Global Governance and the Environments

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Contemporary Politics and Society".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 30611

Special Issue Editors

Department of International Environment and Resources Policy, Division of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8576, Miyagi, Japan
Interests: environmental policy; waste management and recycling; sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of International Politics and Economy, Division of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8576, Japan
Interests: international history; international relations; decolonization and the cold war

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the contemporary world, growing attention is being directed toward how to address environmental issues. Because these issues are transboundary by nature and thus require transboundary solutions, each related issue is increasingly interwoven with others. In the absence of a global government, global governance that encompasses international regimes, each of which deals with a single issue, is needed more than ever. These issues inevitably complicate international relations and generate conflicts. The climate crisis caused by global warming, for instance, has stimulated the transformation of the oil industry as well as the spread of the use of renewable energy and next-generation vehicles. Global warming has also caused the so-called Northern Sea Route problem, which is intensifying conflict between interested countries such as Russia and Western nations. The lack of water resources has led to regional conflicts in the developing world. No one doubts the necessity of policy coordination at the global level, hence the establishment of effective global governance. More so than in the past, the diversification of environmental issues, as is true with other global issues, has illuminated the roles of non-state actors and international organizations, including the United Nations.

The end of the Cold War brought economic globalization and the spread of democracy. Increasing economic globalization prompted the widening of the income gap in both developed and developing nations. Intensifying polarization gave birth to populist tendencies in many countries. In the framework of global governance, the tendency toward populism in developed countries made international coordination among nations more difficult. The withdrawal of the Trump Administration from the Paris Agreement on climate change exemplifies this tendency. Consequently, attention needs to be focused on the importance of sovereign states in coordinating interests at both the international and domestic levels.

This Special Issue considers “Global Governance and the Environments”. Both “environments” and “global governance” should be defined broadly. The roles of international organizations should be included. How can multilayered governance be coordinated and secured on each issue while satisfying the popular demands in democratic countries? Envisioning effective global governance is imperative in the contemporary world in which environmental issues pose serious challenges. This Special Issue calls for contributions from various cross-border academic fields, to include case studies on global environmental issues, international attempts to address such issues, and policy proposals on effective global governance. Specifically, this Special Issue is directed toward providing international organizations, governments, municipalities, private companies, citizens, and scholars with useful knowledge on how to confront global environmental challenges.

Prof. Dr. Jeongsoo Yu
Prof. Dr. Ryo Ikeda
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • climate crisis
  • circular economy
  • ocean pollution
  • basel convention
  • waste plastic
  • Northern Sea Route
  • renewable energy
  • next-generation vehicles
  • natural disaster
  • SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

Published Papers (3 papers)

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11 pages, 291 KiB  
Article
Islam’s Perspective on Environmental Sustainability: A Conceptual Analysis
by Labeeb Bsoul, Amani Omer, Lejla Kucukalic and Ricardo H. Archbold
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(6), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060228 - 24 May 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 24184
Abstract
This paper shows that environmental protection, a primary aim of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations in 2015, is embedded in Islam and was practiced by Prophet Muhammad centuries ago. In this study, we examined Islam’s perspective on [...] Read more.
This paper shows that environmental protection, a primary aim of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations in 2015, is embedded in Islam and was practiced by Prophet Muhammad centuries ago. In this study, we examined Islam’s perspective on sustainability and its relevance to these SDGs, with a particular focus on community and individual development. In this research, we address how the emphasis on the Islamic view of the contemporary environmental problems (such as depletion of natural resources, pollution, and poverty) can help improve the ethical and practical conduct toward the environment. We also elaborate on the role of education in the Islamic tradition and its connection to environmental efforts. Finally, we discuss the examples and models of environmental sustainability arising from Islamic tradition. Therefore, this paper aims to encourage consideration of Islam’s perspective in solving environmental problems, activating the role of religious and scientific institutions in preserving the environment, and providing appropriate solutions. We conclude our investigation with some findings and recommendations in this area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Governance and the Environments)
12 pages, 1672 KiB  
Article
Learning about Sustainability and SDG with Future Primary Education Teachers in Initial Training
by Francisco Javier Robles-Moral
Soc. Sci. 2021, 10(11), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10110409 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2473
Abstract
The current situation of global change, caused by our way of life and our consumption habits, has negative effects on the social, economic and environmental spheres. To alleviate these changes, from the field of education, various actions focused on sustainability are being carried [...] Read more.
The current situation of global change, caused by our way of life and our consumption habits, has negative effects on the social, economic and environmental spheres. To alleviate these changes, from the field of education, various actions focused on sustainability are being carried out. Knowledge of sustainable environmental development is essential in the formation of citizenship, and therefore in education. That is why the purpose of this work is to introduce future primary school teachers to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established by the UN, as an educational tool for teaching and learning sustainability in classrooms. The 4th Degree of Primary Education students worked at designing a didactic intervention, based on the development of Education for Sustainable Development Competencies (ESDC), complemented with the dissemination on Instagram of visual creations on the SDGs designed for primary education students. As a result, 5 didactic proposals and 84 posts were generated on Instagram with 1131 comments. In conclusion, in teacher training, it is necessary to become familiar with the scientific contents and the various ways of working on them in the classroom, to enable the necessary didactic transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Governance and the Environments)
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22 pages, 380 KiB  
Systematic Review
Urban Living Lab: An Experimental Co-Production Tool to Foster the Circular Economy
by Federico Cuomo
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(6), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060260 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2857
Abstract
In recent decades; the balance of power between institutional and economic actors has radically changed; with a significant impact on the modes and dynamics of governance. In the broad array of experimental practices of co-production; Living Labs (LLs) represent a promising mode of [...] Read more.
In recent decades; the balance of power between institutional and economic actors has radically changed; with a significant impact on the modes and dynamics of governance. In the broad array of experimental practices of co-production; Living Labs (LLs) represent a promising mode of collaboration among public bodies; research centres; private companies and citizens. By means of LLs; public actors aim to co-produce experimental policies; breaking out of traditional policy schemes to find new solutions to collective problems. On an urban scale; such tools have come to be known as Urban Living Labs (ULLs), and they are increasingly used by local governments to tackle complex problems such us stimulating the circular economy to tackle climate change. This paper provides a systematic review of case studies to understand whether and how the ULLs can represent an effective policy tool to foster the circular economy on an urban scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Governance and the Environments)
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