‘Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and advocates have become a significant part of political landscape in a growing number of countries’ (Donnelly, 1998:15). The number of NGOs has increased dramatically in the past 20-30 years and these organisations are increasingly participating in global environmental politics (Betsill and Corell, 2001; Andresen and Gulbrandsen, 2003; Stafford et al, 2000). An environmental NGO is an organisation that is non-governmental and non-profitmaking and engaged with an environmental problem or problems. An NGO is an organisation in the sense that it has at least several full-time people involved, some sort of hierarchy, a budget, and an office (Potter, 1996). Holsti (1998; 141) defines power as the ‘general capacity of a state to control the behaviour of other states’. According to Scruton (1996; 432), power is the ‘ability to achieve whatever effect is desired, whether or not in the face of opposition’. A growing body of evidence indicates that NGOs influence government decision and that NGOs shape international environmental negotiations in a number of ways (Betsill and Corell, 2001; Andresen and Gulbrandsen, 2003). This essay will focus on Insider/outsider methods, the importance of governmental access for NGO’s, sources of leverage that NGOs use to gain power, the Greenpeace Vs Shell event as a key event in making NGO’s highly regarded, the Rio summit and the Fukushima event along with the impact it had on NGOs views towards nuclear power in Germany. NGOs regularly take part global environmental politics, they do this in a number of ways, such as trying to raise public awareness of environmental issues, lobby state decision makers in a hope to alter domestic and foreign policies and boycotts i... ... middle of paper ... ...s lobbying--how do Environmental NGOs matter most in climate negotiations?. Scruton, Roger. 1996. A Dictionary of Political Thought. Basingstoke: Macmillan. Stafford, E., Polonsky, M. and C. Hartman 2000: Environmental NGO-business collaboration and strategic bridging: a case analysis of the Greenpeace-Foron Alliance. Business Strategy and the Environment 9 (2): 122-135 The Economist: 24 June 1995 (pp.15-16, 79-80, 110-111). Tsoukas, H. 1999: David and Goliath in the risk society: making sense of the conflict between Shell and Greenpeace in the North Sea. Organization 6 (3): 499-528. Van Rooy, A. 1997. The frontiers of influence: NGO lobbying at the 1974 World Food Conference, the 1992 Earth Summit and beyond. World Development, 25 (1), pp. 93--114. Yanacopulos, H. 2005: The strategies that bind: NGO coalitions and their influence. Global Networks 5 (1): 93-110.
With forward movement in society, it is important to consider not just what will propel most toward success, but also what will help to sustain the environment along the way. What may have been considered appropriate decades ago, may no longer be socially acceptable due to the changes observed in both the business world and the environment (Fiske, 2010). Therefore, it is important for organizations thriving in today?s economy to consider how they may capitalize most effectively from their product or service of choice while minimizing or eliminating any damages along the way (Knoke, 2012).
Supplying eco-friendly products has been on the Walmart agenda since the early 1990s. After a failed first attempt and much criticism, the company decided to try again. In a speech made in October of 2005, CEO of Walmart, H. Lee Scott Jr., declared Walmart would devise a “business sustainable strategy” to reduce the environmental impact the company had. Walmart could not pull this off alone. If they only focused on the confines of themselves, rather than all that they were involved with, it was estimated that they’d only reduce their impact by about 10%. To reach that goal of 100%, Walmart had to involve stakeholders to make networks which achieve sustainability. These networks proved to be vital in not only Walmart’s goal in minimizing its environmental impact, but recovering their reputation, avoiding criticism, saving money, raising awareness, improving customer satisfaction, and creating incentive for other businesses to work towards sustainability.
Mahoney, Christine. "Lobbying Success in the United States and the European Union." Journal of Public Policy 27.01 (2007): 35-56. Print.
