Introduction - Ecological Governance - page 11

purpose is to secure a fundamental alteration in society s course, should

take. In addition, I examine the related question of what law

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s role would
be in promoting and, where necessary, driving the achievement of its ends.
Iconsiderin Chapter 4 how a system of governance and relationships
between different levels of government and between governmental insti-
tutions and non-governmental actors under it should be structured to
secure progressive reductions in society

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s ecological footprint. Most
notably, I argue that the state should take the lead in the establishment
and operation of ecological governance as it alone possesses the author-
ity to promote policies that would require radical societal change and
the vantage point fromwhich to determine how ecological objectives can
best be advanced. 40 In making this argument, I am not suggesting that
the role of regional and local governments would be limited to enacting
central government

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s directives. To the contrary, I envisage that the
different governmental levels would work together to explore how eco-
logical policies could be applied. 41 The state

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s role would be to act as
coordinator of local and regional planning both with a view to develop-
ing nationally optimal strategies for stress reduction and to ensure, as
far as possible, that the burdens of an ecological transition are equitably
distributed. The planning system that I propose in Chapter 5 creates
a legal framework within which local, regional and national plans for
ecological policy implementation can be formed.
The structures for governance I propose use three approaches to encour-
age popular support for ecological governance, the perception of govern-
mental action as legitimate, and active public involvement with realising
ecological goals. The

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rst is by providing meaningful opportunities for
public participation in the decision-making processes that the system
employs. I consider in Chapter 4 the different respects in which public
engagement is needed to support the operation of ecological governance. 42
The second is by structuring relations between the decision-making insti-
tutions at different governmental levels and using legal requirements for
the conduct of decision-making to ensure that public views and values
expressed primarily through participation at local levels are taken into
account in decision-making at higher governmental levels. 43 The use

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of transparently bottom-up arrangements for governance is, in part,

intended to enhance the con dence in political processes that has been

so eroded in recent years.

40 Chapter 4, Section 4.4 . 41 Chapter 4, Section 4.4.3 . 42 Chapter 4, Section 4.6 .

43 Chapter 4, Section 4.6.3 ; Chapter 6, Section 6.3.3 .