Risk, global governance and environmental politics

This article examines the role of risk as an analytical category that shapes the politics of the environment in an era of accelerating globalization. Particular attention is given to defining the environment in a manner which subordinates neither natural nor social scientific approaches. With this accomplished, the global turn in environmental governance is assessed in relation to domestic political consequences. It is argued that Northern definitions of risk shape both regulatory strategies aimed at the avoidance of negative futures and accumulation strategies that prioritize Northern solutions. Finally, it is suggested that environmental politics are being transformed through the emergence of discourses that link the environment and social justice in both North and South