Pathways to synergize reductive with relational logics in environmental policy

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Katharina Victoria Pérez-Hämmerle
  • Katie Moon
  • Christopher M. Raymond
  • Patrick Lucas
  • Viola Hakkarainen
  • Penney Wood

Transformative policies and policy instruments that effectively and equitably address climate change, biodiversity loss and social-ecological inequality are essential. This paper examines how environmental policy can better integrate reductive with relational logics to accommodate diverse worldviews and improve conservation outcomes. We argue that current approaches are largely defined by reductive logics that function to separate, isolate and objectify–to simplify–and could be improved through the integration of relational logics that encapsulate complexity via the conceptualization of dynamic interconnectivity and interdependence. To do so, we explore how time, space, and entities are conceptualized differently under reductive and relational logics. We illustrate these concepts through multiple cases including: market-based instruments such as biodiversity offset markets, legislative changes to World Heritage Convention Criteria and the Te Urewera Act of 2014 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our analysis reveals the potential of relational logics to transform environmental policy, leading to more inclusive, culturally appropriate, and effective governance strategies. We propose four key practices for navigating towards a plurality of logics in policymaking: 1) recognizing different logical frameworks and adapting language and metrics; 2) accounting for power dynamics; 3) embracing culturally appropriate co-construction; and 4) contextualizing social-ecological systems with place-based knowledge. We conclude by discussing future directions for policy development in environmental governance, emphasizing the need for ongoing experimentation, evaluation, and refinement in the practical implementation of relational logics in policy.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer2529585
ZeitschriftEcosystems and People
Jahrgang21
Ausgabenummer1
Anzahl der Seiten20
ISSN2639-5908
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 2025

Bibliographische Notiz

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

DOI

Zuletzt angesehen

Forschende

  1. Patrick Velte

Publikationen

  1. Introduction
  2. Quantification of phototrophically grown Galdieria sulphuraria and other microalgae using diphenylamine
  3. Export scope and characteristics of destination countries
  4. Contested future-making in containment: temporalities, infrastructures and agency
  5. Child Respondents - Do They Really Answer What Scientific Questionnaires Ask For?
  6. Reintegration strategies in a gender perspective
  7. Free work
  8. Landfill mining
  9. How does collaborative freshwater governance affect legitimacy? Comparative analysis of 14 cases of collaboration in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2009 and 2017
  10. Testing for Economies of Scope in European Railways
  11. Using ecological and life-history characteristics for projecting species' responses to climate change
  12. Resource Allocation in Startup Teams: Exploring Entrepreneurial Coping with Radical Uncertainty during the Corona Pandemic
  13. Observer Strategies for Virtual Sensing of Embroidered Metal-Polymer Heater Structure
  14. Effective digital practice in the competence-oriented English as a foreign language classroom in Germany
  15. Integrating Ecosystem Services in Nature Conservation for Colombia
  16. Modeling of sheet metals with coarse texture via crystal plasticity
  17. Exploring the uncanny valley effect in social robotics
  18. Notting Hill Gate 4
  19. Social cohesion and the inclination towards conspiracy mentality
  20. The tree growth–herbivory relationship depends on functional traits across forest biodiversity experiments
  21. Why and How to adopt Green Management into Business Organizations?
  22. Context of social action
  23. Entanglements of knowledge and action in sustainability science
  24. Pathways for Germany’s low-carbon energy transformation towards 2050
  25. Incentives Matter, But What Do They Mean? Understanding the Meaning of Market Coordination
  26. Is subjective knowledge the key to fostering sustainable behavior? Mixed evidence from an education intervention in Mexico
  27. Lasst es brennen!