Rethinking the Green State

This innovative book is one of the first to conduct a systematic comprehensive analysis of the ideals and practices of the evolving green state. It draws on elements of political theory, feminist theory, post-structuralism, governance and institutional theory to conceptualise the green state and advances thinking on how to understand its emergence in the context of climate and sustainability transitions. Focusing on the state as an actor in environmental, climate and sustainability politics, the book explores different principles guiding the emergence of the green state and examines the performance of states and institutional responses to the sustainable and climate transitions in the European and Nordic context in particular. The book's unique focus on the Nordic countries underlines the important to learn from Nordics, which are perceived to be in the forefront of climate and sustainability governance as well as historically strong welfare states. With chapter contributions from leading international scholars in political science, sociology, economics, energy and environmental systems and climate policy studies, this book will be of great value to postgraduate students and researchers working on sustainability transitions, environmental politics and governance, and those with an area studies focus on the Nordic countries.

Karin Bäckstrand is Professor in Environmental Social Science in the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University, Sweden. Annica Kronsell is Professor in the Department of Political Science at Lund University, Sweden.

1. Introduction Part 1: Theorizing the Green State 2. Lost in Transition? The Green State in Governance for Sustainable Development 3. Governing Beyond or With the State? Conceptions in Studies of Non-State Climate Action 4. The Green State and the Prospects of Greening Sovereignty Part 2: Performance of the Green State in a Comparative Perspective 5. Green States in Europe: A Comparative View 6. The "Green" Potential of Small Island States: A Comparative Study 7. Greening the State, American Style Part 3: Transforming the State toward Climate Objectives: Nordic experiences 8. Blue and Yellow Makes Green? Ecological Modernisation in Swedish Climate Policy 9. Towards a Decarbonised Green State? The Politics of Low-Carbon Governance in Sweden 10. Negotiating Green Growth as a Pathway towards Sustainable Transitions in Finland Part 4: Transforming the Polity toward Climate and Sustainability Objectives 11. Greening the State of California: Governmentality and the Subjectification of the Polity through Climate Governance 12. The Green State and the Design of Self-Binding: Lessons from Monetary Policy 13. The Green State and Empathic Rationality 14. Conclusion