Reseñas de libros
Andonova, Liliana B. 2017. Governance Entrepreneurs: International Organizations and the
Rise of Global Public-Private Partnerships. Cambridge: Prensa de la Universidad de Cambridge.
Reviewed by Thomas Hickmann
University of Potsdam
Global partnerships between public and private actors have become a key fea-
ture of contemporary international governance and politics. Such partnerships
aim at tackling a wide array of pressing problems, among them infectious and
non-infectious diseases, human rights abuses, environmental degradation, entonces-
cial inequality, and child mortality. They differ tremendously with regard to
their organizational character, proclaimed goals, and participation by the public
and private spheres. In Governance Entrepreneurs: International Organizations and
the Rise of Global Public-Private Partnerships, Liliana Andonova examines the re-
cent growth of global partnerships across different policy domains. Her main
focus is on the political agency behind partnership governance and the under-
lying shift from the traditional structure of the multilateral system towards the
increasingly collaborative nature of global policy-making. En particular, she asks:
“[W.]ho are the entrepreneurs of such change, what are their motivations, y
what kinds of political conditions must they put in place to convene new mech-
anisms of governance?" (pag. 26).
Andonova puts forward the argument that international organizations, a-
gether with a number of large donor countries, have become the driving force
behind this institutional change, leading to a new quality of collaboration
between governmental bodies, civil society groups, private companies, y
foundations. While acknowledging the salient role of non-state actors in trans-
national networks, Andonova contends that “public actors and particularly IOs
and governance finance have remained at the core of new partnership gover-
nance” (pag. 12). According to her, the active role and function of international
organizations as governance entrepreneurs and enablers of change are astonish-
ing and stand in contradiction to traditional understandings of international
politics as an arena exclusively dominated by nation-states and their central gov-
ernments. Andonova’s book joins the wave of studies in the field of global
politics that emphasize the increasing autonomy, capacity, and influence of in-
ternational public agencies, including international organizations, specialized
intergovernmental bodies and programs, as well as relatively small secretariats
of multilateral agreements.
Andonova’s claims about the activist role of international organizations,
and the engagement of state and non-state actors into collaborative partnerships,
Global Environmental Politics 19:2, Puede 2019
© 2019 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
175
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176 (cid:129) Reseñas de libros
are grounded in a theory of dynamic institutional change. This theory builds on
the principal-agent model, which perceives international organizations as agents and
nation-states as principals, but adds a dynamic element. En particular, Andonova
argues that in addition to the “clear vertical hierarchy of authority and delega-
tion of variable autonomy from states to international agencies, it is also impor-
tant to recognize the opportunities for coalition building horizontally between
agents and principals on the one hand and external constituencies on the other”
(páginas. 193–194). En otras palabras, she highlights the contextual embeddedness of
the relations between international organizations and nation-states, and adopts
a more encompassing perspective that does not only take formalized delegated
authority into account. En cambio, she also looks at the brokering role of inter-
national organizations in relation to individual member states and the broader
institutional environment comprising various non-state actors.
Andonova formulates five propositions that emphasize different condi-
tions for international agencies to engage with states and non-state actors in col-
laborative partnerships. They range from structural features of the international
system and diverging state preferences, to organizational turbulence in form of
budgetary constraints and legitimacy pressures, as well as institutional expertise
and the salience of transnational actors and epistemic networks in different
policy areas. From this set of propositions, Andonova conducts a comparative
empirical analysis of the growth of global partnerships over time and across
institutional domains. She focuses on the UN Secretariat, UNEP, the World
Bank, UNICEF, and the WHO, and investigates their particular entrepreneurial
role in partnership governance and related outcomes. The variation across these
international agencies and the diversity of analyzed partnerships allow for a
profound evaluation of the derived propositions. In the empirical analysis,
Andonova uses a mixed-methods approach and draws on the Global Partner-
ships Database, which is briefly explained in the annex to the book, también
as primary and secondary source analyses, and a series of expert interviews.
All individual case studies offer rich empirical insights how international
agencies have assumed different entrepreneurial roles to foster global partnerships
that engage states and non-state actors in a policy dialogue. International organi-
zaciones, specialized UN bodies and programs, as well as secretariats, act as drivers
of the recent expansion of partnership governance in world politics. Andonova
concludes that the increasingly collaborative character of global policy-making
is “at least partially endogenous to the multilateral system” (pag. 193). Her findings
challenge conventional accounts of international politics that attribute only lim-
ited leeway to international agencies. Al mismo tiempo, the case studies question
assumptions on the privatization of global governance, as they stress the key
role of international public institutions in shaping global partnerships.
Despite the rich empirical evidence from numerous case studies, Andonova
does not look closely at the inner workings of international agencies. She treats
international organizations synonymously with bureaucracies and offers no dee-
per insights into the motives of the staff members of international agencies to
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Tim Bartley
(cid:129) 177
collaborate with state and non-state actors. To what extent are the outreach activ-
ities of international agencies solely driven by some executive leaders? Are they
instead sometimes rather the result of initiatives and social networks at lower
bureaucratic levels? Such questions remain unanswered. Sin embargo, Andonova
presents a theoretically well-informed comparative analysis of the emergence and
spread of global public-private partnerships. Her book convincingly shows that
the rise of partnership governance cannot be explained by structural factors alone,
but has been substantially promoted by international public agencies.
