En el contexto de la creciente preocupación ambiental, que se ha venido desarrollando en los últimos años, surge la búsqueda por encontrar soluciones que minimicen los daños ambientales y aseguren la sostenibilidad de los recursos naturales y ecosistemas del planeta, es así como aparece la concepción de la Gobernanza Ambiental, de ahora en adelante GA, como una herramienta para resolver conflictos y tomar decisiones, a partir de las negociaciones entre los diferentes stakeholders. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo principal evaluar las diferentes posturas respecto a la GA en las organizaciones, independientemente de su ubicación geográfica y la nacionalidad de la empresa, así también determinar los principales motivos internos y externos que conducen a la proactividad ambiental, analizar la influencia de los stakeholders en la gestión ambiental e identificar las ventajas competitivas que se obtienen de una adecuada GA. Para ello, se estableció como método de investigación la revisión bibliográfica de artículos académicos, libros y tesis, a través de una tabla comparativa (benchmark) de criterios y autores. La investigación ha servido para identificar posturas como la proactividad, la innovación, la adopción de sistemas de gestión ambiental y la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa Medioambiental; las cuales contribuyen de forma positiva en las organizaciones llevándolas a la eficiencia en la reducción de costos y residuos, con la mejora en su imagen y reputación; y el incremento de la rentabilidad en un periodo de largo plazo. / In the context of the growing environmental concern, which has been developing in recent years, the search for solutions that minimise environmental damage and ensure the sustainability of the planet's natural resources and ecosystems is emerging, is So it appears the conception of environmental governance, from now on GA, as a tool to resolve conflicts and make decisions, from the negotiations between the different stakeholders. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the different positions with respect to the GA in the organizations, regardless of their geographical location and the nationality of the company, and also to determine the main internal motives and External that lead to environmental proactivity, analyze the influence of stakeholders in environmental management, identify the competitive advantages that are obtained from a suitable GA. To this end, the bibliographical review of academic articles, books and theses was established as a method of research, through a comparative table (benchmark) of criteria and authors. The research has served to identify positions such as proactivity, innovation, adoption of environmental management systems and environmental corporate Social responsibility; They contribute positively to the organizations by taking them to the efficiency in the reduction of costs and wastes, with the consequent improvement in the image and reputation, and the increase of the profitability in a long term period. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

This thesis conducts a comparative study of two big, international civil society organisations, La Via Campesina and WWF, and their work with climate change. The purpose is to investigate why they have such different perspectives toward solving the climate crisis, and whether the explanation can be found by looking at the different positions they have in relation to the global hegemonic system. Two supplementary approaches of discourse analysis, Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis and Bacchi’s What’s The Problem Represented to Be-approach, are utilised to analyse the organisations’ framing of climate change. Gramsci’s theoretical framework of hegemony is applied in order to inform the analysis and to shed light on how this framing interrelates to the hegemonic system of neoliberalism. In the case of La Via Campesina, the conclusion is that they are a counter-hegemonic movement, fighting in a war of position over the common sense. This spills over into their work on climate change, which is aimed at bringing transformative change. WWF has a more reformist agenda and is effectively enabling the perseverance of the current hegemony, but it cannot be confirmed within the scope if this thesis whether this is a direct consequence of co-optation or not.

Humanity currently faces an existential crisis: anthropogenic climate change. In order to guarantee our survival on a stable planet, immediate mitigation and adaption strategies must be implemented. However, institutions are failing to live up to the task and a concrete action plan is currently non-existent, as climate governance struggles with fragmentation, commitment, and challenges posed by neoliberalism. Since the top-down approach is insufficient, extra-institutional actors are arising as leaders for the environmental agenda.  This study narrows down on Greta Thunberg and assesses her capacity in leading the climate movement. The applicability of frame theory (Benford and Snow, 2000) will be tested to understand the mobilisation potential of Greta’s discourse. The main focus of this examination is to analyse how Greta has used diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational collective action frames in order to place the limelight on the seriousness of climate change and correspondingly how this has led to civil society mobilisation. Through a discourse analysis of her speeches, it was discovered that the framing perspective plays a role in meaning construction for the movement.

