Local consequences of applying international norms: differences in the application of forest certification in northern Sweden, northern Finland, and northwest Russia

Forest certification, developed in the early 1990s, is a process in which independent assessors grant use of the certification label to producers who meet certain environmental and social criteria set for their forest products. This label was quickly seen to offer a market advantage and to signal corporate social and environmental responsibility. This paper focuses on international norms pertaining to environmental and indigenous rights, as manifested in cases of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)- and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)-compatible certification, and how these norms have been applied domestically and perceived locally in different states. Case studies are drawn from northern Sweden, northern Finland, and three regions in northwest Russia. The studies illustrate that the choice and implementation of certification type depend considerably on national infrastructure and market characteristics and result in substantial differences in the impact that international norms have at the local leve

The promise and limits of participation in adaptation governance: Moving beyond participation towards disruption

In this chapter I develop a theoretical critique of the notion of learning through participation. Those following Habermas’ theory of deliberative democracy suggest that affected populations need to engage in fair and competent discourse in order to deliberate and learn. Bringing rationality to discourse will help the better argument to win. However, while a lot of participation at first sight looks empowering, those who participate are subjected to power relations as Foucault tells us, they become subjects of advanced liberal power. Rancière and Kulynych suggest that meaningful political action in the age of disciplinary societies actually takes the form of resistance rather than cooperation. Only by disrupting dominant discourses will we be able to create new practices and new discourses. This means that we need to pay a lot more attention to unconventional forms and unconventional sites of participation and learning, namely those that performatively enact new realities

Arzt im fitness-studio

Climate change will result in large challenges that require societies to adapt to and manage increased risks. Regional practices of climate adaptation often take shape within multilevel governance networks in which representatives of different levels of government, policy sectors, public and private parties may discuss and negotiate potential measures. This paper aims to explore the role of leadership in enhancing the adaptive capacity of multilevel governance networks and in supporting regional practices of climate adaptation. The paper reviews two initiatives toward climate adaptation, the WaalWeelde initiative in the Netherlands and the Manhood Peninsula Partnership in the UK, based on policy documentation and analysis of in total 17 semistructured interviews with public and private actors. The study illustrates both the large differences in organization of water management, spatial planning, and flood risk policies, as well as strong similarities in the way in which leadership may contribute to the development of initiatives

The role of leadership in regional climate change adaptation: a comparison of adaptation practices initiated by governmental and non-governmental actors

Contains fulltext : 139999_1.pdf (preprint version ) (Open Access)This paper aims to better understand the role of leadership in regional climate change adaptation. We first present a framework, which distinguishes five functions of leadership within inter-organizational networks: the connective, enabling, adaptive, political–administrative and dissemination functions. Next, we compare the role of leadership in two examples of regional adaptation practices which were initiated by governmental actors with two examples which were initiated by non-governmental actors. The case studies are located in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. Our research question is twofold: to what extent can the five functions of leadership be identified in practices of climate change adaptation, and are there differences in the patterns of leadership between adaptation practices which are initiated by governmental and by non-governmental actors? The study shows that although all leadership functions were fulfilled in all four cases, patterns of leadership were different and the fulfilment of leadership functions posed different challenges to non-governmental actors and governmental actors.13 p

Climate Change and Arctic Fisheries

Climate change will have a variety of consequences for marine capture fisheries within the broadly defined Arctic marine area. Among these are new and expanding fisheries in the Arctic Ocean. This chapter provides an overview of current Arctic fisheries, the current international legal and policy framework with respect to Arctic fisheries and some national regulation over Arctic fisheries. This is complemented by the identification of gaps in the international legal and policy framework and national regulation and options for addressing them. Among the options are ensuring the availability of relevant scientific data; individual action by Arctic Ocean coastal states and other states in their capacities as flag, coastal, port and market states and with regard to their natural and legal persons; bilateral or subregional arrangements between the relevant Arctic Ocean coastal states on the conservation and management of shared fish stocks; a regional declaration on new fisheries in the Arctic marine area; and one or more state-of-the-art RFMOs or Arrangements

Reducing the risk of invasive forest pests and pathogens: Combining legislation, targeted management and public awareness

Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the EU) with protection against invasive pests and pathogens. Public awareness may mobilise the public for prevention and detection of potential invasions and, simultaneously, increase support for eradication and control measures. We recommend focus on commodities in addition to pathways, an approach within the EU using a centralised response unit and, critically, to engage the general public in the battle against establishment and spread of these harmful pests and pathogens