Trajectories in Environmental Politics

This book explores the dominant framings and paradigms of environmental politics, the relationship between academic analysis and environmental politics, and reflects on the first thirty years of the journal Environmental Politics. It identifies and discusses key themes that have driven scholarship in the field, highlights oversights and silences, and calls for a new and developing agendas for environmental politics that focus on justice, materiality, and power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the dominant frameworks and paradigms of environmental politics, exploring the intricate relationship between academic analysis and the realm of environmental politics. It also takes a reflective look at the first thirty years of the esteemed journal, Environmental Politics. With two distinct goals, the book aims to identify and examine the key themes that have shaped the field of environmental politics over the past three decades, while also acknowledging the limitations and omissions that have occurred.

One of the central themes explored in the book is the increasing dominance of problem-solving frameworks in the study of environmental politics. While these frameworks have been instrumental in addressing specific environmental challenges, they have inadvertently marginalized more radical systemic challenges and critiques. As environmental issues have become increasingly central to political discourse, the book argues that there has been a tendency to prioritize solutions that align with existing power structures, rather than challenging them.

To address this issue, the book proposes a series of new and developing agendas for environmental politics. The chapters in this volume focus primarily on questions of justice, materiality, and power. They address state violence, multispecies justice, epistemic injustice, the circular economy, NGOs, parties, green transition, and urban climate governance, among other topics. By emphasizing intersectionality and interdisciplinarity, the chapters call for greater attention to the complex interplay of power relations and socio-economic inequalities in the study of environmental politics.

The book also reflects on the role of Environmental Politics as a journal in shaping the field. It discusses the journal's contributions to the development of environmental politics scholarship, its impact on policy and practice, and the challenges it has faced over the years. The book acknowledges the journal's commitment to promoting interdisciplinary research and its efforts to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

In conclusion, this book offers a valuable contribution to the field of environmental politics. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the dominant frameworks and paradigms, highlights the limitations and omissions of previous scholarship, and proposes new and developing agendas for environmental politics. By emphasizing justice, materiality, and power, the book encourages scholars and practitioners to engage with a broader range of issues and perspectives, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032100357