Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment. By Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. 327p. 25.00 paper.This book is a welcome addition to the literature on global environmental politics. Research on global environmental politics is well established, and within this branch of political science a number of excellent overview texts have been written on the politics of the global environment. However, students of the global political economy of the environment have lacked a comprehensive and accessible text until the publication of this book. Furthermore, many chapters on this subject in textbooks have narrowed the field to discussion of regime formation and the salience of institutional structures. While Jennifer Clapp and Peter Dauvergne recognize the importance of institutional arrangements, their focus is on the intersection between economic process and environmental problems. The book consists essentially of three main sections. The first section provides the theoretical framework, the second investigates the relationship between globalization and the environment, and the final section provides a number of case studies of the political economy of environmental change.

Paths to a Green World: The Political Economy of the Global Environment

Abstract Transformative governance is key to addressing the global environmental crisis. We explore how transformative governance of complex biodiversity–climate–society interactions can be achieved, drawing on the first joint report between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to reflect on the current opportunities, barriers, and challenges for transformative governance. We identify principles for transformative governance under a biodiversity–climate–society nexus frame using four case studies: forest ecosystems, marine ecosystems, urban environments, and the Arctic. The principles are focused on creating conditions to build multifunctional interventions, integration, and innovation across scales; coalitions of support; equitable approaches; and positive social tipping dynamics. We posit that building on such transformative governance principles is not only possible but essential to effectively keep climate change within the desired 1.5 degrees Celsius global mean temperature increase, halt the ongoing accelerated decline of global biodiversity, and promote human well-being. 

OUP accepted manuscript

Inclusive conservation and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: Tensions and prospects

Local communities’ perceptions of wild edible plant and mushroom change: A systematic review

Earth’s biodiversity and human societies face pollution, overconsumption of natural resources, urbanization, demographic shifts, social and economic inequalities, and habitat loss, many of which are exacerbated by climate change. Here, we review links among climate, biodiversity, and society and develop a roadmap toward sustainability. These include limiting warming to 1.5°C and effectively conserving and restoring functional ecosystems on 30 to 50% of land, freshwater, and ocean “scapes.” We envision a mosaic of interconnected protected and shared spaces, including intensively used spaces, to strengthen self-sustaining biodiversity, the capacity of people and nature to adapt to and mitigate climate change, and nature’s contributions to people. Fostering interlinked human, ecosystem, and planetary health for a livable future urgently requires bold implementation of transformative policy interventions through interconnected institutions, governance, and social systems from local to global levels. Description Facing coupled environmental crises Humanity is facing major social and ecological impacts from climate change and biodiversity loss. These two crises are intertwined, with common causes and effects on one another. Pörtner et al. review the results of a joint meeting of members of the International Panels on Climate Change and Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. They discuss the connections between biodiversity loss and climate change and propose potential solutions for addressing them as interconnected problems. Drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, protection of multiuse landscapes and seascapes, and policies for providing equitable access to natural resources can help to ensure future ecological function and human well-being. —BEL A Review presents a guide to addressing climate change and biodiversity loss as nonindependent crises. BACKGROUND Two intertwined crises threaten human well-being: Climate change—arising from human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including those from the loss of biomass and biodiversity—is raising temperatures beyond those of the Holocene, when human civilization evolved and expanded globally. Mean warming and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme events in turn disturb ecosystem functioning, cause habitat loss to humans and biodiversity, and exacerbate the unprecedented loss of biodiversity already caused by human-induced habitat degradation, overexploitation of natural resources, and pollution. Both crises reduce nature’s contributions to people, which sustain well-being, livelihoods, economies, and development prospects and also support climate change adaptation and mitigation. Failing to act will increase human vulnerability, including poverty, food insecurity, involuntary displacement, and political instability and conflict. The coupled global climate and biodiversity crises and their societal impacts concern land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems alike but are insufficiently tackled by current actions, as identified by assessments of both the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). None of the 20 2011–2020 Aichi biodiversity targets and none of the mileposts on climate trajectories intended to limit warming to 1.5°C have been met. ADVANCES Climate, biodiversity, and societal challenges are intertwined but are often treated as singular problems. Solutions exist with cobenefits across sectors. In intact and functional ecosystems, nature is efficient at carbon capture (by photosynthesis) and sequestration (long-term removal from the carbon cycle), provided that warming is limited to 1.5°C or below through ambitious emissions reductions. Strengthening the biosphere on land, in freshwater, and in the ocean will support climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, human well-being, and livelihoods. Mounting scientific evidence points to the need to prioritize protection of remaining undamaged carbon- and species-rich environments and to implement targeted restoration projects, with more attention to effectively sustaining biodiversity and fairly distributed societal cobenefits. Three critical objectives for future spatial planning include a habitable climate, self-sustaining biodiversity, and sustained provisioning of nature’s contributions to people to support development and a good quality of life for all. Coordinated efforts among science and policy can identify and help navigate development pathways toward climate resilience for both human society and biodiversity. OUTLOOK New global biodiversity, climate, and sustainability targets envisioned for 2030 and 2050 will likely fail if drivers behind climate change and biodiversity loss remain insufficiently addressed or concrete actions to meet current political agreements and goals do not increase in pace and scale. The following actions are urgently needed. (i) Ambitious emissions reduction, combined with suitable adaptation measures. (ii) Effective protection of an average of 30 to 50% of surface areas across a mosaic of interspersed and interconnected land, ocean, and freshwater “scapes.” These cover a gradient, from pristine ecosystems; to spaces shared by humans and wild species and sustainably used; to spaces under intensive uses such as cities, which nonetheless can harbor substantial biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic spaces. Efforts need to consider the specific spatial demands for healthy ecosystems. (iii) Building of development pathways and the underpinning of political, economic, and social institutions (including norms and rules) on visions such as collective responsibility, sustainable and circular uses of natural resources, avoidance of overconsumption and waste, and more equitable and participatory development regionally and globally. (iv) The enabling of just and equitable access to and benefits from natural assets across societies, groups, and individuals, securing good quality of life. Transformative action can overcome siloed approaches through institutional and individual change, achieving sustainability for nature and people, as well as human, ecosystem, and planetary health. Climate, biodiversity, and human society are coupled through dynamic interactions across scales. Human-caused exploitation and climate change are increasingly threatening biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people, causing losses and damages exemplified through overfished stocks and excessive drought that harm productive habitats. CREDITS: SCHEMATIC (LEFT): S. LANGSDORF; ILLUSTRATIONS (RIGHT): N. CARY AND A. MASTIN/SCIENCE

Gabriel Lui

Papers

Transformative governance of biodiversity: insights for sustainable development