Bullock, Graeme. 2017. Green Grades: Can Information Save the Earth? Cambridge, MAMÁ:
CON prensa.
Reviewed by Tim Bartley
Washington University in St. luis
What can be learned from examining hundreds of eco-labels and environmental
ratings? Quite a lot, it turns out, though probably not enough to answer the
question in this book’s subtitle. Green Grades provides an “information realist”
account of environmental claims about products and companies, with a partic-
ular emphasis on how these square with the values of conscientious consumers
and citizens. As a scholar of environmental policy and co-founder of the rating
body GoodGuide, Graeme Bullock is especially attentive to the content of green
Los grados, the transparency of rating procedures, and the ways in which a higher-
quality “information marketplace” could be crafted.
At the core of the book is a database of 245 labels and ratings focused on
the environmental implications of products and companies. These include multi-
stakeholder initiatives like the Forest Stewardship Council, gobierno-
sponsored eco-labels like Energy Star, company- and industry-sponsored labels
for food and household products, and various ratings and scorecards issued by
ONG. Rather than study a few cases in detail, as much of the prior research has
hecho, Bullock examines this larger set of cases to show what is most and least
common when it comes to issues covered (p.ej., pollution, biodiversity, etc.), foci
of claims (p.ej., products or companies), sponsors (p.ej., público, privado, or civil
sociedad), signals of credibility (p.ej., independence and expertise), transparencia,
and forms of information provided (p.ej., positive or negative; certification, rat-
En g, or ranking). These attributes are mostly examined individually in different
parts of the book, generating a series of descriptions but few attempts to make
sense of relationships between variables or clustering of attributes.
Bullock makes sense of the findings mainly by comparing the positions of
what he calls “information optimists,” “information pessimists,” and “information
realists.” Optimists tend to believe in the power of information to perfect markets,
empower advocates, and create more objective bases for choice. Pessimists fear
that green grades easily shade into greenwashing, “shallow transparency,” and
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178 (cid:129) Reseñas de libros
the legitimation of overconsumption. In between, Bullock’s realist position rec-
ognizes wide variation in the quality of information provided and argues that
“sunlight” can be a useful though not complete disinfectant, especially to the
extent that it is delivered in prominent and intelligible ways, clarifies the proce-
dures behind particular claims, and speaks to public benefits that consumers
and citizens value. The realist position does not boil down to a simple set of
pautas, but Bullock convincingly shows that pessimists and optimists are
both seeing only part of the picture.
Several striking findings and insightful tips emerge from Bullock’s analysis.
Por ejemplo, most labels and ratings focus on products and (to a somewhat
lesser degree) companies as a whole, but only 16 percent cover the production
facilities where manufacturing or harvesting occur. Apenas 13 percent of labels
and ratings make only vague claims of greenness, and nearly half make no ref-
erence to independence or expertise. Nearly 30 percent do signal credibility by
referring to external generation or verification of data, but the meanings of
“third party” verification can vary significantly—leading Bullock to a useful rec-
ommendation about standardizing these definitions. Apenas 40 percent of la-
bels and ratings provide only simple and positive information (such as a seal of
approval), while almost none provide only negative information (such as a list
of worst offenders). This is perhaps not surprising, given that many initiatives
rely on voluntary participation of companies, though another 40 por ciento de
cases provide a mix of positive and negative information. To improve the power
of information, Bullock ultimately argues for some combination of modest
“choice editing” that excludes the worst product options, pathways for effective
information strategies to be incorporated into public policy, and a more consol-
idated information marketplace that weeds out the weakest claims.
Other parts of the book are less satisfying. Rather than trying to consider
the actual validity or reliability of particular labels or ratings, Bullock simply
looks for whether their websites mention validity or reliability. A chapter based
on interviews with rating/certification practitioners, companies in the electron-
ics industry, and consumers does highlight some important advances in green
electronics, but it also has a vague account of “perceived effectiveness” that
necesidades, at the very least, to be connected to particular labels or ratings.
Bullock is a realist when it comes to acknowledging high- and low-quality
información, but he could be characterized as an optimist when it comes to con-
sumer behavior. Although he finds that many ratings and labels (nearly half )
emphasize private benefits like health and cost-savings, he argues that con-
sumers actually hold a range of “self-transcendent” values that can act separately
or along with “self-enhancement” values to promote environmentally beneficial
behaviors. He draws on psychological theories of values and survey research to
make this point, but he pays less attention to experimental evidence about con-
sumer behavior or data on sales of products with labels emphasizing private or
public benefits. There is a danger that Bullock’s vision of a well-functioning in-
formation marketplace is too reliant on a values-driven account of consumer
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Rajiv Ranjan
(cid:129) 179
behavior that downplays self-interest, social status, and situational influences.
