Environmental Policy and Governance最新文献

{"title":"Doing Justice in Transition Governance? Transient Assemblages of Actors, Discourses and Practices","authors":"Anke Fischer,&nbsp;Eva Lövbrand,&nbsp;Sofie Joosse,&nbsp;Josefina Marklund,&nbsp;Nora Förell","doi":"10.1002/eet.70050","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Just transitions, and justice in the governance of climate transition more generally, have over the last decade developed as an influential policy concept and governance concern. Just transitions have acted as a projection space for visions of a profoundly different society, but have also been used to undercut climate policies and social change altogether. At the same time, the just transition has shifted shape repeatedly and appears in the process of being superseded by other policy priorities. This Special Issue explores the emergent, dynamic career of the just transition as a multifaceted policy project. It brings together seven studies, largely rooted in European contexts, that show how justice in transition governance is being ‘done’—constructed in multiple settings, built on, dismantled and reconstructed. In this editorial, we use the metaphor of assemblage to bring the different contributions to the Special Issue together and embed them in the wider just transitions literature. We outline how diverse actors are involved in assembling the just transition and how they are, simultaneously, constructed <i>as part of</i> the just transition: Whilst some actors are cast as central, others are pushed to the margins. We also highlight how we, as researchers, contribute to this process of assembling and how the interaction between academic rationalities and our own normative aspirations might lead to conceptual developments that, perhaps ironically, render the just transition an impossible political project. The editorial concludes with a call for reflexivity in our critical engagement with just transitions and other, similar policy projects.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"297-302"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Successful Implementation of Environmental Policy and Governance: Understanding and Modeling Micro Governance","authors":"Diana Giebels,&nbsp;Arend Ligtenberg,&nbsp;Martha Bakker","doi":"10.1002/eet.70016","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Successful implementation of environmental policy and governance highly depends on the capacity to know about, build new and utilize existing governance structures. However, the theoretical tools and available methods to assess the complexity of emerging or existing structures are rather limited. This paper responds to this knowledge gap through the development of a theoretical framework, called the MiGov model, that enables us to understand and analyze the structure and functioning of governance processes on the micro level. Studying governance approaches on the micro level means assessing the complex interplay of involved social, institutional and environmental factors that continuously affect individual decisions and finally aggregate into (non-)success of implementation. The micro governance framework therefore includes a variety of actor-based (e.g., individual character, financial capacity), societal (e.g., launch of a policy, peer group influence) and ecological factors (e.g., local ecological characteristics) that typically influence the overall success of implementation. To facilitate the huge amount of data input demanded by research on the micro-level of governance, we present agent-based modeling (ABM) as a suited tool for operationalization. The use of agent-based modeling enables the combination of fragmented and non-compatible data with proxy data or theoretical assumptions from existing literature. ABM therefore also is an efficient research strategy in the face of lacking data, which is a severe and persistent problem in assessments of environmental policy implementation success. Once an agent-based model has been established it is possible to experiment with different scenarios or threshold values, enabling a reality check to (partially) known micro structures. To exemplify the use of ABM for micro governance we present the case of ecosystem-based soil management (EBM) in the Dutch agricultural sector as a typical case for micro governance. This case resembles the micro structure and dynamic interaction of a high variety of decision-makers with dynamic, multi-level interactions activated to increase the implementation of organic residues in the agricultural sector. The results of our ABM reveal that the agent-based model is suited to identify case-specific mechanisms that increase governance success. In particular, activities that decrease individually perceived uncertainty about implementation practices and effects increase implementation success whereas financial support like subsidies is, to our surprise, less effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"221-239"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of the State and Actor Participation in Polycentric Governance: The Case of India's Renewable Energy Transitions","authors":"Pooja Vijay Ramamurthi","doi":"10.1002/eet.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An advanced exploration of polycentric climate governance is essential to achieve global mitigation goals. This study draws on social network analysis, surveys, and 86 qualitative interviews with policy actors in the Indian power sector. It investigates the role of the state in enabling or constraining actor participation versus the extent to which actors self-organise into belief-based coalitions to influence energy transition policy. By engaging with political economy frameworks, the paper furthers the literature on polycentric governance, unravelling actor interests and relationships. The results show that while India's power sector includes a diverse set of policy actors, they do not form coalitions based on shared policy beliefs. Rather, the central government plays a dominant role, influencing the extent to which different actors participate in the polycentric policy network. However, this central state apparatus itself is non-monolithic with uneven power dynamics across its various agencies and ministries. The Indian government pushed ambitious clean energy policies to encourage self-organisation between subnational government and private players. Civil society operates in a limited policy space, invited to participate to carry out the national energy transition policy agenda. The selective empowerment of actors by the central state has reshaped governance towards increased renewable energy adoption. However, the imbalanced participation of different actors may limit the potential for rapid and deep decarbonisation. Future work should study how an increasingly dominant private sector empowered by the state and a civil society that is nudged to the periphery impacts climate coalition building within polycentric networks.