Book Chapter
The Political Economy of Green Growth

Much of the debate on green growth and environmental governance tends to be general in nature, and is often conceptual or limited to single disciplines. Even though recent discussions on these topics have benefited from the accumulation of empirical and theoretical knowledge over the last few decades, these discussions have not produced the kind of conceptual novelty and tools necessary to place the notion of a green economy within mainstream political, social and economic agendas. Furthermore, discussions on governance remain mostly in the international sphere with merely tenuous talk on governance at the national and sub-national levels – the levels at which implementation is key. The contributors to this book present the gap that can emerge between intentions and results when green initiatives are put into practice, and highlight the lack of discussion on important topics such as equity. This book includes in-depth discussion on and analysis of specific issues, such as oceans, cities and biodiversity, in order to bring forth solutions that are politically legitimate, socially acceptable and economically viable.

Chapter 4 in Jose Antonio Puppim de Oliveira (ed), Green Economy and Good Governance for Sustainable Development: Opportunities, Promises and Concerns.