A Charter Moment: Restructuring Governance for Sustainability

Abstract

SUMMARYWe are living in a highly dynamic, human-dominated Earth System in which non-linear, abrupt and irreversible changes are not only possible but also probable. These changes require institutional structures capable of steering human society away from critical tipping points and irreversible change and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for all. We see 2012 as a 'charter moment', a historic opportunity to transform the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD) to better address the critical issues and political dynamics in the 21st century. In this paper, we present 'The Hakone Vision on Governance for Sustainability in the 21st Century', which calls for a fundamental restructuring of the IFSD that (i) clearly articulates the 'aspirations' of governance for sustainability including objectives and underlying values and norms, (ii) allows for meaningful and accountable participation by a wide range of 'actors' to develop solutions 'from' people 'for' people and (iii) creates an 'architecture' to include better configuration of actors, actor groups and their networks, as well as improved institutions and decision-making mechanisms. We situate the Hakone Vision in the context of discussions of the IFSD and discuss our process for developing the Hakone Vision through a series of 'world café' discussions involving academic experts on global environmental governance and policy practitioners working at the local, national and global level. With our assessment of the IFSD and the challenges we face, we suggest that proposals for a Sustainable Development Council in the United Nations warrant further consideration, among others.

Cross-sectoral strategies in global sustainability governance: towards a nexus approach

“…We engage with numerous existing proposals for policy integration in sustainability governance (see, e.g. Nilsson et al 2009;Oberthür 2009;Pinkse and Kolk 2012;Kanie et al 2012;Biermann et al 2012;Biermann 2014;Bernstein et al 2014;UNDESA 2014a;Weitz et al 2014;Young et al 2014;Abbott and Bernstein 2015), and we aim to make them specific to account for the nexus in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and to further the case for more integrated and cross-sectoral strategies. Our approach is based upon qualitative research, drawn from an extensive survey of the literature and primary documents mainly in the area of global environmental and sustainability governance.…”

Governing Harmonious Human Engagement with the Spatial Capital

“…Some scholars link the current scale of change in the natural capital with a new epoch in the planet's history, which is named as anthropocene [32]. Along with the destructive aspects, interestingly, this new epoch also coincides with the age of enlightenment and reason.…”

“…Governance institutions should be able to develop strategies which look at the spatial matrix beyond economic values [32]. Transmission of the integrated understanding into policies also requires integration within governance institutions, and with other institutions attached with social and economic spheres of human existence.…”

“…Governance for integrative economic, social, and spatial sustainability must respect some limits to human intellectual and natural resources, and simultaneously ensure just and equitable development and stewardship [32]. It must be capable of generating legitimate and effective policy responses to potential irreversible changes in the natural capital [83].…”

Curtain down and Nothing Settled: Global Sustainability Governance after the ‘Rio+20’ Earth Summit

“…One option that had been promoted before the Rio+20 conference was the creation of a Sustainable Development Council directly under the United Nations General Assembly [Biennann (2012a), High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability (2012), Kanie et al (2012), and State of the Planet Declaration (2012); for an extensive overview of the options see Bemstein and Brunnée (2011)]. A model for sueh a new council is the United Nations Human Rights Council, which has been established as an independent body of the United Nations General Assembly.…”