Governing the Green Economy Transition : Public Opinion, Political Parties, and Environmental Outcomes

Abstract: The green economy presents an attractive framework for how economic growth can continue without harming the environment and promises to deliver more resource efficient, less carbon intensive, less environmentally damaging, and more socially inclusive societies. Over the past fifteen years, the idea of a green economy transition as a means to reconcile economic, environmental and social goals has gained traction among a wide range of policy-making organizations and is incorporated in policy agendas at national and global scales. Despite this, research has yet to produce a systematic and careful assessment of the evidence of a green economy transition. This dissertation lays down the first building blocks of a theoretical, empirical and methodological framework that can be used to assess the green economy transition. Taking on an interdisciplinary approach, the dissertation identifies four key objectives of a green economy; market transformation, political management, individual environmental values and attitudes and private sector environmental governance. These four objectives are quantified into multiple indicators and used to provide a systematic and comparative analysis of the causes and drivers of a green economy transition. The overall conclusions of this dissertation are threefold. First, there is empirical evidence of a green economy transition and countries are making progress towards greening growth. Second, it seems possible for political actors to govern the green economy transition and push the economy in the desired direction. Third, a green economy transition requires a more pronounced role of the general public and private market actors.