The author discusses the enticement to political groups because of geoengineering’s alleged potential to reverse global warming rapidly and cheaply, as he presents concern regarding the significant risks and the threat of technology gone wrong. The author looks at the basic authority issues raised by geoengineering, its possible functions, governance, and specifically addresses inadequate research funding, rejection, and unilateral vs individual action. Bodansky is a professor at Arizona State University Sandra Day O 'Connor College of Law and has written three books and dozens of articles and book chapters on international law, international environmental law and climate change policy. This article will be a useful tool in discovering
Soledad, A. (2012). UNEP: World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability. Environmental Policy and Law, 42(4/5), 204-205. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/1239086063/fulltextPDF/938578CF70664516PQ/3?accountid=28180
As stated above, there are various actors in the international community. These actors include intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations who help shape the foundation and creation of human rights. IGOs and NGOs listen to the international community to monitor and protect their human rights. According to the textbook, nongovernmental organization have been especially vocal and effective in the international system when it comes to human rights. NGOs groups that have a great impact on human rights through specific groups like Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Watch. IGOs and NGOs make the public aware of human rights issues, put pressure on good and bad states to confront issues, and lobby international organizations. As stated
1) The first ethical issue arises from the need for Shell to dispose of Brent Spar, the oil platform located in the North Sea. After conducting studies on the options that the company had to dispose of the platform they arrive to the conclusion that the best option was to sink it in the sea. The company was also taking into consideration the alternative of dismantled on land, however, Shell was not ready to assume this risks due to the dimensions and the weight of the structure. As a result Shell decided that sinking it at sea was the most convenient alternative in terms of costs and for all in general. As the company received the acceptance of the Government of the United Kingdom on the project and the preparations for the collapse began, a group of Greenpeace members seized the platform in order to try to stop the project. The organization acc...
In 1995, an important event marked a victory for the national GreenPeace organization, and for humans alike. The Brent Spar oil installation was not allowed to be dumped into the ocean. The importance of this decision lied in the fact that there were over 600 oil installations that would someday expire just as the Brent Spar had. When the decision was made to not allow the dumping, it set a precident that the other installations would not be allowed to be dumped, either.
This phenomenon is best described as a change taking place in which civic space for charitable organizations is drastically decreasing, a vast contrast to two decades ago when civic space expanded around the world. Sidel cites Lester Salamon, author of a well-known piece called Foreign Affairs, and states that Salamon called this development two decades ago a “associational revolution”, to which Sidel says we are now in a counterrevolution. He starts his argument on closing space by first articulating that while the phenomenon is a never ending mantra in the nonprofit community, it has “been stated overbroadly and without sufficient nuance.” He responds with two reasons why this issue needs careful and critical thinking. First, by explaining that in a number of countries, regulation on civic space is often biased and focused on advocacy organizations, and second, the “closing space” phenomenon criticism shows little regard for national sovereignty. The former point Sidel discusses earlier in his article and results in a repetitive feel but the latter point approaches the topic of illegal activities abusing sovereign power. While putting aside emotion and showing that this is an unfortunate situation, Sidel finds irony in it because many of these NGO’s that are being repressed by sovereign states such as China, played a part in strengthening the state itself. By allowing slight emotion to reach into the paper but quickly responding to it with facts and educated knowledge, Sidel provides a dependable point and insight into not only China but the entire
...tlanticcity.com>. Irwin, Neil. "Environmental groups pressure chefs on menus." Washington Post June 19, 2002. April 26, 2011 Miller, Michael. "Group says it won't move oyster farm to Delaware Bay" Press of Atlantic City, The. August 3, 2010. Press of Atlantic City online. Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, April 26, 2011 National Sea Grant Law Center. California Enacts Sustainable Oceans Act. 2006. University of Mississippi April 28, 2011. Naylor, Rosamon L.
Kristof, Nicholas D. “For Environmental Balance, Pick up a Rifle”. New York Times. Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Barnet, Sylvia and Hugo Bedau. Boston. Bedford/St.Martins. 2011. Print. 183-185.
Willetts, P. (2011), ‘Transnational actors and International Organisations in Global Politics’ in Baylis, J., Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds) The Globalization of World Politics. An Introduction to International Relations. 5th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press
In recent years, business or green business was no longer an option to become an obligation. Companies started to change their mindset and values to develop new environmental proposals, for example launching second ecological lines.
Conca, K., & Dabelko, G. D. (2010). Institutions of Global Environmental Governance. In K. Conca, & G. D. Dabelko, Green Planet Blues (pp. 117-124). Boulder: Westview Press
Bowermaster, Jon. Oceans: The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide: A Participant Media Guide. New York: PublicAffairs, 2010. Print.