Abstract :
Humankind has seen the nature as an unlimited source and has misused and polluted it, and also has caused environmental problems. The balance in the relationship between nature and humankind is turned into the disadvantage of nature. So the ability to protect and renew itself has declined and also the nature has become to an irretrievable condition. However, the rampancy of environmental problems effect not only a country or a region, but also all over the world. So, the global character of environmental problems seem to be the most serious threat for the humankind. The main environmental problems can be classified as; environmental pollution, upsurge in population, poverty, famine, drought, draining species, decline in fresh water sources, greenhouse effect and climate changes, thinning Ozone layer, acid rains, nuclear accidents and emmissions and energy problems. The seriousness of the problem has made the humankind to take the responsibility. The researches and initiatives in global area have become widespread since 1960s, and also have started to be effective in policy making global environmental issues and determining the society’s agendas. In this context, the first important pace was the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in 1972 and 113 participators attended the Conference which was the first official comprehensive assembly that environmental problems came up to the states agenda. As long as the inequalities between developed and less developed countries continue, environmental conditions’ recovery can not be provided; and the environmental protection should not decrease development. At the end of the Conference, environmental protection should not be understood as a frustrating element for the development goals of the countries. So, the concept of sustainable development is appeared as a new expression of a balance between environment and development. Sustainable development is a development strategy that manages all assets, natural resources, and human resources as well as financial and physical assets, for increasing long-term wealth and well-being. Sustainable development, as a goal rejects policies and practices that support current living standards by depleting the productive base, including natural resources, and that leaves future generations with poorer prospects and greater risks than our own. This approach presents a new point of view to environment and development problems. In this process, sustainable development goal and the principles which are predicted to achieve that aim are formed a new paradigm. To acheive sustainable development aims, “the governance approach” is suggested as a basic supporting mechanism. The buzzword of the late 1990s and early 2000s in political sciences, public administration and management sciences alike is the concept of governance. To most, it refers to a ‘paradigm shift’ in the way of governing societies and organizations. The theoretical work on governance reflects the interest of the social science community in a shifting pattern in styles of governing. The concept has first taken place in a report of World Bank, in 1989 as “good governance”. This report did not give a clear definition about the concept but later the term was used by both OECD and UN; so the term has become a more clear formula by taking place in conventions and publications of these organizations. Governance also predicts a system that involves corporate regulating, governing, producing and public-private partnership rather than the governments act alone. So it can be expressed that governance is ultimately concerned with creating the conditions for ordered rule and collective action. So, “global environmental governance” can be defined as; “the interactions among formal and informal institutions and the actors within society that influence how environmental problems are identified and framed”. According to Fakier’s description; environmental governance is, “the system of values, polices and institutions by which a society manages its economic, political and social affairs through interactions within and among the state, civil society and private sector. It is the way a society organizes itself to make and implement decisions –achieving mutual understanding, agreements and action… Governance, including its social, political and economic dimensions, operates at every level of human enterprise, be it the household, village, municipality, nation, region or globe.” The overall need to integrate environment into economy and politics has indicated that the idea of ‘traditional/local/national government is incapable in scope to deal with matters that extend over the borders. Global environmental governance is a comprehensive concept in that it takes in several kinds of organizations, associations, instruments for policy and decision making, supportive financial mechanisms, regulations, laws, state and non-state institutions and rules all of which simply help to protect environment from deterioration. In this context, environmental governance at the national, regional and global levels, is critical for the achievement of environmental sustainability. Strengthened environmental governance should be in place at all levels to respond quickly and effectively to emerging environmental challenges, and to address agreed environmental priorities. There are required actions: To support coherent international decision-making processes for environmental governance; to catalyze international efforts to pursue the implementation of internationally agreed objectives; to support regional, subregional and national environmental governance processes and institutions; to promote and support the environmental basis for sustainable development at the national level. For acheiving environmental sustainability who should be the actors of environmental governance? Governments, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, major groups, the private sector and civil society, individually or collectively, have a role in environmental governance. At the international level, multilateral environmental agreements have been increasingly playing an important role. Regional organizations and bodies provide forums for policy development and implementation in regions. The scientific community has a specific role in providing a basis for scientifically sound and informed decision-making. In literature, the studies on environmental governance deal with the issue from the perspective of sustainable development and also underline the requirement of global solidarity and cooperation. This point of view, also formed this study’s discussion. In this context, the study evaluates the sustainable development concept in response to the question of “ development or environment?”; and the relationship between sustainable development and environmental governance and also the roles of actors like natio-states, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations and multinational companies, in this relationship.
