The common denominator of modern environmental governance is co-operation between public and private parties. Of course, co-operation is nothing new in itself. The novelty lies in its planned form. In co-operative environmental governance the parties commit themselves, through a more or less binding agreement, to resolve specific environmental difficulties. When co-operation is embedded in environmental policy, it becomes a means to achieve the environmental objectives of the state. The essays which make up this volume explore this option in environmental governance: the nature of the approach, the preconditions, and its chances of success. They take an interdisciplinary approach to the task, analyzing theoretical issues and practical experiences in a number of countries.
