Re: NGOs and climate change science and policy making

[Cristina M Balboa]

I would second Raul's concern.  My current (dissertation) research is examining a phenomenon I call Private Conservation Networks.  These are networks where the domestic government's inability (i.e. lack of resources, expertise, time) to develop and implement conservation policies has led to a governance gap  - a gap that strong, resource-rich, transnational environmental non-governmental organizations (TENGO) strive to fill.  In these cases, the TENGO has essentially become policymakers. I know your primary question was more about international agendas, but I think this is relevant.  I would also look at international policy fora to calculate the number of TENGOs at conventions and COPs v. the number of some smaller nation representatives.  These meetings are expensive to go to and I know of several instances where NGO staff have served as staff for delegates or as official delegates themselves.  Might not be the biggest influence in the climate change debate, but is it a growing trend?

As for the question of how smaller ENGOs fit into the picture, my research question centers around the variation of accountability relationships have with other actors in the network (ENGOs, governments, local communities, funders, etc.).  I'll let you know in a year or so what I find... Also, a helpful on issues of large v small NGOs is Lisa Jordan's work on political responsibility:
Jordan, L. (2000). "Political Responsibility in Transnational NGO Advocacy." World Development 28(12): 2051-2065.

I'd be glad to talk to anyone about my research offline.

two cents,
cmb

 At 02:05 PM 1/5/2005 -0600, Raul Pacheco wrote:

Neil,

While ashamedly I acknowledge I haven't read your book (next on my list for 2005 though!), I must say that I'm one of those scholars that do believe NGOs can be influential much more beyond issue recognition (I can provide empirical evidence for a number of Mexican ENGOs, as a matter of fact -- 
much of my research has been on that topic). At least in North America, ENGOs have been able to pressure domestic governments and made policy recommendations that were taken into account (I'd be happy to send copies of a few papers should anyone be interested).

It seems to me as though smaller ENGOs don't have the resources to form a strong research pool that can provide scientific advice (hence the formation of epistemic communities, right?). However, it also appears to me as though larger ENGOs could be strong insofar scientific knowledge and therefore have a much more active and influential role.

Just a thought...

Raul

----- Original Message ----- From: "Neil E Harrison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Henrik Selin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 8:26 AM
Subject: RE: NGOs and climate change science and policy making

Henrik:

As the title suggests, the book I co-edited with Gary Bryner last year
("Science and Politics in the International Environment," Rowman and
Littlefield, 2004) looked specifically at the relationship between
science and policy making in international environmental issues. One of
our conclusions in the final chapter is that NGOs have little influence
on science or policy beyond getting the issue on the international
agenda. In only one issue (the formation and management of a US-Mexican
biosphere reserve) were NGOs evidently active and influential beyond
issue recognition.

It may be that scholars who look for the influence of NGOs see more of
it (and rate it a more significant influence on policy outcomes) than
those who look generally at the issue. The authors of the case studies
(many of whom are not political scientists) did not specifically seek
out the influence of NGOs but looked holistically at the history of the
issue. The 10 cases (on issues as varied as mad cow disease in Europe,
climate change, dioxins in the Arctic, acid rain, global forest policy,
and watershed management) are specifically written for use in class and
are rich in detailed data on events and actors. To encourage student
participation and discussion they do not draw specific conclusions on
each case. The final chapter considers the usefulness of current
theories on science-policy interactions and find them all wanting. Gary
and I suggest some routes for new theoretical development.

Cheers:

Neil Harrison
SDI/UW

-----Original Message-----
From: Henrik Selin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 8:39 PM
To: gep-ed@listserve1.allegheny.edu
Subject: NGOs and climate change science and policy making


Hello all,

Can anyone recommend shorter texts (articles, book chapters etc) that
examine the roles of NGOs specifically with respect to climate change
science and policy making, to be used in class?

Thanks,
Henrik S.


Henrik Selin
Assistant Professor
Department of International Relations
Boston University
154 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215

Phone: (1)- 617-353-5400
Fax: (1)-617-353-9290
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: http://www.bu.edu/ir/faculty/selin.html

Cristina M. Balboa
Ph.D. Candidate, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Senior Fellow, Environmental Leadership Program
230 Prospect Street, Room 102
New Haven, CT  06511
p. 203.432.7531
f. 203.432.0026