to assess their understanding of the material

Two statements can be done regarding the Paris Agreement. First, it is not a “solution” to the problem – probably humanity is beyond that path – but a vague outline to deal with it and, second, its chances of succeeding in “managing” the climate crisis will depend on each country´s INDC level of ambition and the degree of compliance over the next decades.
This paper deals with this challenge, namely, how high – or low – is the level of ambition and the chances of implementation of current INDCs, in this case, among
major Latin-American climate powers: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, México and, Venezuela. This is, of course, an impossible question to answer in full on this early stage, but it is argued here that some understanding can be gained by focusing on how each country has dealt with the climate issues before the submission of the INDC. This is, the level of climate commitment previous to the INDC could provide some light over the ambition and credibility of the Intended Contributions.

This paper aims at reviewing the content of Buen vivir as an emergent discourse within the “gravitational field” of sustainable development: its genesis, its foundations and its singularity. First, we consider the criticisms to the development discourse and to its direct descendant: sustainable development. Next, we review the position of Latin America in the global discursive field of sustainable development and the situation of Buen vivir facing the debates therein. Drawing on the traditional repository of the aboriginal cultures of the continent, this new discourse has been theorized in the academic sphere and translated into normative principles that have permeated the political sphere, which is especially visible in the cases of Ecuador and Bolivia. In this article we refer to “Buen vivir” as the contemporary reelaboration of the quechua concept Sumak Kawsay, and other similar concepts from other indigenous nations. It includes both the idea of interdependence between society and its natural environment, as well as a conception of the universal as plural. Lastly, beyond its implications for environmental debate, Buen vivir also involves an imperative for the redefinition of relations between the citizenry, the state and the market.

Public and stakeholder concern over the environment and climate change and the global nature of related challenges and opportunities have implications for many directors and boards. They raise a variety of issues that boards should address, including the adequacy of governance arrangements, contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the nature of the leadership required to align business and social priorities, objectives and outcomes and the nature, scale and timing of required responses. In regard to climate resilient smart cities, sustainable energy supply choices, pollution prevention, waste and water management, green growth and market solutions, there is scope for collective as well as corporate action and for creative strategies, innovation and entrepreneurship. Boards need to reassess corporate capabilities to participate in collaborative responses. The exercise of environmental leadership might rebuild reputation, trust and inter-generational rapport, ensure a more sustainable, inclusive, fulfilling and healthier future for mankind, and benefit damaged eco-systems.

^ Published in Effective Executive, a quarterly peer reviewed journal of IUP (ISSN 0972-5172) as: Coulson-Thomas, Colin (2019), Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change: Leading with Innovation, Effective Executive, Vol. XXII No. 2, June, pp 46-61

Concern about humanity's impact on the planet has never been greater, but what are the drivers of environmental change? This wide-ranging introductory textbook outlines the competing explanations of why environmental problems occur and examines the different political approaches taken to address them. Adopting a case study approach, Hayley Stevenson enables students to gain a detailed understanding of how theories and concepts are applied in practice. Diverse perspectives on a variety of contemporary environmental challenges, from climate change to hazardous waste, as well as various responses, from multilateral diplomacy to consumer-focused campaigns, provide students with an in-depth understanding of the merits and limitations of different forms of political action. Refined on the basis of classroom feedback, features include textboxes, key points, a glossary of key terms, questions, further reading suggestions and supplementary online resources. This lively book is an essential resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses on global environmental politics and environmental policy.

Read more at http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/politics-international-relations/international-relations-and-international-organisations/global-environmental-politics-problems-policy-and-practice#dhzzW5OmvAmyzxBX.99

Assesses integration between global energy and global climate governance. Analyzes organizational change in the IEA and its impact on governance integration. Discusses recent activities and advocacy by the IEA in relation to climate change. a b s t r a c t Despite the long-recognized interlinkages between global energy consumption and climate change, there has historically been only limited policy interaction, let alone integration, between the two fields. This compartmentalization is mirrored in scholarship, where much research has focused on the fragmentation of, respectively, global energy and global climate governance, but only little has been said about how these fields might be integrated. Our analysis of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) changing activities in recent years shows that governance integration – both within global energy governance and between global energy and climate governance – is now happening. The IEA has broadened its portfolio to embrace the full spectrum of energy issues, including renewable energy and climate change; it has built and is expanding key partnerships with both the UN climate convention and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); and it has become an authoritative advocate for the interrelated goals of a low-carbon transition and climate change mitigation. We show that these developments are not the result of a top-down plan, but have rather emerged through the Agency's various efforts to pursue its energy-centric mandate in a fast-changing global policy environment.