The concept of “Environmental authoritarian” becomes the focus of discussion in the academic field of environmental politics since it has limited observations. In the recent years, the severe air pollute issue is considered as a threat by both citizens and authorities in China. Along with the more stricter environmental protection laws being issued, even the measures of the factory closings and coal ban seems to become acceptable as the population  have suffered in the heavy smog for years. Does this led to the rise of “environmental authoritarian” in China?  Taking this as a heuristic point, I observe the positions of various stakeholders in the environmental governance as well as present the findings from research on the implementation and enforcement of air pollution controls measures in Jing-Jin-Ji region. I offer a critical examination of “environmental authoritarian”, especially the levels of public participation at the policy process. After to do the research, the key funding is that the concept of “Environmental authoritarian” is too simplified, it cannot cover the complex and detailed environmental governance at local empirical cases.

Loss of biodiversity and interest in the promises of the bioeconomy creates pressure on forests and implications for their governance. In Sweden, forest policy for the protection of biodiversity is known as “freedom with responsibility”, which puts an onus on the many private forest owners in the country to reverse the critical loss of biodiversity. In this thesis, I explore Swedish forest governance through the narratives of private forest owners and highlight possible tensions between the design and implementation of policy for biodiversity. I use concepts from feminist political ecology and environmental justice to form a lens to highlight the experience of forest owners. I combine semi-structured interviews with transect walks to explore the views of private forest owners from Central and Southern Sweden. In doing so, I seek to highlight the partial knowledges and the personal narrative of persons involved in Swedish forestry. I find that current forest governance does not attend to the multilayered and complex emotions and attachments that forest owners have for their forests, which leads to a discrepancy between the design and implementation of policy for biodiversity protection. In accordance with previous research, this thesis highlights how the deregulated Swedish forest policy instead strengthens the narrative of forestry for production. With increasing pressure from both inside and outside Swedish forestry for more close-to-nature forestry management and alignment of multiple values, a remaining question is whether Swedish forest policy will attend to the pressure or continue following the narrative of the bioeconomy.

This article provides reflections on the role of ecological expertise as a tool of environmental governance. It examines the importance of State Ecological Expertise (SEE) in maintaining the ecological balance and its influence on the decision-making process for various activities. The article examines the principles and considerations underlying SEE, its impact on sustainable development and the potential implications of its assessments. By examining the relationship between ecological expertise and environmental conservation, the article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the instrumental role of SEE in environmental governance and sustainable resource management. In this article we reflect on the concept, importance and functioning of the State Ecological Expertise (SEE) as an independent legal institution. SEE plays an important role in monitoring the preservation of the ecological balance of the environment and in providing preliminary state control to prevent potential negative impacts on the environment. We discuss the factors considered in SEE assessments, the activities subject to mandatory SEE and the implications of the opinions issued as a result of SEE. We also examine the procedural aspects of SEE, including the requirements for the composition of the documentation submitted for the State Environmental Impact Assessment. Through this reflection, we aim to improve the understanding of the role and importance of SEE in the system of expert activity of public authorities to prevent negative impacts on the environment. This abstract is based on the concept, meaning and functioning of State Ecological Expertise (SEE) as described in the provided search results.

This thesis seeks to promote a clearer understanding of relationships between trade liberalization and environmental quality in a free trade zone along an international border, between countries unevenly matched in development and infrastructure. Specifically, it examines whether theories of environmental degradation provide appropriate models for explaining the impact of NAFTA on the environment in the Paso del Norte. The relationship between trade liberalization and environmental quality is examined through an analysis of environmental indicators in the decade preceding and following NAFTA. Finally, the role of environmental governance is addressed, especially the intricacies involved in multi-jurisdictional governance of the environment. The research indicates that trade liberalization is not necessarily environmentally harmful. The data suggest that NAFTA had little to no direct negative impact on the region's environmental condition, but they also do not provide evidence that NAFTA improved the environment. One factor that could have helped to limit its effects may be local, interstate, and international initiatives that improved the health of the ecosystem along the border before NAFTA was even conceived. Another factor is the environmental governance in place before and after NAFTA. Thus, it may be beneficial for trade liberalization agreements to address environmental concerns as integral parts of the negotiations, and to set requirements for meeting infrastructure demands, as the agreements are implemented. Furthermore, it is important that international environmental institutions established to monitor environmental cooperation be more closely associated with the trade cooperation organizations and be given the authority needed to complete their directives more effectively. / Master of Arts

