Sustainability Governance

Dr. Philipp Lange

doi:10.5771/9783845283302

Summary

“Promoting sustainability – this requires new, non-hierarchical forms of control that involve societal actors” is a widespread claim. But how successful are these participative or self-governing forms actually compared to classical governing by the state? This study explores this question by means of an innovative approach. First of all, it conceptualises governance and different forms of control. Focusing on the courses of action undertaken by the actors affected, it then presents a way to grasp the societal changes induced by governance and their contribution to sustainability.

Guided by this theoretical framework, the study explores the field of Swiss energy policy via qualitative case studies that represent the range of different governance modes (from hierarchical, public-private and interactive modes up to self-governance). Its empirical results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the forms of control and focus on their situational interplay in promoting sustainability.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2017
ISBN-Print: 978-3-8487-3991-2
ISBN-Online: 978-3-8452-8330-2
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Sustainable Development in the 21st Century
Volume: 1
Language: English
Pages: 321
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 1 - 16
1. 1. Point of departure No access
  2. Research objective and questions No access
  3. Research strategy No access
  4. Structure No access
1. 1. Sustainable development No access
  2. Governance and its modes No access
  3. Consolidating the sustainability governance discourse No access
  4. Governance modes and sustainability No access
2. 1. 1. A foundation No access
    2. Basic structure: three dimensions and their interplay No access
    3. The conceptualization in detail No access
  2. 1. Three proposals for meaningfully distinguishing among governance modes No access
    2. Reasoning for the choice of the formal frame No access
  3. 1. A clarification of the results of governance No access
    2. Conceptualizing governance impacts No access
  4. 1. In search for sustainability criteria No access
    2. Normative frame for sustainability appraisal No access
1. 1. Comparative case study approach of a qualitative nature No access
  2. Data collection No access
  3. Data analysis No access
2. 1. The case studies in the context of Swiss energy policy No access
  2. Case 1 - The Swiss CO2 levy No access
  3. Case 2 - The electricity saving fund in the canton Basel No access
  4. Case 3 - The fuel consumption covenant in Switzerland No access
  5. Case 4 - The Energy Trialogue Switzerland No access
  6. Case 5 - The Swiss building label Minergie No access
3. 1. 1. CO2 levy No access
    2. Electricity saving fund No access
    3. Fuel consumption covenant No access
    4. Energy Trialogue No access
    5. Minergie label No access
  2. 1. CO2 levy: Centralized governance No access
    2. Electricity saving fund: Decentralized governance No access
    3. Fuel consumption covenant: Public-private governance No access
    4. Energy Trialogue: Interactive governance No access
    5. Minergie label: Self-governance shifting to interactive governance No access
  3. 1. CO2 levy No access
    2. Electricity saving fund No access
    3. Fuel consumption covenant No access
    4. Energy Trialogue No access
    5. Minergie label No access
  4. 1. CO2 levy No access
    2. Electricity saving fund No access
    3. Fuel consumption covenant No access
    4. Energy Trialogue No access
    5. Minergie label No access
  5. Overview of findings No access
1. 1. Does the mode make a difference? No access
  2. Hypotheses to be tested in future research No access
  3. Sustainability governance as a meta-governed interplay of modes No access
1. 1. Summary No access
  2. Reflection on the research No access
  3. Outlook on further research No access
References No access Pages 281 - 319
Appendix No access Pages 320 - 321