Pioneers in Environmental Policy Revisited

Abstract

Pioneers (vanguard, forerunners) in the various environmental areas are decisive for the diffusion of progress (at least: prevention of waves of backlashes) in environmental policy. Especially in the context of “wicked” problems and issues of multinational or global dimension pioneers are obviously crucial for triggering progress and breaking impasses in environmental policy. What are the forces, incentives, configurations, capacities, discourses, etc. that create pioneers who leave the mainstream or even start a contra-mainstream policy? Why are there pioneers although they often face fierce opposition in their home country and abroad? Why do pioneer countries usually act in international negotiations in ways not recommended by negotiation theory? Are pioneer countries anachronistic in times beyond the nation state? What theoretical and practical implications does the rise of governance have for the concept of pioneers? Although pioneers arguably are of great importance for environmental policy progress systematic research is sparse aside from the seminal work by Andersen/Liefferink and Jänicke et al. in the 1990s. This panel will contribute to a theoretical and empirical substantiation of the notion of “environmental pioneers”. Welcome are, in particular, efforts towards a systematic definition/conceptualization of the term “pioneer”, case studies and comparative (also historical) studies (rise and decline of pioneers, changes over time) and normative/practice-oriented studies (how to breed and promote pioneers).

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