Environmental Politics

This section aims to run up to ten panels focusing on current issues in and approaches to environmental politics and policy. Environmental themes are of immense societal relevance, they are hotly debated, and they are gaining increased public attention and priority. Given the great complexity and multifaceted nature of present environmental challenges, environmental themes are relevant to a large number of political research clusters, including (but not limited to) those specialising in global and EU governance, public policy, political parties and public opinion, citizen participation, and political theory. Reflective of ongoing scholarly debates in the field and of current socio-political dynamics, we expect to attract 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. Following the positive experiences from the General Conference in 2021, in Innsbruck 2022 we especially aim at combining panels that go into depth of the diverse 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, biodiversity, natural resources), and relying on different means/actors (e.g., citizens, technologies). The idea is to have some sets of thematically related panels, which together explore and discuss single issues with greater rigour and depth. Together with paper presentations which reflect the breadth of the environmental politics research, roundtables, and meet-ups, we want to facilitate a both deep and broad discussion on the state and the future of environmental politics research. In line with our ambitions, we received expressions of interest in organising linked panels. The specific selection and combination of panels will be concretised after a second call for panel proposals has been issued in early 2022. The Standing Group has about 330 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.