Neoliberal restructuring of the world polity: the weakening of the Montreal Protocol and Basel Convention in historical perspective

Abstract

World polity theory argues that as nation-states become further integrated in global governance they adopt attributes associated with the institutional order, including concern for the environment. We contribute to this scholarship an exploration of how historical changes in the economic dimension of the world polity have shifted the norms and decision-making processes of global environmental treaties over time. Specifically, this paper explores the global shift toward neoliberal environmental governance, how it became embedded in two milestone environmental agreements, the Montreal Protocol and the Basel Convention, and how this shift can negatively affect how global actors engage with scientific knowledge and make policy decisions, reinforcing the prevailing norms of global ecosystem protection. We conclude by suggesting that further qualitative work on neoliberal restructuration of the world polity and actors’ ability to maintain focus in global environmental institutions on environmental protection is critical, especially in the area of global climate change governance.