GEG Bookshelf
Listed below are select full-length books, articles, and papers in the field of global environmental governance, written by a range of academics and practitioners, listed in chronological order. If you have suggestions for additions to our Bookshelf, please submit them to info@environmentalgovernance.org.
A New American Environmentalism and the New Economy
James Gustave Speth. Published by the National Council for Science and the Environment, January 2010.
A desire for unlimited growth amidst a world of finite resources are inherently irreconcilable, and will inflict irreversible environmental damage if not curtailed, argues Gus Speth, in his lecture at the 10th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment: The New Green Economy. Rather than rely on systems of the past, Speth suggests implementing an entirely new economic model, a green economic model. Read here.
Right Relationship, Building a Whole Earth Economy
Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., February 2009.
The current tension between limited resources and a economic system of endless growth and limitless potential wealth will result in “increasing destruction of the natural world and growing, sometimes lethal, tension between rich and poor,” argue Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver. Instead, the Quaker principle of “right relationship” should be the foundation of our economic system, offering a interdependent relationship between human and natural communities to enable life’s commonwealth. Order.
The UNEP We Want
Mark Halle. Published by International Institute for Sustainable Development, October 2007.
After a September 2007 Swiss conference between the world’s top environmental bureaucrats, Mark Halle, a Global Environmental Governance Forum participant, published “The UNEP We Want.” Numerous GEG Forum Participants were also in attendance, including John Scanlon and Julia Marton-Lefèvre. The conference was convened to reflect on the nature and evolution of our environmental challenges within the role of UNEP in as a mechanism to deploy needed responses. Additionally, the paper aimed to provide inputs for the drawing up of UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy (2010-2013). Read here.
The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law
Daniel Bodansky. Published by Harvard University Press, November 2009.
Intended for a general audience, this book focuses on the processes by which international environmental law is developed, implemented, and enforced. Its goal is to provide a real-world perspective on how environmental law works—and sometimes doesn’t work. Bodansky examines how traditional law, environmental norms, and international institutions shape contemporary international environmental law. The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law will be published in November 2009; the introductory chapter is available now. More information.
Environmental Sustainability and the Financial Crisis:
Linkages and Policy Recommendations
Jennifer Clapp, Eric Helleiner, Annette Hester, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Ian H. Rowlands, Linda Swanston, Jason Thistlethwaite, Debora L. VanNijnatten and John Whalley. Published by Centre for International Governance Innovation Working Group on Environment and Resources, September 2009.
Clapp and Swanston write, “As the global economic crisis and recovery continue to unfold, it is important not to lose sight of the environment amid fiscal stimulus efforts and economic reorientation.” The authors argue that economic prosperity cannot be pursued at the expense of environmental sustainability. Further, long-term economic prosperity requires a strong and healthy ecosystem at its base. Papers presented in this publication outline and highlight unique challenges and opportunities for policy makers in the face of the current economic crisis. Available here.
International Organizations in Environmental Governance
Edited by Frank Biermann, Bernd Siebenhüner & Anna Schreyögg. Published by Routledge, 2009.
This volume provides a comparative study of the role of international organizations in environmental governance. Whilst a growing body of literature considers global governance in a number of policy areas, this volume delivers one of the first comprehensive accounts of international organizations in relation to environmental policy. Order.
Stockholm, Rio, Johannesburg: Brazil & the Three United Nations Conferences on the Environment
André Aranha Corrêa do Lago. Published by Fundção Alexandre de Gusmão, 2009.
This publication details the history of global environmental governance, contextualizing it within the evolution of Brazil’s position on foreign environmental policy throughout the three main international environmental conferences.
Bridge at the End of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, & Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
James Gustave Speth. Published by Yale University Press, 2008.
This book argues that the U.S. capitalist economy, with its emphasis on continuous robust growth, is at loggerheads with the environment. If Americans do not rein in spending, Speth contends, only one result is assured. If we do not learn to consume less, we will consume the biosphere itself in our binge. More information.
Dictionary and Introduction to Global Environmental Governance
Richard E. Saunier & Richard A. Meganck. Published by Earthscan, 2007.
This unique dictionary provides a compilation of over 5,500 terms, organizations and acronyms relating to the field of global environmental governance. The result is a practical tool that should find a central place on the desk of anyone involved in environmental management, development or sustainability issues anywhere in the world. Order.
Global Environmental Governance
James Gustave Speth and Peter M. Haas. Published by Island Press, 2006.
This publication offers the essential information, theory, and practical insight needed to tackle the critical challenge of global environmental issues. It examines ten major environmental threats and explores how they can be addressed through treaties, governance regimes, and new forms of international cooperation. Order.
Global Environmental Institutions
Elizabeth R. DeSombre. Published by Routledge, 2006.
This volume provides an overview of the major global institutions attempting to protect the natural environment. It considers the entities within the UN system which play important roles and examines institutions clustered by issue area. It concludes with current debate of whether the institutional structure of global environmental governance can, and should, be fundamentally reformed. Order.
Global Environmental Politics
Pamela S. Chasek, Janet W. Brown, & David L. Downie. Published by Westview Press, 2006.
This publication provides an overview of global environmental issues and contextualizes key events throughout the history of global environmental governance. It also explores the complex set of various international actors involved in the multilateral interaction attempting to address these issues. More information.
Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment
James Gustave Speth. Published by Yale University Press, 2004.
This publication shows that ensuring a livable, peaceful planet for upcoming generations will require extraordinary new initiatives, a mobilized civil society, and respect for the unprecedented ethical position in which we find ourselves. For most of history, the fate of Earth has been outside the realm of human control. Now, for the first time, we are affecting the planet on a global scale. Our activities and decisions will steer the course of its future. With this new power to destroy or save must come a new level of responsibility to all citizens of Earth, Speth argues. Red Sky at Morning will arm global citizens with the information they need to take responsibility and to effect change before it is too late. Order.
