Hardback : $175.00
At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, popularly known as the Rio Earth Summit, the world's leaders constructed a new "sustainable development" paradigm that promised to enhance environmentally sound economic and social development. Twenty years later, the proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements points to an unprecedented achievement, but is worth examining for its accomplishments and shortcomings. This book provides a review of twenty years of multilateral environmental negotiations (1992-2012). The authors have participated in most of these negotiating processes and use their first-hand knowledge as writers for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Earth Negotiations Bulletin as they illustrate the changes that have taken place over the past twenty years.
The chapters examine the proliferation of meetings, the changes in the actors and their roles (governments, nongovernmental organizations, secretariats), the interlinkages of issues, the impact of scientific advice, and the challenges of implementation across negotiating processes, including the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Commission on Sustainable Development, the UN Forum on Forests, the chemicals conventions (Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the Convention on Migratory Species and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, popularly known as the Rio Earth Summit, the world's leaders constructed a new "sustainable development" paradigm that promised to enhance environmentally sound economic and social development. Twenty years later, the proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements points to an unprecedented achievement, but is worth examining for its accomplishments and shortcomings. This book provides a review of twenty years of multilateral environmental negotiations (1992-2012). The authors have participated in most of these negotiating processes and use their first-hand knowledge as writers for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Earth Negotiations Bulletin as they illustrate the changes that have taken place over the past twenty years.
The chapters examine the proliferation of meetings, the changes in the actors and their roles (governments, nongovernmental organizations, secretariats), the interlinkages of issues, the impact of scientific advice, and the challenges of implementation across negotiating processes, including the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Commission on Sustainable Development, the UN Forum on Forests, the chemicals conventions (Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the Convention on Migratory Species and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Part1: Evolution of Process 2. Raising the Tempo: The Escalating Pace and Intensity of Environmental Negotiations 3. Earth Negotiations on a Comfy Couch: Building Negotiator Trust through Innovative Processes 4. Informing Policy: Science and Knowledge in Global Environmental Agreements Part 2: Evolution of Actors 5. Global Alliances to Strange Bedfellows: The Ebb and Flow of Negotiating Coalitions 6. Singing the Unsung: Secretariats Global Environmental Politics 7. Witness, Architect, Detractor: The Evolving Role of NGOs in International Environmental Negotiations Part 3: Evolution of Issues 8. What’s in a Name? 9. Trade and Environment: Old Wine in New Bottles? 10. Climate Change Bandwagoning: Climate Change Impacts on Global Environmental Governance 11. Implementation Challenges and Compliance in MEA Negotiations
Pamela Chasek is a Professor of Political Science and director of the International Studies program at Manhattan College in New York. Lynn Wagner is the Manager/Editor of knowledge management projects for IISD Reporting Services.
"The Roads from Rio provides insight into 20 years of multilateral
environmental negotiations (1992–2012), by critically analyzing and
discussing a cross-selection of MEAs and International
Environmental Processes over the years. Compiled by academics
reporting from the front line, The Roads from Rio offers a
comprehensive analysis of, and insight into the dynamic and complex
world of 20 years of climate negotiations. In managing global
environmental problems in current fragmented climate governance
system, The Roads from Rio reveals the prominent role of
multilateral negotiations in this process." – Dr Suzanne Verhoog,
University of Amsterdam"Remarkably accessible despite its
three-page dictionary of acronyms, the volume is well suited to
introduce future academics and practitioners to this complex
landscape. There are few up-to-date accounts of these complex
processes that can match its balance of comprehensiveness and
accessibility." – Noelle E. Selin – Review of Policy Research
"This wonderful book was published and launched in the UN on 23rd
March. It is a must-read for everyone involved in multilateral
negotiations about the environment and sustainable development." –
Review by Derek Osborn, President, Stakeholder Forum. "This is how
international environmental diplomacy really operates. The authors
apply a fine grained level of resolution that offers new insights
into the practice of international environmental politics by
multiple actor groups." – Peter M. Haas, University of
Massachusetts - Amherst"For the past twenty years, the writers of
this volume have been reporting from the front-lines of
international environmental negotiations. In this superb and
masterfully-conceived book, they step back from their day-to-day
involvement and illuminate the dynamics and evolution of
international environmental treaty-making. I cannot envision a
better guide. Policy-makers, academics and ordinary citizens will
find themselves indebted to the authors for the book’s empirical
understanding, conceptual coherence, and analytical insight." –
Paul Wapner, American University
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