Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics

This handbook provides a comprehensive and authoritative survey of Global Environmental Politics. It brings together leading international academic experts and features 40 chapters that:

• Describe the history of global environmental politics as a discipline and explain the various theories and perspectives used by scholars and students to understand it.
• Examine the key actors and institutions in global environmental politics, explaining the role of states, international organizations, regimes, international law, foreign policy institutions, domestic politics, corporations and transnational actors.
• Address the ideas and themes shaping the practice and study of global environmental politics, including sustainability, consumption, expertise, uncertainty, security, diplomacy, North-South relations, globalisation, justice, ethics, participation and citizenship.
• Assess the key issues and policies within global environmental politics, including energy, climate change, ozone depletion, air pollution, acid rain, sustainable transport, persistent organic pollutants, hazardous wastes, water, rivers, wetlands, oceans, fisheries, marine mammals, biodiversity, migratory species, natural heritage, forests, desertification, food and agriculture.

With an in-depth new preface by the Editor, this edition of the handbook is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners of environmental politics, environmental studies, environmental science, geography, international relations and political science.

Preface: Reflections on Global Environmental Politics: Practice and Scholarship amidst Ecological Change

1. Introduction: Delineating global environmental politics

Part I: Explaining and understanding global environmental politics

2. The discipline of global environmental politics: a short history

3. Mainstream theories: realism and rationalism

4. Alternative theories: constructivism, Marxism and critical approaches

5. The study of global environmental politics: strategies for research and learning

6. Advanced scholarship: interdisciplinary research at the science-policy interface

Part II: Actors and institutions in global environmental politics

7. States: nations, sovereignty and the international system

8. International organizations: global and regional environmental cooperation

9. International environmental regimes: formation, effectiveness and trends

10. International environmental law: sources, principles and innovations

11. Environmental foreign policy: crossovers among levels of governance

12. Comparative environmental politics: domestic institutions and actors

13. Corporations: business and industrial influence

14. Transnational actors: Nongovernmental organizations, civil society and individuals

15. Sustainability: foundational principles

16. Consumption: institutions and actors

17. Expertise: specialized knowledge in environmental politics and sustainability

18. Uncertainty: risk, technology and the future

19. Environmental security: international, national and human

20. Environmental diplomacy: international conferences and negotiations

21. North-South relations: colonialism, empire and international order

22. Globalization and the environment: markets, finance and trade

23. International justice: rights and obligations of states

24. Environmental justice: pollution, poverty and marginalized communities

25. Environmental ethics: philosophy, ecology and other species

26. Participation: public opinion and environmental action

27. Environmental citizenship: global, local and individual

28. Energy and climate change

29. Stratospheric ozone depletion

30. Air pollution and acid rain

31. Sustainable transport and infrastructure

32. Persistent organic pollutants

33. Hazardous wastes

34. Water, rivers and wetlands

35. Pollution and management of oceans and seas

36. Fisheries and marine mammals

37. Biodiversity, migratory species and natural heritage

38. Forests

39. Desertification

40. Food and agriculture

Paul G. Harris is author or editor of more than 20 books on global environmental politics, policy and ethics. He is the Chair Professor of Global and Environmental Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong.