A relative Hilbert-Mumford criterion

We generalize the classical Hilbert-Mumford criteria for GIT (semi-)stability in terms of one parameter subgroups of a linearly reductive group G over a field k, to the relative situation of an equivariant, projective morphism X -> Spec A to a noetherian k-algebra A. We also extend the classical projectivity result for GIT quotients: the induced morphism X^ss/G -> Spec A^G is projective. As an example of applications to moduli problems, we consider degenerations of Hilbert schemes of points.Comment: v4: minor correction

The Role of Policy Diffusion in Shaping Design Properties

This paper examines the extent to which and how the spread and design of carbon trading systems worldwide have been shaped by international policy diffusion. We highlight eight central design characteristics and identify nine cases for further scrutiny. Focusing on similarities and differences across the cases, we find that international diffusion can explain both converging and diverging designs. While the former observation is in line with the traditional understanding of diffusion leading to convergence as actors adopt a policy initiated by others, it is more striking that policy diffusion stands forth as important for understanding design divergence. Evidence presented in this paper demonstrates that diffusion mechanisms interact with and contribute to the evolution in the policy as it diffuses over time. Hence, we argue that policy convergence is not necessarily a great measure of diffusion because the policy is not the same over time. The policy divergences, partly rooted in different domestic conditions and political constraints, mean that no linked global system is likely in the near future, although the spread of the policy model can be seen as promising for a future emissions trading regime from below

The geometry of degenerations of Hilbert schemes of points

Given a strict simple degeneration $f \colon X\to C$ the first three authors previously constructed a degeneration $I^n_{X/C} \to C$ of the relative degree $n$ Hilbert scheme of $0$-dimensional subschemes. In this paper we investigate the geometry of this degeneration, in particular when the fibre dimension of $f$ is at most $2$. In this case we show that $I^n_{X/C} \to C$ is a dlt model. This is even a good minimal dlt model if $f \colon X \to C$ has this property. We compute the dual complex of the central fibre $(I^n_{X/C})_0$ and relate this to the essential skeleton of the generic fibre. For a type II degeneration of $K3$ surfaces we show that the stack ${\mathcal I}^n_{X/C} \to C$ carries a nowhere degenerate relative logarithmic $2$-form. Finally we discuss the relationship of our degeneration with the constructions of Nagai.Comment: 53 pages. To appear in J. Algebraic Geo

Business Interests in Salmon Aquaculture Certification: Competition or Collective Action?

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Konvensjonen om biologisk mangfold og norsk skogbruk : strategisk, normativ eller ingen tilpasning?

En rekke miljøproblemer som statene ikke kan løse hver for seg, blir forsøkt regulert gjennom internasjonale konvensjoner og avtaler. Effektiviteten til disse avtalene avhenger av at statene overholder og implementerer bestemmelsene og at målgrupper endrer atferd. I denne oppgaven undersøkes betydningen av Konvensjonen om biologisk mangfold (biokonvensjonen) på norsk skogforvaltning og skogbruk. Oppgavens todelte problemstilling er: I hvilken grad og på hvilken måte har norsk skogforvaltning og skogbruk tilpasset seg forpliktelsene i biokonvensjonen og hvordan kan tilpasningene forklares? Med tilpasninger menes alle endringer i skogforvaltningen og skogbruket som er en direkte eller indirekte følge av biokonvensjonen. Oppgaven tar utgangspunkt i to regimeteoretiske retninger: Det interessebaserte og det kognitive perspektivet. På bakgrunn av disse perspektivene utledes det to ulike mekanismer som kan forklare tilpasningene. Den første er strategisk tilpasning, hvilket betyr at en aktør innretter seg etter bestemmelsene i en avtale på grunnlag av en nyttekalkulasjon, der andres vektlegging av bestemmelsene inngår i premissene. Den andre mekanismen er normativ tilpasning, hvilket innebærer at en aktør innretter seg etter normene og bestemmelsene i en avtale på bakgrunn av en internalisering av disse. Her forventes det at aktørene vil tilpasse seg avtalen selv når dette går på tvers av deres materielle interesser. For å supplere de to hovedperspektivene, introduseres en intern politikk modell. Formålet med dette er å i noen grad undersøke hvordan internasjonale forpliktelser omsettes til nasjonale tiltak gjennom aggregering av interesser og nasjonale beslutningsprosesser. Det empiriske nedslagsfeltet for analysen omfatter vern av skog, som faller inn under Miljøverndepartementet, forvaltning av skog, som hører til under Lanbruksdepartementet, samt tilpasninger skognæringen selv har tatt initiativ til. Den faktiske tilpasningsgraden til biokonvensjonen undersøkes gjennom en kvalitativ dokumentanalyse og intervjuer med aktører i departementene, skogbruket og miljøbevegelsen. Tilpasningsgraden forklares med utgangspunkt i forventninger avledet fra de teoretiske perspektivene og på bakgrunn av dokumentanalysen og intervjuene. I analysen framkommer det at tilpasningsgraden til biokonvensjonen i skogforvaltningen har vært liten. Sentrale normer og prinsipper i konvensjonen anerkjennes i offentlige dokumenter, men det har vært få reelle tiltak for å tilpasse seg bestemmelsene. Dette forklares med biokonvensjonens generelle og relativt uforpliktende karakter, men også med at aktører i Landbruksdepartementet ikke har internalisert sentrale normer og prinsipper i biokonvensjonen. Aktører i Miljøverndepartementet ser derimot ut til å ha internalisert disse, men her er det snarere et sammenfall i aktørenes og konvensjonens normer enn en internaliseringsprosess forårsaket av selve konvensjonen. Analysen viser at i den grad miljøtilpasningene i skogbruket er forårsaket av biokonvensjonen, så har avtalen virket mest effektivt gjennom påvirkning av markedet og skogbrukets konkurransesituasjon. På bakgrunn av dette ser det ut til at strategisk tilpasning har vært den viktigste mekanismen konvensjonen har virket gjennom. Strategisk tilpasning forutsetter imidlertid at andre aktører legger vekt på normene og prinsippene i biokonvensjonen. Det argumenteres derfor for at samspillet mellom strategisk og normativ tilpasning er viktig for å forstå effekten av en internasjonal miljøavtale på aggregatet av nasjonale aktører. Analysen viser også at intern politikk modellen kan bidra til å forklare den utformingen enkelte tilpasninger til biokonvensjonen har fått. Her fokuseres det særlig på tautrekkingen mellom Landbruksdepartementet og Miljøverndepartementet og på koblingen mellom Landbruksdepartementet og skogbrukets interesseorganisasjoner

Non-state global environmental governance : the emergence and effectiveness of forest and fisheries certification schemes

There is growing scholarly interest in the role and function of non-state actors in global governance. A number of non-state governance schemes have been created in recent years to set environmental and social standards for the certification of private companies and producers. This thesis focuses on certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors, as initiatives in these two sectors arguably represent the most advanced cases of non-state rulemaking and governance in the environmental realm. The following research questions are examined. (1) How can we explain the emergence and spread of non-state certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors? (2) How and to what extent does the organization of standard-setting processes influence standard-setting outcomes? (3) What are the causal mechanisms that link certification schemes and behavioral change; and when, and under what conditions, are these mechanisms likely to influence behavior? In examining these questions, the thesis draws on institutional theory in political science and sociology – particularly regime literature and sociological institutionalist approaches to organizational behavior – as well as nascent research on global environmental governance. The empirical part of the thesis comprises six journal articles that examine the emergence and effectiveness of forest and fisheries certification schemes, with a particular focus on forest certification. The first three articles examine the formation and design of forest and fisheries certification schemes at the global level and the last three focus on forest certification and forest politics in Norway and Sweden. The Norwegian and Swedish cases form a relevant comparison, not only because they have been at the forefront of developing forest certification schemes, but also because there are salient differences in the unfolding of non-state rulemaking processes in the two countries. The data in this study consist of primary documents such as standards documents, certification reports, environmental assessments, and public policy documents; interviews with representatives of certification schemes, environmental organizations, industry associations, and government agencies; and secondary sources. Because producers self-select into certification schemes, an understanding of their patterns of emergence and adoption decisions is fundamental for assessing the effectiveness of certification schemes. An examination of the underlying factors influencing adoption decisions revealed that NGO coalition building with big retailers and the targeting of producers were important factors. The size, ownership, and export dependence of an operation affected its vulnerability to NGO targeting. Variation in forest industry structure appeared as a particularly significant variable for explaining divergent forest certification choices in Norway and Sweden. Whereas the big, export-dependent Swedish forest companies responded to advocacy group and market pressures by adopting the NGO-backed Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards, non-industrial forest owners in both Norway and Sweden rejected this scheme because of narrower market exposure and their belief that the relatively stringent FSC standards were unsuited for certification of small-scale non-industrial forestry. The non-industrial forest owners responded collectively to NGO pressure to adopt the FSC standards by creating landowner-dominated schemes with more discretionary and flexible standards. Their strong associational systems facilitated collective and strategic responses to NGO pressure to certify. In the case of fisheries certification, there were less NGO activism and direct targeting of producers to convince or pressure them to participate in certification schemes. Instead, WWF partnered with Unilever, the major food conglomerate, and built alliances with supermarket chains to create markets for fisheries certification. To assess the effectiveness of certification schemes, this thesis examines patterns of participation, the effects of third-party auditing, and changes in producer behavior following certification. It is argued that understanding exactly how certification schemes influence behavior requires the identification of casual mechanisms and behavioral pathways. The analysis demonstrates that certification schemes work through a “logic of consequences” by restructuring incentives, and through a “logic of appropriateness” through the internalization of norms, rules, and procedures about acceptable or appropriate behavior in particular roles or situations. It is argued that what were clearly utility-maximizing adaptations to new norms, principles, and market expectations, have, over time, resulted in some degree of learning and internalization of environmental protection norms among producers – although the “logic of consequences” continues to play an important role in management decisions. In assessing broader consequences, this thesis looks beyond the instrument itself to a discussion of the changing relationships among business actors and environmental organizations, public and private regulatory interplay, and the reshaping of legitimate rulemaking authority in global environmental governance. Unlike the predominant view in the global governance literature, this research demonstrates that the state remains a critical actor in the successful implementation of non-state governance schemes, and that these schemes tend to supplement rather than supplant traditional government regulations

Emissions Trading and Policy Diffusion: Complex EU ETS Emulation in Kazakhstan

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The emergence and effectiveness of the Marine Stewardship Council

This article examines the influence of patterns of emergence on the effectiveness of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)--a leading wild-capture fisheries certification program. Looking first at the origins and features of this program, direct effects are examined by describing the adoption of the scheme and the impacts of the fishery assessment process. In assessing broader consequences, the article examines patterns of adoption and certification effects that were not necessarily intended or anticipated. The article concludes that fisheries certification alone is unlikely to arrest the decline of fish stocks, and highlights the need for more research on the intersection of private and public efforts to address overfishing and environmental harm resulting from fishing.Effectiveness Environmental governance Fisheries certification Seafood labeling