Notablemente, after GoodGuide (which Bullock co-founded) was sold to Under-
writers Laboratories in 2012, the organization dropped its ratings of environ-
mental impacts and labor conditions to focus exclusively on consumer health.
Despite these criticisms, Green Grades should certainly be read by scholars
and practitioners of information-based environmental governance. It provides
useful critiques of optimists and pessimists alike, some thoughtful recommen-
dations for stepwise improvement, and a systematic approach that reveals a
highly varied world of ecolabels and ratings.
Toke, David. 2017. Chinaʼs Role in Reducing Carbon Emissions: The Stabilisation of Energy
Consumption and the Deployment of Renewable Energy. Londres: Routledge.
Reviewed by Rajiv Ranjan
Shanghai University
A great challenge for China is attempting to convince the world that its inten-
tions and plans are genuine. One such intention is reducing carbon emissions.
No one denies that modern China is one of the largest carbon emitters in the
world. China has begun to feel the heat of environmental problems and is ear-
nestly designing and rolling out policies to check the deteriorating environment.
But Western media, environmentalists, and academics all question whether its
intentions are genuine.
David Toke investigates the intentions and realities of China’s role in reduc-
ing carbon emissions. He cautions that one shouldn’t belittle China’s efforts in
this war against environmental pollution simply because Beijing follows a differ-
ent model of government. He bases his arguments around ecological moderniza-
ción (EM) theory, arguing that Beijing’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions go
hand in hand “with ‘core’ EM objectives and methods, including moving away
from a ‘productionist’ economy and towards a more service-oriented one, y
also in prioritizing technological means of achieving carbon abatement through
renewable energy deployment” (pag. 7). Toke refutes the allegations that EM is a
top-down imposition of technology. He thinks that technological changes must
be supported by requisite behavioral changes, in which people demand change
and the political process and market support technological change.
For Toke, China’s conditions resemble those of some European countries
than more than those of the United States. He blames the productionist model
of development, as well as the unsustainable nature of economic growth itself,
for ecological disaster. He asserts that China is recalibrating its developmental
drive and rebalancing its economy, even if doing so slows down the growth rate.
China’s Role in Reducing Carbon Emissions busts three myths about China’s
environmental governance. Primero, Toke argues that the change in China to shift
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180 (cid:129) Reseñas de libros
towards more sustainability was triggered not primarily by the wisdom of its
leadership, but rather by acceptance of pressures from its people. That includes
the realization that the unsustainability of the building boom has created envi-
ronmental near-havoc. By showing that pressure from people and civil society
do influence the course of environmental policy in China, Toke contributes to
the debate about the role of civil society in a communist state. He argues that a
key aspect of ecological modernization is that the government has to negotiate
with established policy networks of NGOs. At the same time he notes that en-
vironmental NGOs in China are dependent on state approval in order to par-
ticipate in discussions about environmental or climate policy, and thus will be
always be looked upon with suspicion.
Segundo, the book attempts to clarify China’s carbon profile. According to
statistics the author cites from Greenpeace and the United States’ Energy Infor-
mation Agency, China’s carbon emissions may have levelled off or even fallen in
2014-15. Toke suggests that the current method of calculating carbon emissions
by country ignores historical emissions, which are important because carbon
dioxide is long-lasting in the atmosphere. Is an individual Chinese person
any more or less responsible for carbon emissions than average US citizen?
For Toke, carbon emissions must be calculated on a per capita basis, cual
would put China far behind the United States, Russia, and the UK. He warns,
sin embargo, that this doesn’t mean that China’s share of carbon emissions should
be ignored. He suggests that American politicians are worried that without
limitations on China’s emissions, Beijing could easily gain an economic edge
over US businesses.
Tercero, Toke examines the changes in China’s energy consumption port-
folios. He suggests that China’s investment in renewable energy is more than
the combined total investment made by the United States and the EU, cual
will help China in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions by two-thirds or more
por 2050, compared to 2015. Although coal accounted for 66 percent of China’s
primary energy consumption in 2013, coal constitutes a falling proportion of
China’s energy basket. Toke examines China’s ambitious efforts in generating
energy from wind, agua, solar, and the ever-increasing share of nuclear energy,
as well as growing use of electric cars. He argues that rather than differentiating
between the amount of renewable energy used by state and private-sector com-
empresas, the competition between them to achieve a target for sustainable energy
is key.
Toke applauds China for achieving two of the four criteria of ecological
modernization that he outlines in the book: services are now its largest sector,
and its non-fossil fuel energy profile has increased. Sin embargo, the restricted
role of the market in economic governance hinders healthy competition to pro-
duce more efficient outcomes. Además, career progression of officials largely
depends on pursuing economic development rather than combating pollution.
These conflicting roles and responsibilities of officials in environmental gover-
nance prevent China from fully achieving ecological modernization.
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Rajiv Ranjan
(cid:129) 181
The book contains clear and concise arguments, and it is relevant reading
for environmentalists, Responsables políticos, and those in academia concerned with en-
vironment protection. Toke appreciates China’s role in addressing environmen-
tal challenges and its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a way that
will benefit humankind.
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