This article provides a focused review of the current literature on global environmental governance. In the first part, we differentiate between three usages of the term " global environmental governance, " which we describe as analytical, programmatic, and critical. In the second part, we highlight three key characteristics of global environmental gover-nance that make it different, in our view, from traditional international environmental politics: first, the emergence of new types of agency and of actors in addition to national governments, the traditional core actors in international environmental politics; second, the emergence of new mechanisms and institutions of global environmental governance that go beyond traditional forms of state-led, treaty-based regimes; and third, increasing segmentation and fragmentation of the overall gover-nance system across levels and functional spheres. In the last section, we present an outlook on future study needs in this field.

In 2009, a group of 29 scholars argued that we can identify a set of "planetary boundaries" that humanity must not cross at the cost of its own peril. This planetary boundaries framework has been influential in generating academic debate and in shaping research projects and policy recommendations worldwide. Yet, it has also come under heavy scrutiny and been criticized. What is today's overall significance and impact of the notion of planetary boundaries for earth system science and earth system governance? We review here the development of the concept and address several lines of criticism, from earth system science, development studies, and science and technology studies. We also examine some applications of the framework, discuss broader gover-nance implications, and reflect on actual policy relevance. In concluding, we explore the most recent incarnation of the planetary boundaries framework in its avatar as earth system targets supported by an Earth Commission. 497 Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2020.45:497-521. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org Access provided by 2a02:a210:2380:f780:f871:11eb:af7c:66a0 on 10/27/20. See copyright for approved use.

Climate change threatens to cause the largest refugee crisis in human history. Millions of people, largely in Africa and Asia, might be forced to leave their homes to seek refuge in other places or countries over the course of the century. Yet the current institutions, organizations, and funding mechanisms are not sufficiently equipped to deal with this looming crisis. The situation calls for new governance. We thus outline and discuss in this article a blueprint for a global governance architecture on the protection and voluntary resettlement of climate refugees—defined as people who have to leave their habitats because of sudden or gradual alterations in their natural environment related to one of three impacts of climate change: sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and drought and water scarcity. We provide an extensive review of current estimates of likely numbers and probable regions of origin of climate refugees. With a view to existing institutions, we argue against the extension of the definition of refugees under the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Key elements of our proposal are, instead, a new legal instrument specifically tailored for the needs of climate refugees—a Protocol on Recognition, Protection, and Resettlement of Climate Refugees to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—as well as a separate funding mechanism.

La obra analiza la complejidad de la gobernanza multinivel de la Amazonía en momentos en que el orden mundial liberal y el multilateralismo que lo sustenta enfrentan una crisis. Por ello, hemos realizado una reflexión amplia de dicha problemática en los niveles, global, regional y nacional. En este orden de ideas, la publicación incluye tres secciones: la primera planteará un marco interpretativo sobre la gobernanza ambiental multinivel, la mitigación del deterioro ambiental, el cambio climático y los riegos y amenazas que enfrenta la Amazonía para su conservación. La segunda reúne reflexiones sobre los tales riesgos, desafíos y amenazas que enfrenta la gobernanza multinivel para la conservación de la Amazonía en los ámbitos global y regional. Por último, la última sección se ocupa de los aciertos y desaciertos que Brasil, Perú y Colombia han tenido de cara a los retos que les plantea la protección y conservación de la región amazónica. El libro es una obra colectiva, en la que que participan autores de Brasil, Perú y Colombia, los cuales aportan una perspectiva interdisciplinaria, desde diversos campos profesionales, sobre dicha problemática.

Agriculture, environment, industry, and millions of households in the western US and northern Mexico depend on the Colorado River, which is facing increasing water shortages due to climate change and rising demand. Collaborative governance will likely be key to solving allocation issues and achieving sustainable water use but has recently faced multiple challenges. This research integrates concepts from institutional, adaptive govern-ance, and bargaining theories to analyze barriers and facilitators to collaborative governance in the drought contingency plan (DCP) process for the lower Colorado River basin from an Arizona stakeholder's perspective. The DCP is ultimately an effort to create a set of rules to prevent and address shortages in the basin. Through a content analysis of public meetings of the Central Arizona Project's governing board, we find a collective DCP or future related policy may be possible. But barriers to collaborative governance have intensified over time, hindering the process and making an agreement increasingly unlikely. The process is a perfect example of the interplay between rules and norms, and the issues that arise when norms underlying rules are interpreted differently. Our analysis provides insights for the design of collaborative water governance, including that conducting an analysis of power dynamics among the stakeholders would advance the DCP process. We ultimately argue that the Colorado River basin would benefit from a transition towards adaptive governance, and that our recommendations to improve collaboration are an important initial step. Additionally, our results reveal areas that require more empirical research, including understanding how to prepare for policy windows, rapid trust building among stakeholders, and theory building related to equity and marginalization in collaborative gov-ernance processes.