Harald Fuhr

Varieties of Carbon Governance in Newly Industrializing Countries

Recently established carbon governance systems are quite different in Brazil, China, and India. Such divergence is surprising as emerging economies are primarily involved in carbon governance through the clean development mechanism (CDM). One would expect similar institutional and policy outcomes in the major host countries in response to the CDM, as this market instrument is initiated primarily by Western companies and regulated hierarchically by the internationally governed CDM Executive Board. However, from a closer look at the developing features of the CDM markets in Brazil, China, or India and an analysis of dominant actors and their interactions, institutional responses, and the effectiveness of the CDM within each market, there is evidence of a high variance, combined with a strong ownership by the respective governments. Such a variety of carbon governance is interesting from a theoretical point of view as it shows that a good understanding of environmental governance patterns is still lacking in developing and emerging economies. It is also of political importance as the findings may help to diffuse some of the criticism leveled at the CDM.

Constructive Pressures And Incentives To Reform: Globalization and its impact on public sector performance and governance in developing countries

Contrary to widespread pessimism regarding the effects of globalization on nation states and the quality of governance in developing countries, this contribution stresses that several of its features can be made instrumental, and be beneficial, in terms of public policy making and state capability. Four ‘constructive pressures’ stemming from globalization could be seized constructively by citizens and governments in the developing world: First, better informed and better connected citizens, and an emerging global civil society, demand improvements in service delivery, transparency, and participation. Second, subnational governments, often backed by local NGOs and businesses, and keen to attract foreign investment, increasingly exert pressure vis-à-vis central governments. Third, global investment strategies by private businesses increase the demand for appropriate institutional arrangements within developing countries as well as credible government policies. Although with mixed results, forth, International Organizations, in particular IFIs, have been addressing public sector modernization in developing countries, also sponsoring global public policy networks in critical areas. Moreover, policy coordination and cooperation among states increases significantly, constraining arbitrary action by governments. Globalization, thus, advances the discussion about, and the demand for, new institutional arrangements, clearly with new opportunities for improvements in state capability and governance.

REDD+ and the Reconfiguration of Public Authority in the Forest Sector: A Comparative Case Study of Indonesia and Brazil

Since the 1980s, central governments have decentralized forestry to local governments in many countries of the Global South. More recently, REDD+ has started to impact forest policy-making in these countries by providing incentives to ensure a national-level approach to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Hohne et al. analyze to what extent central governments have rebuilt capacity at the national level, imposed regulations from above, and interfered in forest management by local governments for advancing REDD+. Using the examples of Brazil and Indonesia, the chapter illustrates that while REDD+ has not initiated a large-scale recentralization in the forestry sector, it has supported the reinforcement and pooling of REDD+ related competences at the central government level.

Internationale Organisationen und Kleingewerbe-Förderung: Herausbildung, Implementation und Wandel Einer Entwicklungspolitischen Konzeption

Internationale Organisationen sind spatestens seit dem Regierungswechsel in den USA im Jahre 1980 ins Schusfeld der Kritik geraten. Dabei trifft die Kritik die Organisationen je nach ihrer Orientierung an technischer bzw. finanzieller Zusammenarbeit in jeweils unterschiedlicher Weise: auf der Geberseite wird vor allem den auf TZ spezialisierten internationalen Organisationen des UN-Systems (beispielhaft FAO) vorgeworfen, das zunehmende Eigeninteressen, komplizierte Verwaltungsund Kooperationsstrukturen, aber auch Politisierung die an sie gestellten Anforderungen nach effizienter und nachhaltiger Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in nur unzureichendem Mase erfullen (vgl. Bertrand (1985); Naciones Unidas (1987)). Auf Empfangerseite werden weniger die auf TZ, als die auf FZ spezialisierten Organisationen kritisiert, die Entwicklungs- und Verschuldungskrise der Entwicklungslander durch eine neue Form von Auflagenpolitik nur zu verscharfen, hierdurch den Spielraum fur notwendige Investitionen einzuengen und letzlich zu einer Verelendung breiter Bevolkerungsschichten beizutragen.