Governance, polycentricity and the global nitrogen and phosphorus cycles

Abstract

Global change and governance scholars frequently highlight polycentricity as a feature of resilient governance, but both theoretical and empirical knowledge about features and outcomes of the concept are lacking at the global scale. Here we investigate the structural properties of governance of global nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles, two processes in the 'planetary boundaries' framework. We have used a mixed-methods approach to institutional analysis, integrating polycentric theory with social network theory in environmental policy and legal studies. We include an actor collaboration case study, the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), to explore governance challenges associated with global N and P cycles. We set the scope for selection of relevant legal instruments using an overview of global N and P flows between Earth system 'components' (land, water, atmosphere, oceans, biosphere) and the major anthropogenic N and P perturbations. Our network analysis of citations of global N and P governance exposes the structural patterns of a loose network among the principal institutions and actors, in which legal instruments of the European Union serve as key cross-scale and cross-sectoral 'gateways'. We show that the current international regimes in place for regulating N-and Prelated issues represent a gap in governance at the global level. In addition, we are able to show that the emergence of GPNM provides synergies in this context of insufficient governance. The GPNM can be viewed as a structure of polycentric governance as it involves deliberate attempts for mutual adjustments and self-organized action.

Enhancing nutrient recycling from excreta to meet crop nutrient needs in Sweden – a spatial analysis

“…Other governance approaches are therefore needed to contribute to the EU objectives related to good nutrient management 22 . EU legislation regarding the use of human excreta (sewage sludge) regulates allowable concentrations of potential harmful substances, and does not explicitly focus on enhancing nutrient recycling to agricultural land 23 .…”

Balancing Costs and Benefits of Collaboration in an Ecology of Games

“…Collaborative governance has emerged over the past few decades as an alternative to traditional forms of more centralized, top-down government approaches (Ansell & Gash, 2008;Ostrom, 1990). This development has been pronounced in regard to environmental issues, and the subsequent growth of collaborative environmental governance has resulted in increasingly complex and interconnected policy systems (Ahlström & Cornell, 2018;Berardo, 2014;Bodin, Robins, et al, 2016;Lubell, 2013;McAllister, McCrea, & Lubell, 2013), characterized by an array of participatory decision-making venues and involving diverse public and private actors (Bodin & Crona, 2009;Lubell, Robins, & Wang, 2014). In this article, we use the term collaborative environmental governance in an inclusive sense, thus we encompass other governance frameworks all having in common the notion of collaboration as crucial for achieving more sustainable management of social-ecological systems (e.g., Armitage et al, 2009;Carlsson & Berkes, 2005;Folke, Hahn, Olsson, & Norberg, 2005).…”

Matching scope, purpose and uses of planetary boundaries science

“…Several articles focus on new governance challenges that the PBc's Earth system perspective brings. They point out that for institutions to support global sustainable development, they need to better understand the dynamics of critical Earth system processes, how they connect, and the scales at which they operate (Bogardi et al 2012, Galaz et al 2012a, 2012b, Pereira et al 2015, Nash et al 2017, as well as a need to understand how different institutions are themselves structured and connected (Galaz et al 2012b, Reischl 2012, Ahlström and Cornell 2018. Further governance challenges lie in identifying viable, compatible goals (Biermann 2012, Pereira et al 2015, and in the ability to manage transformative change (Folke et al 2011, Galaz 2012, Pereira et al 2015.…”