International Environmental Governance - Literature review Example

International Environmental Governance Name Institution Date Introduction It is argued that international environmental governance (IEG) cannot be effective. This can be true due to barriers to effective governance. However, measures established to boost sustainability can also be put in place to ensure effectiveness in the environmental governance. International environmental governance involves universal support of sustainability in the management of economic, political and social human activities through global environmental policies and political ecosystem. These include financing mechanisms, norms, rules and policy instruments that aim at protecting the environment. According to UNEP (2010), in order to experience sustainability in development, each country or region must ensure that good governance is put in place. However, international environmental governance faces barriers that result to failure in its effectiveness. These failures in international environmental governance have led to arguments on the possibility of its effectiveness. Global tragedies have created doubt on environmental governance together with other personal factors and policies. This essay discusses issues pertaining to effectiveness of international environmental governance to identify the possibility for sustainable international environmental governance. The paper illustrates barriers to IEG effectiveness, examples of global tragedies and policies and reforms instituted. Challenges and barriers to effectiveness One of the challenges affecting IEG effectiveness is the system of governance. In the (2012) Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable development organized by the United Nations, existing system for international environmental governance was identified to be limiting and incongruous in solving environmental issues in the 21 century. The system involved linking multifaceted agreements meant for the 20th Century. UNEP set on improving the IFSD (Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development) by addressing IEG as a problem in the international community According to Najam et al (2006) proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) is a challenge to effective IEG. There exists a paradox of the environmental politics. Although environmental bodies, ambassadors and institutions are instituting solutions to deal with environmental sustainability, emissions that damage the climate and waste of resources are also on the rise. Renewable energy for example is past the dream stage and has already grown into an industry that is appreciated globally. Advanced technologies are availableat affordable rates and increased investment on technology is also at the rise to improve sustainability of the environment. However, this is not the case in some arrears like North and South of Turkey where environmental sustainability is not appreciated and environmental governance is almost not existent. The inconsistency and contradiction is attributed to inadequate and weak global environmental governance systems. Although governments are implementing policies and initiatives to support sustainability like recycling resources, policies that restrict unsustainable development have not been firmly established (Speth& Haas, 2006). Inadequate and lack of compliance, enforcement and implementation is a problem to IEG effectiveness. Failure in governance at the North and South Turkey is attributed to the considering the interests of a small portion of the population instead of factors affecting a wider range of population. Company like the Asian pulp and paper in Indonesia has emasculated the effectiveness of initiatives aimed for forest conservation in Indonesia. Financially, globally, industries in the financial sector are hindering effective governance by stopping effective financial market regulation by governments worldwide and are making taxpayers to recompense for bad decisions. Lack of coordination and cooperation among international environmental actors is also a barrier to effectiveness in environmental governance. According to (Biermann&Pattberg, 2012), existing institutions that advocate for effectiveness in international environmental governance have limited authority to act with inadequate ability compared to trade and economic bodies. Compared to World Trade Organization (WHO) this is able to impose punitive tariff regulations to law breakers of instituted rules, UNEP is only able to carry out capacity building initiatives An economy relies on genetic engineering; overexploitation of forests and seas, nuclear energy and toxic chemicals threatens its sustainability in the long run. Health, safety and Ergonomics are factors that government policies are implemented to protect. Gas leakages from industries and on-job accidents however compromise the government policies aimed to protect these factors. According to (Madhya Pradesh Government, 2012), such leakages result to death other than long-term effects on the health of survivors. Global environmental tragedies There are a number of tragedies in the history of environmental sustainability that have led to doubt in the international governance of the environment. The times beach tragedy at St. Louis County, Missouri threatened the lives of the community, workers, animals and the general environment. Explosions from Modern Marvels Company in America are also another that compromised the safety, health and human factor of citizens. Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, referred to as dioxins in the Times beach tragedy cause environmental pollution and belongs to the group of organic polyhalogenated compounds. Once exposed in the human system, dioxins are known to build up their structure in fatty tissues of human body. According to the United States EPA report in 1994, dioxins were identified to cause cancer, other than other non-cancereffects. Another tragedy is the Bhopal gas tragedy in Union Carbide Company located in India threatened the lives of citizens. This affected the health of survivors, compromised safety and human factor of citizens and workers. Chemicals and Methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the pesticide industry into the slums near UCIL. The oil leak tragedy affected the health, safety and human factors.Gas release contained elements such as hydrogen Chloride, hydrogen Cyanide, carbon monoxide and other harmful components. In most cases, these components have a higher density than the normal breathing air. Kurzman (1987) states that, as a result of a denser air the air settles at the lower layer while air supposed to be breathed in settles at the top layer. This causes suffocation as a result of circulatory failure when the harmful gas is breathed in. Policies and reforms Despite the challenges and barriers to international environmental governance, there is still hope for sustainability of this governance through appropriate policies, strategies and reforms established by environmental governance bodies. The United Nations Environment Programme has put in place appropriate support programs to ensure that rational structures are established for international governance and boost environmental campaign meetings like GMEF (Global ministerial Environmental Forum) that are held annually. Such sessions organized by environmental bodies provide a regular review of problems facing international environmental governance and is one of the governing strategies for environmental sustainability. According to UNEP (2009), the organization is focusing on boosting cooperation in the regional and global sectors through its sub-programs among decision makers so as to realize its medium term strategy. Since UEP is a neutral facilitator, its authority in a global perspective allows it to improve interstate cooperation and among supporters of international environmental decision making. International collaboration is meant to ensure effective addressing of environmental threats.Another reason for possible effectiveness in the international environmental governance is strengthening of the laws and institutions among nations. UNEP together with other global organizations aim at strengthening environmental laws which have so far been established in countries like Canada and the United States (Gulbrandsen, 2010). After the times beach tragedy, American and Canadian governments enacted laws and regulations to govern operations of companies with the aim of protecting safety, human factor and health of their citizens. The United States government sued Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company after confession of an employee of the company’s activity with an attempt to dispose dioxin. Canada labor code provides rules and regulations that govern the health and safety of employees within work places and oil business operation plants around Canada through the Canada Oil and Gas Act. Section 125 of the Canada Labor Code Act provides documents that employees need to keep for the sake of safety. Part III section 12 of the Act provides that there must be maintenance and housekeeping practices at reasonable intervals to remove grimes, scuffles materials and waste. This will prevent any possible leakages due to wear and tear and like in case of the Gas tragedy in India (Ministry of Justice, 2009). Reforms formulated by environmental bodies include the United Nations Environmental Management Group membership which was meant to improve coordination among UN agencies. Members and actors in the environment include secretaries of environmental agreements in multifaceted settings, special agencies, programs and different organs of the United Nations systems. Rules and norms of the environment were also created beyond environmental setting to other non-environmental sectors such as the WHO (Nanda &Pring, 2012). Conclusion It is true that international environmental governance has had hitch-backs in the past and in the past; however, it is possible for it to be effective even in the future. Due to previous failures and a history of global tragedies, people have doubted the effectiveness of IEG globally. Challenges and barriers to effectiveness have also been major issues in the environmental sector. However, reforms and policies put in place by environmental actors are expected to gear the governance sector. This has also been effective in ensuring future sustainability of the global environment. Global cooperation has been enhanced and efficiency is expected to continue rising in the future. Therefore in conclusion, it is not true that IEG will never be efficient, but efficiency is attainable through reforms, appropriate strategies and strengthening of global environmental regulations. References Najam, A., Papa, M. and Taiyab, N. (2006).Global Environmental Governance: A Reform Agenda.International institute for sustainable development (IISD). Gulbrandsen, L. H. (2010). Transnational Environmental Governance: The Origins and Effects of the Certification of Forests and Fisheries. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Speth, J. G., & Haas, P. M. (2006). Global environmental governance. Washington: Island Press. Biermann, F., &Pattberg, P. H. (2012). Global environmental governance reconsidered. Cambridge: MIT Press. Kurzman, D. (1987). A killing wind: Inside union carbide and the Bhopal catastrophe. New York: McGraw-Hill. Ministry of Justice. (2009). Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations SOR/87-612: Canada Labour Code. Madhya Pradesh Government. (2012). Bhopal Gas tragedy relief and rehabilitation department, Bhopal. Mp.gov.in United Nations Environment Programme. (2010). UNEP year book 2010: New science and developments in our changing environment. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme. UNEP. (2009). International Environmental Governance: Moving Forward with developing a Set of Options. Belgrade, UNEP. Nanda, V., &Pring, G. R. (2012). International Environmental Law and Policy for the 21st Century: 2nd Revised Edition. Leiden: BRILL. UNEP. (2009). Environmental governance, United Nations Environmental Programme: UNFCCC conrefence. Copenhagen, UNEP. Read More