The future management of forest ecosystems play a vital part in both mitigating climate change and the conservation of biodiversity. In Sweden, forestry holds an immense social, ecological and economical value, where the majority of the productive forest land is owned and managed by non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners. An important component in the boreal forests that dominate Sweden are Ectomycorrhizal Fungi (EMF), a symbiotic association between fungi with roots of trees and shrubs, which play an important role in ecosystem services and forest health. In this study, I explore the considerations of EMF among NIPF owners and if these are connected to their values, objectives and management regarding forestry, and what types of incentives would be required to take EMF more into consideration in their practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain in-depth knowledge among owners of two management practices, Clear cut logging (CLC) and Continuous cover forestry (CCF). The results suggest that knowledge of EMF varied between forest owners of different management practices, where owners using CCF showed greater knowledge regarding EMF function and role in forest ecosystems. The considerations in regard to forest management could be related to ownership objectives and values, where owners using CLC showed more production-oriented objectives, and owners using CCF more nature-oriented objectives. The considerations of EMF in forestry differed between owners of different management practices, where owners using CCF showed greater consideration by the use of less intensive methods in their management. Practitioners of CCF had an overall greater conscious consideration of EMF by e.g. leaving trees. CLC owners may unconsciously consider EMF by following the recommendations of e.g. a forest certification. To improve EMF conservation, a carefully developed mixed approach regarding informational, economic and regulatory incentives is suggested to be used with regard to owner heterogeneity. Overall, this study contributes to an expanded knowledge of NIPFs owners' current and possible future consideration about EMF in forest ecosystems, and how these are related to their values, objectives and management practices. The results can be used to develop future conservation programs and advisory services for biodiversity protection aimed at various groups of forest owners.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Gerad D. Middendorf / In the almost 40 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act and 25 years of regulating nonpoint source pollution, and despite countless state and local community projects focused on water quality issues, clean water goals have not been met. To comprehend this failure and understand how water resources are governed and how water quality goals are pursued, I explore how watershed-level governance structures emerged and function in their specific local environment, within the state hierarchy of water governance, and as implementation of state and national policy. To this end, the structure, process, and outcomes of two newly organized and local watershed-level governance structures in Kansas were examined. An actor-oriented political ecology approach informed by environmental governance and watershed management literature was used to guide the study. Attaining water quality goals necessitates recognizing the connections between the political economy of agriculture, the cultural factors acting upon agricultural producers, and the natural, biophysical environment. Thusly, a comparative case study strategy was employed for the overall research design. Documents and interview transcripts were analyzed employing a grounded theory approach for differences and similarities; they were also sorted into topical categories and coded for common themes. The research questions focused on the agency and capacity of local watershed structures to determine the relations regarding water resource use in their watershed. Central questions addressed structure responsiveness to local versus state or national concerns; the underlying interests reflected by community member participation; and the effectiveness of local water-governance in protecting water resources. Governance models that began with holistic, alternative, participatory strategies are evolving into targeted, problem-solution strategies, and what began as watershed management is becoming problem shed management.

Gas exploration and production at sea and on land is a recent phenomenon in South Africa. The reason for the sudden interest in gas exploration and production on land is that it may prove to be a solution to the need for cleaner forms of energy and provides the possibility for South Africa to move away from coal-based energy. In order to achieve this transition while keeping economic development intact, South Africa is in need of a “greener” option. Gas is considered the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel and therefore provides South Africa with this much needed “greener” option. The uncertainty about the nature and extent of the environmental impacts regarding gas exploration and production suggests that an efficient and effective energy and environmental law and policy framework is still needed to regulate onshore and offshore gas exploration and production during all phases of its life cycle. It furthermore requires of the authorities that they establish and enhance environmental protection and sustainability during all gas exploration and production operations in order to ensure that the environmental impacts that may occur during such operations are addressed in a holistic and integrated manner. This study focuses on conventional gas. South Africa’s energy and environmental law and policy framework that regulates gas exploration does not cover the entire life cycle of onshore and offshore gas activities. It is of paramount importance that the current fragmentation in the country’s existing energy and environmental regulatory framework be addressed and that a sufficient environmental governance regime, as envisaged in this study, is established. This will enable the administering agents to actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people, the ecosystems, the essential ecological processes and the biodiversity of South Africa, while promoting the utilisation of living natural resources on a sustainable basis to the benefit of all South Africans, present and future, as pledged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014