Table Of ContentECOLOGICAL GOVERNANCE
Ecological degradation has been an object of concern for the interna-
tionalcommunitysincetheearly1970s,butlegalapproachesthathave
been employed to improve the protection of ecosystems have failed to
halt this decline. Ecological Governance explores how the law should
respond to this rapid global deterioration of ecosystems by examining
the foundational scientific and ethical considerations for designing
lawsthatareeffectiveforecologicalprotection.Basedontheseanalyses,
it argues that developed states should prioritise the reduction of the
ecological stresses for which they are responsible in decision-making
ontheirfuturecourses.Thebookalsoproposesstructuresforgovernance
andassociatedlegalframeworksthatwouldenabletheformulationand
implementationofpoliciesforecologicalsustainability.
olivia woolley is a lecturer in the School of Law at the University
of Aberdeen. In her research, she explores how law can be used more
effectivelytoprotectecosystemfunctionality,particularlybyenhancing
thesustainabilityofdevelopedstates.
ECOLOGICAL GOVERNANCE
’
Reappraising Law s Role in Protecting
Ecosystem Functionality
OLIVIA WOOLLEY
UniversityPrintingHouse,CambridgeCB28BS,UnitedKingdom
CambridgeUniversityPressispartoftheUniversityofCambridge.
ItfurtherstheUniversity’smissionbydisseminatingknowledgeinthepursuitof
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Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107060456
©OliviaWoolley2014
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Firstpublished2014
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Woolley,Olivia,author.
Ecologicalgovernance:reappraisinglaw’sroleinprotecting
ecosystemfunctionality/OliviaWoolley.
pages cm
Basedonauthor’sthesis(doctoral–University
CollegeLondon),2011),undertitle:Developingasystem
ofecologicalgovernance.
ISBN978-1-107-06045-6(Hardback)
1. Environmentallaw–Socialaspects. 2. Environmental
management. I. Title.
K3585.W66 2014
344.0406–dc23
2014016704
ISBN978-1-107-06045-6Hardback
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements pageix
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Avoidingsocietalcollapse 1
1.2 Ecosystemsandecologicaldegradation 2
1.3 Overcomingepistemicchallenges 6
1.4 Normativeprecaution 8
1.5 Thestate,non-governmentalactorsandcollaborative
governance 10
1.6 Adaptivegovernance 12
1.7 Structure 14
2 Scientificandethicalfoundations 15
2.1 Introduction 15
2.2 Scientificfoundationsforecologicallaw 18
2.2.1 Fromstabilitytocomplexity 19
2.2.2 Ecosystemsascomplexadaptivesystems 21
2.2.3 InteractionbetweenecosystemsandtheEarth
System 23
2.2.4 Complexity,regimeshiftsandenvironmental
decision-making 25
2.3 Themeaningofresilience 27
2.3.1 Specifiedandgeneralresilience 28
2.3.2 Whatmakesanecosystemgenerallyresilient? 32
2.3.2.1 Biodiversity 34
2.3.2.2 Tightnessoffeedbacks 36
v
vi contents
2.4 Alegalframeworkforecologicalprotection 37
2.5 Ethicalfoundationsforecologicallaw 40
2.5.1 Thedominionperspectiveofnature 42
2.5.2 Revaluingnature 44
2.6 Dutiesandprinciplesforecologicallyoriented
decision-making 47
3 Ecologicallyorientedpolicy-making 53
3.1 Introduction 53
3.1.1 Adaptingtoendemicuncertainty 54
3.1.2 Ecologicalpolicy-making 56
