World Environment Organization: Difference between revisions

From VCSEwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with '=Introduction= There are lots of, more or less theoretical, definitions of globalization, for example: “Globalization (…) can be thought of as the widening, intensifying, spe…')
 
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Facing global environmental problems there is the general call for a reform of the institutional global environmental policy or even more for a global environmental organization with increasing frequency. What exactly is this reform-process about, what kind of institution is needed and is there a chance for a World Environment Organization in a foreseeable future?'''
=Introduction=
=Introduction=
There are lots of, more or less theoretical, definitions of globalization, for example: “Globalization (…) can be thought of as the widening, intensifying, speeding up, and growing impact of world-wide interconnectedness.(Held, McGrew, Goldblatt & Perrat, 2008, p. 2). This phenomenon is accompanied by a wide range of positive as well as negative consequences for humanity in general, society and the environment. One example of an abstract description of the consequences for society was mainly coined by the socialist Ulrich Beck in the mid eighties: The risk-society. When the past was characterized by difficulties of a just distribution of wealth, today in this “second, reflexive modernity” (Gane, 2001, p. 83) the production of wealth comes with the production of risks: It is no longer only a distribution of wealth, as well as a distribution of risks (cf. Gane, 2001, p. 83). A second change related to the distribution of risks is the decreasing of the importance of borders: On the one hand the result of an event takes place in another part of the world and on the other hand a small local event can cause a global reaction (cf. Held et. al., 2008, p. 2). There are lots of economical, social and cultural examples for these phenomena. Because the following text will mainly focus on the enviromental issue, the given example is the climate change, facing Copenhagen, probably the most popular one right now. This risk is caused by the production of wealth and will, at least in the beginning, mainly effect the “undeveloped countries”, but furthermore as well the globalization in general (cf. Curtis, 2007). Further examples are decreasing biodiversity, pollution of atmosphere, oceans, soil etc.
At the latest since the disappointing United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen<ref> More information about the conference can be found under [http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_15/items/5257.php ''United Nations Climate Change Conference'']</ref> in December 2009 it became obvious that we are living meanwhile in a world risk society without an answer to environmental challenges- neither in form of an acting global community nor a promising world environment organization. On the other side we are facing more and more environmental challenges. These environmental problems can be distinguished in three kinds (cf. Rechkemmer, 2004, p. 7 & Simonis 561): in regional, local and global environmental problems. Regional phenomena are caused and occur just in a small, limited space for example the emissions in a lake through the local industry. Local problems, e. g. the contamination of a river flowing through different countries, affect more than one country, but do not have an impact on the whole world. The last kind of phenomena are global problems, for example the famous climate change<ref> More scientific information and prognosis can be found under [http://www.ipcc.ch/ ''IPCC'']</ref>, the global loss of biodiversity<ref> Further reading to this loss under [http://www.cbd.int/ ''Convention on Biological Diversity'']</ref>, erosion of the earth’s surface, desertification, pollution of the sea etc.. These global problems are characterized by different aspects:
Facing these complex environmental problems national states and multilateral contracts are important- but obviously not powerful enough. Held et. al. point out that there is no institution “able to amass sufficient political power, domestic support or international authority to do more than limit the worst excesses of some of these enviromental threats” (Held et. al., 2008, p. 9).  
*There is no longer a direct link between the area where they are caused and the places where the effects occur (cf. Alter Text).
That is why there is the discussion about a global environment governance. The following text will discuss the potential of such an organization, facing global environmental problems. Therefore first the idea of such an organization especially related to the UNEP will be presented, second arguments for and against this approach will be described and in the end a prospect of the future will be given.
*No direct link between small effects and the dimension of the “reaction”- especially tipping-points<ref> More information [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipping_point_%28climatology%29 ''Tipping points''] </ref>.
*Almost all global environmental problems affect global public goods.
 
In which way these global environmental problems are directly caused by globalization is discussed in other texts<ref> For example by [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/gheal/EnvironmentalEconomicsPapers/biodiversity%20&%20globalization.pdf ''Geoffrey Heal''] </ref>- but they do have and will have a real impact on globalization and the world risk society. Therefore it is important to face these problems- fast.
 
To face these problems it can be focussed on a horizontal (e. g. civil society or diffusion of environmental pioneer-activities between national-states) and a vertical dimension (Rechkemmer, 2005, p. 23). However both dimensions do have a real importance, this article focuses on the vertical dimension and the institutional structures for it.
 
Because of the characteristics of these global environmental challenges there is the need for a global environmental policy or as xy said: “Global problems need global solutions”. But right now there is no political frame-institution - the success and the speed of an excluding conference-policy was shown in Copenhagen.
Other needs for a global environmental organization are the increasing globalization of the economy, the complexity of the bio-chemical and physical connection between cause and effect, the potential irreversibility of the results, the number of political actors, the contradictory interests and the differences between the potential to act of different actors as well as the global asymmetry of knowledge (Simonis, p. 562).


=Reserch Question=
The following article will give an overview to main points of the current reform-debate and show the characteristic. Therefore it points out in a first step the situation of institutional global environmental policy right no and the need for a reform more specific. In a second step different attempts for a reform will be shown and the necessary characteristics of such an organization will be pointed out. Finally there will be a conclusion and an outlook to the process in the future.


