Mind the gap: Coping with delay in environmental governance

Mikael Karlsson,Michael Gilek

doi:10.1007/s13280-019-01265-z

Abstract

Gaps between public policy goals and the state of the environment are often significant. However, while goal failures in environmental governance are studied in a number of disciplines, the knowledge on the various causes behind delayed goal achievement is still incomplete. In this article we propose a new framework for analysis of delay mechanisms in science and policy, with the intention to provide a complementary lens for describing, analysing and counteracting delay in environmental governance. The framework is based on case-study findings from recent research focusing on goal-failures in policies for climate change, hazardous chemicals, biodiversity loss and eutrophication. It is also related to previous research on science and policy processes and their interactions. We exemplify the framework with two delay mechanisms that we consider particularly important to highlight—denial of science and decision thresholds. We call for further research in the field, for development of the framework, and not least for increased attention to delay mechanisms in environmental policy review and development on national as well as international levels.

Highlights

Environmental governance entails both successful cases and fundamental failures
The presented framework is based on the recognition that (i) delay can be caused by several different mechanisms in both the science and the policy domain; (ii) multidirectional interactions between and within the science and policy spheres have fundamental importance for both the emergence and mitigation of delay, and (iii) a multitude of delay mechanisms can be at play simultaneously on several levels, and that the playing field may differ substantially from one case to another. This means that, while we agree with e.g. Varjopuro et al (2014), who explicitly explores delay linked to eutrophication in the Baltic Sea, that delay may be manifested at different places, we argue that contrary to their rather linear separation of decision-making followed by implementation delay, it is important to acknowledge the multiple sources of delay, as well as the interactions among these
Further studies of decision-threshold delay could prove valuable for research and practice in environmental governance. This Perspectives article is largely based on studies that we and others have done on goal-state gaps in environmental governance, and on why delay is occurring and is difficult to cope with

Summary

Introduction

While some problems have been adequately managed, the lack of goal achievement is generally striking. The positive cases include mitigation of local pollution, for example decreased nutrient load into many freshwater systems (Le Moal et al 2019), and regional recovery of some endangered species, e.g. the white-tailed eagle in the Baltic Region (HELCOM 2016), and global accomplishments, such as decreased impact on the ozone layer (WMO 2018). These and other examples show that policies and voluntary measures may give positive results. The gaps between environmental goals and the state of the environment are often significant

Objectives

Conclusion