Global Environmental Commons: Analytical and political challenges in building governance mechanisms

- An overview of the latest developments in environmental regulation and global governance; - Surveys key environmental issues and the most recent empirical data; - Aids understanding of political decisions and their impact; - Presents research on the new governance challenges Environmental challenges, and the potential solutions to address them, have a direct effect on living standards, the organization of economies, major infrastructures, and modes of urbanization. Since the publication of path-breaking contributions on the governance of environmental resources in the early 1990s, many political initiatives have been taken, numerous governance experiments have been conducted, and a large multi-disciplinary field of research has opened up. This interdisciplinary book takes stock of the knowledge that has accumulated to date, and addresses new challenges in the provision of environmental goods. It focuses on three essential dimensions with respect to governance. First, it addresses the issue of designing governance solutions through analyzing systems of rules, and levels of organization, in the governance and management of environmental issues. Second, it draws renewed attention to the negotiation processes among stakeholders playing a crucial role in reaching agreements over issues and solutions, and in choosing and implementing particular policy instruments. Finally, it shows that compliance depends on a combination of formal rules, enforced by recognized authorities, and informal obligations, such as social and individual norms. The evolution of the research frontiers on environmental governance shows that more legitimate and informed processes of collective decision, and more subtle and effective ways of managing compliance, can contribute to more effective policy. However, this book also illustrates that more democratic and effective governance should rely on more direct and pluralistic forms of involvement of citizens and stakeholders in the collective decision making processes Readership: Academics and researchers interested in environmental policy, climate change, and international relations. Policy-makers in government offices and NGOs working on climate change.1: Eric Brousseau, Tom Dedeurwaerdere, Pierre-André Jouvet, and Marc Willinger: Introduction: Global Environmental Commons: Analytical and Political Challenges in Building Governance Mechanisms Part I: Global Issues: Environmental and Governance Challenges 2: Arild Vatn: Environmental Governance: The Aspect of Coordination 3: Charles Perrings: The Governance of International Environmental Public Goods 4: Oran Young: Navigating the Sustainability Transition: Governing Complex and Dynamic Socioecological Systems Part II: Addressing Global Issues by Articulating Local Governance Frameworks 5: Elinor Ostrom: Polycentric Systems: Multilevel Governance Involving a Diversity of Organizations 6: Ben Groom, Rupert Gatti, Timo Goeschl, and Timothy Swanson: Bargaining over Global Public Goods 7: Thierry Bréchet and Johan Eyckmans: Coalition Theory and Integrated Assessment Modeling: Lessons for Climate Governance 8: Denny Ellerman: Governance Issues in a Multinational Cap-and-Trade System: Centralization and Harmonization Part III: Designing Institutions taking into account Social Preferences 9: Hiroe Ishihara and Unai Pascual: Social Capital and Collective Action in Environmental Governance, Revisited 10: Andries Richter and Daan Van Soest: Global Environmental Problems, Voluntary Action, and Government Intervention 11: Paulo A. L. D. Nunes and Laura Onofri: De Rationes Disputandum Est: The Profile of a "Warm-Glower", a Note on Consumers' Behavior, and Public Policy Implications Part IV: Designing Incentives Mechanisms under the Constraints of the Socio-political Game 12: Michael Faure: Designing Incentives Regulation for the Environment 13: Gary Libecap: Property Rights as Solutions to the Problems of Open Access: Options and Constraints 14: Graciela Chichilnisky: Managing the Global Commons: Principles and Practice 15: Eric Brousseau, Tom Dedeurwaerdere, Pierre-André Jouvet , and Marc Willinger: Conclusion: Governance And Environment: Policy Challenges and Research Question