Driving governance beyond ecological modernization: REDD+ and the Amazon Fund

Abstract

This investigation focuses on the design and formulation of the Brazilian Amazon Fund—perhaps the boldest REDD+ oriented initiative to date. Study draws its hypothesis from the understanding that the Amazon Fund operated until recently based on a nuanced integration of two current trends in environmental governance: (i) institutionalization of ecological modernization theories and (ii) establishment of multilevel, multi‐stakeholder governance. To visualize such integration, this work deploys discourse analysis and text‐mining techniques to the Amazon Fund's policy documents. Overall findings suggest the ecological modernization agenda is predominant within the Amazon Fund. The following discussion articulates with environmental studies' critical scholarship to debate the dominance of ecological modernism as it is claimed to inherently narrow the scope of perspectives, knowledge, and values integrated into sustainability policies. Whereas the opposite should occur, considering multi‐stakeholder environmental governance mechanisms propose to incorporate a plurality of legitimate perspectives and knowledge basis. In these terms, innovative approaches that envision “win‐win” solutions for environmental policy may eventually rest in endorsing alternative framings about nature and society that move away from the constrained paradigms of efficiency within ecological modernization theories and discourse. The relevance of this work lays in the debate that acknowledges the importance of driving environmental governance mechanisms in tropical developing countries to new viable alternatives. In broader terms, the importance of this debate emerges in the proposal of changes that move government, business, and civil society away from usual policies (and interests) underpinning policies for land use and the forest sector.

Brazil's Amazon Fund: A “Green Fix” between Offset Pressures and Deforestation Crisis

“…Reviews on Norwegian REDD+ aid state that the agreement differs from cooperation with other recipients as Brazil claims much more control over implementation (Angelsen 2017). Amazon Fund case studies analyse the multi‐stakeholder governance (Bidone 2022), its results‐based financing mechanism, and the diverging understandings among donor and Brazilian actors of what constitutes legitimate results (van der Hoff et al 2018). Studies hint at a conflict regarding payments serving as compensation for past results and donor conditions for recipient performance .…”

“…PPG7 was part of “greening” aid that had financed energy and infrastructure projects in the region during Brazil's military dictatorship (Hicks et al 2010; Young 2002). Through PPG7, foreign aid became a constitutive part of the Amazon conservation (Bidone 2022; Hulme and Murphree 1999; Mol 2003). Concurrently, the US space agency NASA implemented the Large‐Scale Biosphere‐Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA), which financed and shaped the structure of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) that publishes Brazil's deforestation rates (Fearnside 2009; Lahsen 2009).…”

Ecological modernisation wanderings: ambivalent framing and unstable coalitions in the development of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) in France

“…These are two main features of Ecological modernisation which is now dominating institutional definitions of lowcarbon transitions in industrialised countries (Mol et al, 2009). As a political programme, Ecological modernisation tends to depoliticise transitions and favour the development of standard technologies as global solutions (Bidone, 2022;Aykut & Evrard 2017;Newell & Mulvaney 2013).…”

Exploration on the Win-win Cooperation between Cultural Heritage and Natural Environment Protection Based on the Theory of Cooperation and Competition

“…According to the analysis of the current situation of environmental governance, Bidone Francisco discussed the establishment of multi-level and multi-stakeholder governance measures, including a variety of legal views and knowledge bases from a multi-angle environmental protection and governance mechanism. A feasible plan has been found from the environmental governance mechanism to support the environmental protection policy of the environmental department [9]. Zili Zhang discussed the impact of tourism on the environment and culture, and encourages citizens to participate in tourism.…”