Strengthening The Environmental Governance For A Green Economy

Strengthening the Environmental Governance for a
Green Economy
Analysis of the UNEP Report 2001 and the political conditions for its realization

Student: Carolin Canessa
TU DRESDEN
Seminar: Internationale Organisationen und Regime
Prof. Herr Brunnegraeber
Summer Semester 2011

INTRODUCTION

In the last decades, we have seen more than all requests for a change. Problems like theClimate Change, the scarcity of Resources and the succession of many Economic Crises, have entailed the theorization of a new economical model. In this model the idea to conciliate aspects as Environment, Sustainability and Liberal Economic System does not seems not completely unrealistic.
Considering these aspects, in this essay I would like to make considerations about global environmentalgovernance, through an analysis of the UNEP Report 2011 ”Toward a green economy”.
If we consider the Report, we see a large number of suggestions and pathways about how to enable the Transition to the green economy. My purpose in this essay is to understand if those directions offered by UNEP for a transition to a green economy, especially those referred to the environmental governance, are practicable.The research is divided in two parts. The first part is dedicated to an evaluation of the UNEP Report 2011, in which are the suggestions of the UN Programme for the economical change and how do they have to permit it. Green economy is a concept that brings inside more different aspects. It is defined by the UNEP as a system that results in <<improved human well-being and social equity,while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities>>. As follows from the definition, in this concept there are different connecting aspects: social issues, sustainable development, the environment and economics. So, which innovations in the Global Environmental Regime could bring to a change in all these spheres? The study demonstrates, through the analysis of the UNEPproposals, that to allow the actors of a green economy transition to achieve their objectives, strengthening the environmental Regime is fundamental.
Considering “Strengthening International Governance” as one of the enabling conditions for the transition, the second part is about the actual situation of the Environmental Governance, and its relationship between National States and the Tradesystem.
Thus, what are the ways to get a restored international regime, and what are the obstacles that must be removed to permit all the others enabling conditions to be implemented?
For sure, if there is an interest to have a real and rapid transition to a green economy, it is also necessary to reshape the environmental regime. This is the first needful step, that allows the realization ofall the other conditions. Indeed the actuation of these policies, essential for the creation of a sustainable world, can become true just after a creation of a permanent and powerful environmental organization, which would permit the coordination between all the different fields. As said before, a green economy includes not just environmental issues, but also economical and social ones. For asustainable development of our society, with the solution of global environmental problems and the achievement of social equality, what UNEP proposed doesn’t go against the economic growth and liberal trade, but rethinks its principles. This is the reason why the creation of a stronger Environmental regime is also needed. We need to get that the two aspects, environmental protection and free liberalmarket, could be integrated.

1. The dimensions of the Change
UNEP, the UN Environment Program has taken part in the last years in the UN-wide Joint Crisis Initiatives, trough the green economy Initiatives. Since the publication of the “Global Green Economy Deal”, the Programme has commissioned studies and researches to present a new way to solve some critical problems that have risen in the...