"Rethinking Private Authority" offers a compelling exploration of the role non-state actors play in global environmental politics. Authored by Jessica Green, this insightful work argues for a new conceptualization of private authority to fully understand its impact. Green identifies two distinct forms of private authority: one where states delegate authority to private actors, and another where entrepreneurial actors create their own rules and persuade others to adopt them.
The book draws on a wealth of empirical evidence spanning a century of environmental rule-making. Green illustrates how the delegation of authority to private actors has consistently played a role in multilateral environmental agreements over the past fifty years, particularly in treaty implementation. This is contrasted with entrepreneurial authority, which has seen most private environmental rules emerge in the past two decades. Green traces the rise of this dynamic form of private authority in areas such as organic food, green building practices, and sustainable tourism.
Jessica Green persuasively argues that the configuration of state preferences and the existing institutional landscape are crucial in explaining the emergence and form of private authority. In-depth case studies on climate change provide robust evidence for her arguments. Groundbreaking in scope, "Rethinking Private Authority" demonstrates that authority in world politics is diffused across multiple levels and diverse actors. It offers a comprehensive view of how private actors are shaping our response to today's most pressing environmental challenges.