Amidst all the uncertainties that surround the phenomenon of climate change, one thing is clear: it is that our understanding of the subject is still evolving. Damodaran's book provides a fresh insight into the way in which this complex problem can be understood and addressed. The book discusses the issues associated with the management of the global commons in general, setting them against the backdrop of an intricate web of political relations at the global level.
Specifically, it raises concerns about the notion of nation state in the rapidly globalising world and examines its relevance in managing the global commons. The concept of nation state that emerged from the treaties of Westphalia in 1648 has stood the test of time. But it is now increasingly threatened by the globalisation trends sweeping across the world. Extending the discussion to the environmental issues, the book highlights the varying aspects of biodiversity and combating climate change and desertification. In the case of climate change, the problem directly impinges on the global public good, and all greenhouse gas reductions (irrespective of the source and location) contribute to effective management of global climate change. In the case of biodiversity conservation, however, the global commons are primarily local public goods. Drawing on these examples, it is argued that diversity and plurality are the key elements of a world order that attempts to manage the global commons.
Multilateral agreements aimed at managing global environmental problems and the organisations associated with the task have largely remained focussed on instruments that monitor and standardise benchmarks of performance and outcomes. Damodaran laments that “the maze of technical and scientific information that emanates from different parts of the world or from a hundred-odd international environmental agreements have completely shifted the focus from one of diversity, justice and equity, and fairness in implementation of these agreements to the more technical and instrumental aspects of data handling, data management, and so on.”
Federal structure
He goes on to argue that global environmental conventions, with their implicit accent on instrumentalism, do not have intrinsic synergy with the local situations. In his view, the global commons can be more effectively conserved if they are de-instrumentalised and de-securitised. He makes out a case for assigning appropriate weightage to national and local aspirations in the global environmental governance systems. Based on Indian experience, the author suggests that the world has a lot to learn about plurality and diversity from the world's largest democracy. However, India's track record in embracing multiple stakes and stakeholders in environmental decision-making has not been very impressive. This is reflected in the way the environmental impact of various developmental projects is assessed. For global environmental governance, a truly federal structure is a worthy objective. But, as noted by the author, it is “not easy to realise” since its implementation could prove a formidable challenge. The book is as much about globalisation as it is about global climate change — the title is somewhat misleading, as it stresses only the latter. Having provided an excellent base by virtue of its extensive treatment of globalisation-issues, it could well have proceeded to explore the factors that led to the instrumentalisation of the global environmental conventions. Perhaps, the global environmental governance also got instrumentalised, giving short shrift to the principles of equity and justice, because of the availability of know-how on dealing with the global economic issues. The path-dependencies associated with the global decision-making processes could well have been examined. The book could have done with a lot more of statistical data and tables by way of substantiation. Otherwise, it offers a lot of material that is intellectually stimulating. It is a must read for academics and policymakers related to environmental governance issues at the local and global levels.
