Environmental Governance: From Innovation to Powerlessness

Abstract

For several decades, the environment has been and continues to be a “laboratory” where new forms of governance are constantly invented: democratic consultation procedures; flexible forms of co-ordination; decentralised modes of management; the use of contracts, mediation or economic incentives; government by information and principles etc. Many examples could be added to this list of efforts toward the modernisation of public action: “Agenda 21”, “impact studies”, “voluntary agreements”, “tradable pollution permits”, “independent authorities”, “citizen conferences”, the “precautionary principle”, “sustainable development”, negotiated standards or agreements. This tendency has increased significantly during the 1990s to such an extent that it becomes possible to speak retrospectively of a true “silent revolution” in the design and implementation of environmental policies. All this has happened in a context marked by globalisation, the emergence of large economic regions like Europe, and the growing influence of liberal ideas.