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"199-220"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Policymakers' Perceptions of the Use of Deliberative Mini-Publics to Support Sustainability Policies","authors":"Heli Saarikoski,&nbsp;Maria Ojanen,&nbsp;Mikael Hildén,&nbsp;Hanna Mela,&nbsp;Suvi Huttunen,&nbsp;Katariina Kulha,&nbsp;Katriina Soini,&nbsp;Jaana Sorvali","doi":"10.1002/eet.70051","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) have emerged as a novel method to deepen public participation in complex and contentious policy decisions, such as those related to sustainability transformations. Despite an increasing interest in applying DMPs in environmental governance, little is known about policymakers' expectations regarding their applicability and impact. We address this research gap by exploring policymakers' perceptions of DMPs in a sustainability policy context, drawing on a qualitative analysis of focus group and interview data with Finnish policymakers. The results show that policymakers welcome DMPs as a promising addition to the repertoire of public engagement methods but only in an occasional and consultative role, without a formal place in decision-making. They felt that DMPs can promote active citizenship and reasoned debate, especially if they are combined with other participatory processes such as public hearings as well as wider communication processes that contribute to the deliberative capacity of the ‘maxi-public’. At the same time, they were concerned over the representativeness of DMPs as well as citizens' capacities to grasp complex sustainability problems in a short time frame. A systematic collection of experiences from DMPs and regular reflection on their utility with policymakers would strengthen the role of DMPs in developing policies for sustainability transitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"318-329"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Network Approach to Support Sustainability Policy Coordination: Exploring Linkages Between Biodiversity Indicators and Essential Biodiversity Variables","authors":"André Mascarenhas,&nbsp;Jonas Geschke,&nbsp;Aidin Niamir,&nbsp;Graham W. Prescott,&nbsp;Katrin Vohland","doi":"10.1002/eet.70054","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Global sustainability policy demands coordination among domain-specific policies, yet a major challenge persists in policy monitoring and reporting, where various, often uncoordinated indicator initiatives exist. To address this challenge, we apply a network approach to investigate linkages between the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15, Life on Land), the indicators of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and those used in assessments of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), and the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). Network analysis is a well-known tool but to the best of our knowledge remains largely unexplored to analyse indicator linkages. Our findings indicate limited interconnectivity (number and type of cross-set linkages) among the selected indicator sets. Nevertheless, we identify direct network linkages showing that most SDG 15 indicators could draw upon data or other information (e.g., methodological) from Aichi indicators, IPBES indicators, or EBVs. Findings show the potential of EBVs to deliver policy-relevant information, but this warrants further research. We identify indicators and EBVs with a key role in the network and discuss advantages and limitations of our network approach. We show the utility of the approach to linking multiple policy agendas, and argue that—if applied more widely—it can promote a more coordinated sustainability policy monitoring and reporting.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"303-317"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Institutional Externalities and Collaborative Governance in the Cuyahoga River Watershed (CRW)","authors":"Kahad Adamu","doi":"10.1002/eet.70046","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70046","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Institutional externalities emerge when actors, such as individuals, government agencies, and firms, participate in multiple policy forums to address shared social–ecological dilemmas. These externalities occur when decisions or actions in one forum generate unintended consequences for actors' capacities to contribute to the functions, operations, or decisions of other forums. This study investigates institutional externalities in collaborative environmental governance by asking: How do institutional externalities manifest in collaborative interactions aimed at addressing watershed dilemmas, and what factors drive these externalities? Employing a mixed-methods design that integrates secondary document analysis, a survey, and interviews, the study uses the Cuyahoga River Watershed (CRW) in Ohio, USA, as an empirical case. A conceptually grounded methodological framework was developed to quantify the externalities experienced by actors participating in multiple policy forums. Findings indicate that the governance structure within the CRW generates modest positive institutional externalities. This outcome may be explained by the concentration of governance in a small number of central forums within the CRW, the differentiated functions among forums, and the double-edged roles of some forums, which can simultaneously facilitate collaboration and impose coordination burdens. The outcomes are also shaped by forum's type, mandates and the functional scope of forums. Additionally, assessing institutional externalities through multiple indicators provides a more nuanced understanding of collaborative dynamics than single indicators. This study advances our knowledge of institutional externalities in collaborative governance. Furthermore, it provides policymakers and resource managers with insights into designing effective and efficient governance structures for watersheds and other natural resources.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"280-296"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conflicting Emotions, Environmental and Political Factors in Support for Local Environmental Morality Policies: Evidence From an Experiment on Wild Boars in Haifa","authors":"Itai Beeri","doi":"10.1002/eet.70043","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Can emotional responses help explain public support for local environmental morality policies? As cities increasingly contend with complex interspecies conflicts in densely populated urban settings, understanding the drivers of policy support becomes essential. While previous research has emphasized environmental perceptions and political orientations, this study introduces a novel psychological dimension: emotional responses toward urban wildlife. Emotions are not simply background noise to be managed—they are structured, meaningful appraisals that influence how individuals interpret their surroundings and evaluate policy choices. This article examines the case of wild boars in Haifa, Israel, where municipal efforts to manage human–wildlife relations have generated prolonged tensions among residents, officials, and advocacy groups. We conducted a large-scale survey experiment in which respondents were randomly assigned to visual treatments—photographic stimuli designed to evoke specific emotions such as fear versus empathy and indifference versus curiosity. Participants then reported their level of support for two policies: the thinning of wild boars and the regulation of public feeding. Findings show that emotional responses significantly predict support for both policies, beyond the effects of political ideology and environmental concern. Moreover, certain emotional reactions can substitute for perceived ecological harm in shaping policy preferences—suggesting the presence of affective-political compensation mechanisms. This study expands existing models of environmental policy support by integrating affective cognition as a central explanatory factor. It contributes to a growing interdisciplinary literature that views local governance not merely as institutional design, but as a socio-emotional arena where competing moral, ecological, and political claims are negotiated.