Exploring Collaborative Environmental Governance: Perspectives on Bridging and Actor Agency

This article explores the prospect and practice of alternative and more collaborative approaches to environmental governance, focusing on recent North American experience and with particular attention to: (i) characteristic barriers to effective and collaborative environmental governance; (ii) approaches to collaboration and bridging between actors and sectors; and (iii) the potential role of actor agency. The focus of inquiry is primarily on recent North American experience. The key literature on environmental governance is discussed, and interviews conducted with environmental practitioners, academics, government officials and community leaders to explore and analyse their experiences with environmental governance are analysed. Collectively, these experiences suggest that there is a need for more skilful bridging of actors and initiatives, and a greater role for governments in facilitating collaborative approaches. The interviews also point to a number of challenges that must be overcome before the full potential of collaborative environmental governance can be realized. Although some researchers advocate the need for unified and overarching approaches to environmental governance, there is considerable evidence indicating that efforts are better directed towards building networks and collaboration among a wide diversity of actors, philosophies and approaches.