POL S 4221 Assessing Green Diplomacy

POL S 4222 Success & failure in green diplomacy  Toxic Waste Trade  Whaling  Acid Rain  CITES  Ozone Depletion  Climate Change

POL S 4223 Lessons Learned  Lead states/laggard states  Importance of nonstate actors  Importance of organizational structure  Importance of symbolic politics  Least common denominator  Strengths of convention/protocol –Allows incremental progress –Works well for simple issues  Weaknesses of convention/protocol –Works less well for complex issues  Role of U.S.

POL S 4224 Institutional Problems  Weakness of UNEP –Physical & political isolation –Under-funded  Dominant economic institutions downplay environment –WTO, World Bank, IMF –Business  A World Environment Organization?

POL S 4225 Three Alternative Futures  Business-as-usual –Liberal environmentalism  Fortress World –Rich protect themselves –Securitizing energy  Global Transformation –Addresses the intertwined dimensions of the global problematique  Inequity, violent conflict, environmental degradation  Evidence for all three

POL S 4226 Liberal environmentalism  Business-as-usual  Proliferation of agreements & institutions –Hundreds of treaties since Stockholm, yet environmental conditions worsen  Green diplomacy embedded in ideology of growth  Voluntary initiatives emphasized over binding commitments

POL S 4227 Capitalism, Globalization and Ecology  Market logic –Economic efficiency: cheap labor & materials –Market expansion: growth imperative –Profit motive: short time horizon  Ex: Banking industry & renewable energy  Pro-free trade argument –Trade increases GNP; wealth promotes environment  Anti-free trade argument –Shadow ecologies; race to the bottom; time frame

POL S 4228 Darker Green: A Global Green Deal  Based upon “common but differentiated responsibility”  North would supply funds & technology to enable South to leapfrog into sustainable development  EX: Per capita emissions approach to GHGs  What would it take??

POL S 4229 Green Politics Beyond the State  Subnational initiatives –States, cities, neighborhoods  Voluntary & Type-2 Initiatives –Pew Center on Global Climate Change; ISO 14001; Forestry Stewardship Council; Marine Stewardship Council  Green investment –Climate & insurance industry  Earth Charter –“Declaration of Interdependence”  Exemplary mobilization –City Repair –Global Ecovillage movement –Lifestyle politics

POL S Addressing the Root Causes  What underlies I= PAT? –What are the causes of exponential growth?  Social structures  Culture & values  Is there a role for the average citizen in green diplomacy?