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"343-364"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Institutionalizing Advisory Bodies in Climate Governance: Between Transparency, Accountability and Efficiency","authors":"David Talbot,&nbsp;Luc Bernier","doi":"10.1002/eet.70052","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The implementation of effective climate governance increasingly relies on advisory bodies that monitor the effectiveness of policies and management mechanisms. Despite their strategic importance to institutionalizing climate governance, limited attention has been paid to the roles, trajectories, and effectiveness of these advisory bodies within evolving governance systems. This study aims to better understand the challenges of institutionalizing advisory boards in climate governance and examines the factors that may influence the evolution of the governance model. This article examines the institutionalization of climate advisory bodies within Quebec's climate governance between 2012 and 2023. This in-depth case study is based on analyses of interviews (<i>N</i> = 31), briefs submitted during public hearings (<i>N</i> = 90), and press articles (<i>N</i> = 122). The study identified three main phases in the evolution of the governance structure and highlighted recurring and evolving issues related to the transparency and effectiveness of management processes. Drawing on the literature on institutional entrepreneurship and the life cycles of public organizations, the study shows how recurring tensions over mandates, resources, legitimacy, and performance monitoring have constrained advisory bodies' ability to support effective climate decision-making. Despite repeated reforms, problems of transparency, accountability, and organizational effectiveness have persisted in various forms. This article contributes to research on climate governance by offering a process-oriented analysis of advisory bodies as organizational actors embedded in complex institutional environments. This study highlights the limitations of frequent reforms aimed at integrating advisory organizations into climate governance systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"330-342"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Complementary Role of Voluntary Environmental Programs in Regulatory Governance: Evidence From South Korea","authors":"Jongdae Song,&nbsp;Youkyoung Jeong","doi":"10.1002/eet.70049","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigates the derivative effects of voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) on regulatory activities, specifically focusing on South Korea's Self-Policing Program for Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SPP). While VEPs are typically evaluated based on their environmental performance of participating firms, this research shifts attention to their broader influence on public regulatory practices and oversight of non-participants. In particular, it explores how VEPs may shape enforcement strategies under conditions of limited governmental resources. Using panel data analysis, the study finds that participation in the SPP is positively associated with increased regulatory inspections and, indirectly, with a higher likelihood of detecting violations. These results suggest that VEPs can serve as informational tools for regulators, helping them to prioritize oversight and allocate enforcement resources more strategically. The findings highlight how VEPs can enhance the efficiency of regulatory governance not only through direct compliance gains but also by altering the behaviors of regulators and the treatment of non-participating firms—an area largely overlooked in existing public management literature. This contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the promising role of VEPs in bolstering regulatory governance, particularly for governments grappling with aligning their regulatory capacity with growing public demands for stricter environmental regulations.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"263-279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Spatial Dynamics of a Just Regional Energy Transition: What If We Ask Citizens?","authors":"Simone Haarbosch,&nbsp;Sanneke Kloppenburg,&nbsp;Bas Van Vliet,&nbsp;Tamara Metze","doi":"10.1002/eet.70044","DOIUrl":"10.1002/eet.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The installation of wind turbines and solar parks in valued rural landscapes has led to local concerns and perceived injustices to the extent that the societal acceptance of the energy transition is at stake. Although the literature on energy justice is blooming, research into citizens' understandings of justice with regards to regional energy transitions is rare. This paper examines the aspects citizens consider relevant when discussing a just energy transition in a regional context. Eleven focus groups, including 42 participants with various backgrounds, were conducted in four cities in the province of Overijssel, the Netherlands. The results show that citizens express justice claims by referring to spaces, places, and scales both within and beyond the region. From the perspective of citizens, regional energy transitions are both influenced by, and have an impact on, existing socio-spatial inequalities at multiple levels, ranging from households to the entire world. Citizens also acknowledge that energy policies and changes made at one scale can create injustices at other scales, referring to the different impacts national subsidies have on rich and poor neighborhoods, or to different effects of implementing renewable energy facilities on rural landscapes and urban regions. Our findings illustrate the multi-scalar character of justice concerns in regional energy transitions. A better understanding of the spatial justice considerations that are fundamental to the concerns of citizens can help improve policy processes and communication about regional energy transitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":47396,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Policy and Governance","volume":"36 2","pages":"240-252"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/eet.70044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147708252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}