How Convincing Are Neorealism & Neoliberal Institutionalism To Understand Environmental Cooperation?

Résumé du document

International cooperation is a radically different prospect with regard to positivist theories of international relations. According to each approach, states live in a specific international system, are motivated by diverse factors and possess various resources. Each theory then offers a particular context in which cooperation between states occurs in different ways. In fact, states have to face situations that require specific cooperation strategy according to the distribution of powers, their national interests and the nature of the issue demanding cooperation. This last point is the focus of this essay attempting to understand how states behave on the international scene when the issue demanding cooperation is environmental. In a context of great environmental degradation, but also large awareness from countries to effectively address environmental issues, how does environmental cooperation is ruled? The two international relations theories analysed in this essay enable us to comprehend how environmental cooperation takes place within the international agenda. In the end however, none of them is actually able to explain the scope of environmental cooperation alone; rather, there is an interconnection between the different theories of international relations and a necessity to consider all of them to recognize the challenges of environmental cooperation.The modern study of international relations appeared due to the great conflicts of the first part of the twentieth century. At that time, due to the war and international insecurity, international relations approaches started to theorize the reasons for peace and war and the potential for cooperation among states. In this perspective of understanding high politics, the study of environment, considered as low politics, emerged much later.

Extraits

[...] However, the neorealist approach, defining precise cases for when international cooperation can happen, is not always true. In fact, it is possible to contradict and criticized the neorealist theory through examples that have demonstrated the possibility for environmental cooperation without the presence of hegemonic power. Fighting global climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a good study case to challenge and test the neorealist theory to see if it plausible in reality. Negotiated in 1997 in Japan, the Kyoto protocol has faced two major conflicts, the divisions among developed countries with the reluctance of the United States on one side, and the North- South gap on the other side (Paterson 1996). [...]

[...] Consequently, uncertainty and suspicion among states are at the heart of their international relations. In that unsafe and risky context, states seek by all means to maximise their own fundamental interests and increase their military capabilities in order to survive and to protect their national sovereignty. This offensive military power, states are looking for, make them even more dangerous for each other, maintaining the fear and state of anarchy (Paterson 1996). Neorealism is known as the ‘power theory' due to the permanent obsession that states have with the increase of their relative power, eventually forced to vary because of the inevitability of conflicts. [...]

[...] Common interests and hegemonic power are thus the two determinants of environment cooperation (Le Prestre 2005). Furthermore, the aspect of the neorealist theory that enables us to best understand why and how cooperation can occur is attached to the concept of “game theory”. Neorealism believes that states are looking to maximize their relative gains, which means that in a situation of cooperation, states extremely care about the gains of others. One state, for instance, might think that ‘gaining' means ‘loosing' if the neighbour state has won more. [...]

[...] Constructivism and Neoliberal Institutionalism Compared, International Studies Quarterly, vol.44, p.97-119 The IR Theory Knowledge Base (2007) IR Paradigms, Approaches and Theories Available at: http://www.irtheory.com/know.htm United Nations Environment Programme (2007) About UNEP: The Organization Available at: http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=43 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2007) Kyoto Protocol Available at: http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php Volger, J. and Imber, M.F. (1996) The Environment and International Relations, Global Environmental Change Programme, London & New York, chapters Waltz, K.N. (1979) Theory of International Politics, McGraw-Hill, p.105 Wendt, A. (1992) Anarchy is What States Make of It, International Organization, vol.46, p.391-425 World Meteorological Organization (2007) Programmes Summary Available at: http://www.wmo.ch/pages/summary/progs_summary.html Young, O.R. [...]

[...] Let us see what neoliberal institutionalism has to offer to comprehend the rules of environmental cooperation. Neoliberal institutionalism and the overstated faith in institutions Neoliberal institutionalism, also called ‘modified structural realism', is a theory of international relations that appeared in the 1980's. As neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism makes the assumptions that states represent the central actors of the international system; they are following their own self-interest and live in a system originally characterized by anarchy. However, neoliberal institutionalism believes that the absence of central authority does not mean absence of governance. [...]