Environmental Politics

This section aims to run up to twelve panels focusing on current issues in and approaches to environmental politics and policy. Environmental themes are of immense societal relevance and have gained increased public attention and priority. Likewise, environmental themes are relevant to an increasing number of political research clusters, including (but not limited to) those specializing in global and EU governance, public policy, parties and public opinion, citizen participation, and political theory. Reflective of current sociopolitical dynamics, we have attracted a diverse range of panels from scholars across the political science community. The overarching aim of the section is to draw together conceptual expertise and rigorous empirical analysis on the wide range of research fields and subjects of study under the umbrella of environmental politics. The section shall provide a stage for discussion within and across the various research fields and subjects, in order to explore, challenge, and re-configure theories surrounding environmental problems, both new and old. For Innsbruck 2021, we especially aim at combining panels that cast light on the diversity and breadth of the research that is being conducted with a view on environmental problems and their governance at different levels (e.g., global, EU, civil society), in different matters (e.g., climate, natural resources), and relying on different means/actors (e.g., citizens, technologies). Combining paper presentations, round-tables, and meet-ups, we want to facilitate a both broad and deep discussion on the state and the future of environmental politics research. In line with our ambitions, we called for panel proposals prior to this submission and received seven expressions of interest. Further panels will be added after the second call. The research areas they relate to include environmental policy and regulation; global governance; private governance; and citizen action. A recurrent topic dealt with from different perspectives includes the governance of natural resources and climate change at various political levels. The panels include the following: Title: EU governance in turbulent times Chair: Diarmuid Torney (Dublin City University) Description: This panel seeks to explore the EU’s governance of the climate and sustainability transition by focusing on how governance has or has not changed during a context of broader turbulence. In particular, the papers assess the potential of different governance mechanisms and innovations – such as the European Green Deal – to focus attention and overcome broader challenges to climate and environmental governance in a context of turbulence. Title: The politics of transparency in global climate governance Chair: Aarti Gupta (Wageningen University) Description: This panel explores whether and under what conditions transparency can help to transcend (rather than reinforce) long-standing and entrenched political conflicts within global climate governance, as is widely assumed. The papers shed light, inter alia, on how novel transparency arrangements (reporting and review systems) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its 2015 Paris Agreement are functioning. Title: Social tipping dynamics and climate change mitigation Chairs: Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen (University of Berne), Christina Eder (GESIS) Description: This panel departs from the assumption that to study the drivers and hurdles of effective climate change mitigation, social tipping may be a useful concept. However, while recent research has quite extensively discussed social tipping conceptually, it has rarely been used empirically. This panel strives to bring together researchers from different backgrounds who use the concept as analytical framework for case studies, empirical analyses or experiments on social tipping relevant to keep us within the planetary boundaries. Title: Young people and environmental activism: Values and activism Chairs: Carolin Zorell (Örebro University) Description: In this panel, we consider the generational specificities regarding shifting values, attitudes, and concerns among young people and how these translate into the creation, engagement and mobilization of young environmental activists in Europe. We analyze and discuss with reference to theoretical studies, published survey data and our own fieldwork how today’s young people are in turn reshaping views, reconstituting political participation and holding governments to account for their approaches towards (or neglect of) environmental challenges. Title: Cross-sectoral coordination and institutional innovation in water governance Chairs: Manuel Fischer (University of Bern), Nicolas Jager (University of Oldenburg) Description: The panel aims to provide a platform to discuss new and innovative conceptual approaches and methods to understand the design and implementation of integrated modes of water governance. Papers may deal with complex interactions among the different levels of governance, stakeholders, or sectors. We specifically invite contributions relying on interdisciplinary approaches, new and innovative concepts, methods and empirical research, and contributions opening up the research agenda for the future Title: Establishing foreign accountability through new due diligence regulations, Part 1 Chairs: Almut Schilling-Vacaflor (University of Osnabrück), Maria-Therese Gustafsson (University of Stockholm) Description: This panel invites scholars of human rights and of environmental governance to discuss the implications and challenges of the recent proliferation of public policies aiming to hold corporations accountable for their impacts in producing sites and along complex commodity chains. Among others, the panel asks how institutional design features differ between due-diligence regulations; how shape their effectiveness; and under what conditions foreign corporate accountability can be strengthened via collaboration with governments in commodity-producing countries. Titel: Establishing foreign accountability through new due diligence regulations, Part 2 Chairs: Almut Schilling-Vacaflor (University of Osnabrück), Andrea Lenschow (University of Osnabrück), Maria-Therese Gustafsson (University of Stockholm) Description: Drawing on conceptual and empirical contributions on foreign corporate accountability in the ambits of human rights and environmental protection, this panel explores the patterns, causes and consequences of new public policies to regulate global commodity chains. Specifically: (1) How can foreign corporate accountability be conceptualized? (2) How do key institutional design features differ between due diligence regulations and how to they shape their effectiveness? (3) Which other factors (e.g. state capacity, knowledge) make due-diligence policies more or less effective and legitimate/democratic? The Standing Group has over 370 members and its sections have been vibrant and over-subscribed over the past. We aim to continue this path and expect to attract a diversity and large number of excellent papers.