=Thesis Statement=


=Outline=




=Further Information=
<references />


=List Of References=
=List Of References=
Line 22: Line 33:
*Meyer-Ohlendorf, N. (2006). "Would a United Nations Environment Organization Help to Achieve the Millenium Developement Goals?" In ''RECIEL'', Band 15 (pp. 23-29). Oxfort: Blackwell Publishing.
*Meyer-Ohlendorf, N. (2006). "Would a United Nations Environment Organization Help to Achieve the Millenium Developement Goals?" In ''RECIEL'', Band 15 (pp. 23-29). Oxfort: Blackwell Publishing.
* (Vijge, M. (2009).  A World/ United Nations Environment Organisation? An explanation of the non-decisions on the reform of the international environmental governance system.)
* (Vijge, M. (2009).  A World/ United Nations Environment Organisation? An explanation of the non-decisions on the reform of the international environmental governance system.)
=Further Reading=

Revision as of 19:40, 15 January 2010

Facing global environmental problems there is the general call for a reform of the institutional global environmental policy or even more for a global environmental organization with increasing frequency. What exactly is this reform-process about, what kind of institution is needed and is there a chance for a World Environment Organization in a foreseeable future?

Introduction

At the latest since the disappointing United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen[1] in December 2009 it became obvious that we are living meanwhile in a world risk society without an answer to environmental challenges- neither in form of an acting global community nor a promising world environment organization. On the other side we are facing more and more environmental challenges. These environmental problems can be distinguished in three kinds (cf. Rechkemmer, 2004, p. 7 & Simonis 561): in regional, local and global environmental problems. Regional phenomena are caused and occur just in a small, limited space for example the emissions in a lake through the local industry. Local problems, e. g. the contamination of a river flowing through different countries, affect more than one country, but do not have an impact on the whole world. The last kind of phenomena are global problems, for example the famous climate change[2], the global loss of biodiversity[3], erosion of the earth’s surface, desertification, pollution of the sea etc.. These global problems are characterized by different aspects:

  • There is no longer a direct link between the area where they are caused and the places where the effects occur (cf. Alter Text).
  • No direct link between small effects and the dimension of the “reaction”- especially tipping-points[4].
  • Almost all global environmental problems affect global public goods.

In which way these global environmental problems are directly caused by globalization is discussed in other texts[5]- but they do have and will have a real impact on globalization and the world risk society. Therefore it is important to face these problems- fast.

To face these problems it can be focussed on a horizontal (e. g. civil society or diffusion of environmental pioneer-activities between national-states) and a vertical dimension (Rechkemmer, 2005, p. 23). However both dimensions do have a real importance, this article focuses on the vertical dimension and the institutional structures for it.

Because of the characteristics of these global environmental challenges there is the need for a global environmental policy or as xy said: “Global problems need global solutions”. But right now there is no political frame-institution - the success and the speed of an excluding conference-policy was shown in Copenhagen. Other needs for a global environmental organization are the increasing globalization of the economy, the complexity of the bio-chemical and physical connection between cause and effect, the potential irreversibility of the results, the number of political actors, the contradictory interests and the differences between the potential to act of different actors as well as the global asymmetry of knowledge (Simonis, p. 562).

The following article will give an overview to main points of the current reform-debate and show the characteristic. Therefore it points out in a first step the situation of institutional global environmental policy right no and the need for a reform more specific. In a second step different attempts for a reform will be shown and the necessary characteristics of such an organization will be pointed out. Finally there will be a conclusion and an outlook to the process in the future.



Further Information

  1. More information about the conference can be found under United Nations Climate Change Conference
  2. More scientific information and prognosis can be found under IPCC
  3. Further reading to this loss under Convention on Biological Diversity
  4. More information Tipping points
  5. For example by Geoffrey Heal

List Of References

  • Biermann, F. & Simonis, U. E. (1998). A World Environment and Development Organization. Functions, Opportunities, Issues [www.sef-bonn.org/download/publikationen/policy_paper/pp_09_de.pdf]. Policy Paper 9, Bonn: Development and Peace Foundation.
  • Biermann, F. (2004). Global Environmental Governance, Conceptualization and Examples. Global Governance Working Paper No 12 [www.glogov.org/images/doc/WP12.pdf]. Amsterdam, Berlin, Oldenburg, Potsdam: The Global Governance Project.
  • Biermann, F. (2007). Reforming Global Environmental Governance: From UNEP Towards A World Environment Organization [www.centerforunreform.org/system/files/GEG_Biermann.pdf]. In: Swart, L. & Perry, E. (Ed.), Global Environmental Governance. Perspectives on the Current Debate (pp. 103-123). New York: Center for UN Reform Education.
  • Curtis, F. (2007). Climate Change, Peak Oil, and Globalization: Contradictions of Natural Capital. In Review of Radical Political Economics, 39, 385-390.
  • Gane, N. (2001). Chasing the ‘Runaway World’: The Politics of Recent Globalization Theory. In Acta Sociologica, 44, 81-89.
  • Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., & Perrat, J. (2008). What is Globalization? In What is Globalization? Introduction. Global Transformations website. Retrieved October from www.polity.co.uk/global/whatisglobalization.asp .
  • Meyer-Ohlendorf, N. & Knigge, M. (2007). A United Nations Environment Organization [www.centerforunreform.org/system/files/GEG_Meyer-Ohlendorf_Knigge.pdf]. In Swart, L. & Perry, E. (Ed.), Global Environmental Governance, Perspectives on the Current Debate (pp. 124-141). New York: Center for UN Reform Education.
  • Meyer-Ohlendorf, N. (2006). "Would a United Nations Environment Organization Help to Achieve the Millenium Developement Goals?" In RECIEL, Band 15 (pp. 23-29). Oxfort: Blackwell Publishing.
  • (Vijge, M. (2009). A World/ United Nations Environment Organisation? An explanation of the non-decisions on the reform of the international environmental governance system.)

Further Reading