3.1.3 Politicalwill 58
3.2 Decision-makinginthefaceofuncertainty 59
3.2.1 Precautionunderanecologicalparadigm 61
3.2.2 Takingprecautionaryaction 64
3.2.3 Normativeprecaution 65
3.3 Alegalframeworkforecologicallyoriented
policy-making 67
3.3.1 Ecologicalprotectionasastrategicobjective 70
3.3.2 Principlesforecologicalpolicy-making 71
3.3.2.1 Reducingconsumption 71
3.3.2.2 Obviatingdevelopment 73
3.3.2.3 Substitution 74
3.3.2.4 Sunsetting 76
3.3.3 Assessingalternativepolicyoptions 77
3.3.4 Formingstrategicvisionsofdesiredfutures 85
3.3.4.1 Picturingthefuture 87
3.3.4.2 Policyimpactassessment 88
3.3.5 Publicparticipationinpolicy-making 89
3.4 Reformingthepolicy-makingprocess 93
3.4.1 Awhole-of-governmentapproach 96
3.4.2 Promotingchangeinthecultureofgovernmental
decision-making 98
3.4.2.1 Therollingreviewofpolicy 99
3.4.2.2 Theindependentreviewofpolicy
proposals 101
contents vii
4 Governinganecologicaltransition 104
4.1 Introduction 104
4.2 Designingasystemofecologicalgovernance 105
4.3 Thelimitationsofdevolution 107
4.4 Thestate’sroleinecologicalgovernance 115
4.4.1 Aguidingstate 118
4.4.2 Acommunicativestate 120
4.4.3 Acoordinatingstate 121
4.4.4 Anenforcingstate 123
4.5 Expandingthestate’srange 126
4.5.1 Regionalgovernment 126
4.6 Localgovernment 131
4.6.1 Legitimacy 132
4.6.2 Givingformtoecologicalsustainability 133
4.6.3 Promotingbehaviouralchange 136
4.6.4 Constructingasenseofsustainableplaces 137
4.7 Marinegovernance 139
4.7.1 Bridgingtheland/seadivide 143
5 Ecologicalplanning 146
5.1 Introduction 146
5.1.1 Reforminglanduseplanning 150
5.2 Environmentallimitsandgovernance 153
5.2.1 Identifyingenvironmentalcapacities 154
5.2.2 Thelimitationsoflimits-basedregulation 158
5.2.3 Ecologicalandethicaldifficulties 159
5.2.4 Ecologicalplanning 162
5.3 Anationalframeworkforecologicalplanning 164
5.3.1 Comprehensiveplanning 165
5.3.2 Analyticalplanning 169
5.3.3 Strategicplanning 172
5.3.4 Ecologicallanduseplanning 175
5.3.5 Decisionrules 177
5.4 Environmentalassessment 183
viii contents
6 Publicparticipationinecologicalgovernance 187
6.1 Introduction 187
6.2 Thepromiseofdeliberation 190
6.2.1 Transformingpreferences 190
6.2.2 Internalisingenvironmentalconsiderations 191
6.2.3 Catalysingvalueformation 193
6.2.4 Enhancingtheacceptabilityofecological
governance 195
6.3 Puttingdeliberationintopractice:challenges
andresponses 198
6.3.1 Unpredictability:problemoropportunity? 200
6.3.2 Levellingtheplayingfield 202
6.3.3 Deliberation’sreach 205
6.3.4 Consultation’sinadequacy 208
6.4 Deliberativeparticipationunderecological
governance 210
7 Informingecologicalgovernance 215
7.1 Introduction 215
7.1.1 Addressingtheinformationdeficit 216
7.1.2 Legalrequirementsforecologicalinformation 218
7.2 Developingacapacityforinstitutionallearning 219
7.2.1 Combiningecologyandlaw:fromproblem-solvingto
permanence 220
7.3 Usinglawtomaintaintheflowofinformation 225
7.3.1 Increasingknowledgeandunderstandingofecosystems 226
7.3.2 Enablingreactiontochange 227
7.3.3 Enablingresponsivenesstosystemicreactions 229
7.4 Usingstructuresfordecision-makingtostimulate
informationflows 230
7.4.1 Theadequacyofinformationfordecision-making 230
7.4.2 Generatinginformationthroughexploratory
development 232
Bibliography 234
Index 257
