Agency in Earth System Governance

An accessible synthesis of a decade of multidisciplinary research into how diverse actors exercise authority in environmental decision making.

Michele M. Betsill (Edited by), Tabitha M. Benney (Edited by), Andrea K. Gerlak (Edited by)

9781108705875, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 2 January 2020

272 pages, 18 b/w illus. 14 tables
24.5 x 17.4 x 1.4 cm, 0.55 kg

'Scholars in political science, international relations, legal studies, public administration, anthropology, sociology, geography, and ecology will find in this work an instructive literature review and valuable instrument for theory building.' M. Gunter Jr., Choice

The modern era is facing unprecedented governance challenges in striving to achieve long-term sustainability goals and to limit human impacts on the Earth system. This volume synthesizes a decade of multidisciplinary research into how diverse actors exercise authority in environmental decision making, and their capacity to deliver effective, legitimate and equitable Earth system governance. Actors from the global to the local level are considered, including governments, international organizations and corporations. Chapters cover how state and non-state actors engage with decision-making processes, the relationship between agency and structure, and the variations in governance and agency across different spheres and tiers of society. Providing an overview of the major questions, issues and debates, as well as the theories and methods used in studies of agency in earth system governance, this book provides a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers, as well as practitioners and policy makers working in environmental governance. This is one of a series of publications associated with the Earth System Governance Project. For more publications, see www.cambridge.org/earth-system-governance.

List of contributors
Acknowledgments
Part I. Introduction and Overview: 1. Introduction: agency in earth system governance Michele M. Betsill, Tabitha M. Benney, Andrea K. Gerlak, C. Brown, S. Chan, O. Enechi, R. B. Mitchell, I. Möller, J. J. Patterson, M. Scobie, S. van der Hel and O. E. Widerberg
2. Conceptualizing agency and agents in earth system governance M. Scobie, Tabitha M. Benney, C. Brown and O. E. Widerberg
3. Theories and methods of agency research in earth system governance Tabitha M. Benney, A. Orsini, D. Cantwell and L. Iozzelli
4. How geographies and issues matter in ESG-agency research Andrea K. Gerlak, M. Mills-Novoa, A. Elder, O. Enechi, P. Sharma and K. Singh
Part II. Agency and the Dynamics of Earth System Governance: 5. Power (ful) and power (less): a review of power in the ESG-agency scholarship Andrea K. Gerlak, T. R. Eimer, M. C. Brisbois, M. Mills-Novoa, L. Schmitz, J. Luimers and P. Abernethy
6. The performance of agency in earth system governance Michele M. Betsill and M. Milkoreit
7. Agency and knowledge in environmental governance: a thematic review M. Milkoreit, J. S. Bansard and S. van der Hel
8. Agency and architecture: producing stability and change J. J. Patterson
9. Agency in a multi-scalar world M. Scobie, Michele M. Betsill and H. Park
10. Agency and norms: who defines what ought to be? M. Angstadt and I. Möller
11. Agency in the allocation of and access to natural resources P. Sharma, O. Enechi and S. N. Kumar
12. Agency and adaptiveness: navigating change and transformation J. J. Patterson
13. Accountability in the governance of global change C. Brown and M. Scobie
14. How to evaluate agents and agency S. Chan and R. B. Mitchell
Part III. Policy Implications and the Future of Agency in Earth System Governance Research: 15. Conclusion: policy implications of ESG-agency research and reflections on the road ahead Andrea K. Gerlak, Michele M. Betsill, J. J. Patterson, S. Chan, Tabitha M. Benney, M. C. Brisbois, T. R. Eimer and M. Scobie
Appendix A
Index.

Subject Areas: Sustainability [RNU], Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Pollution & threats to the environment [RNP], Environment law [LNKJ], International organisations & institutions [LBBU], International environmental law [LBBP]