Under what conditions do market-driven environmental protection regimes actually work? In this illuminating and much-needed study, Ralph Espach identifies the reasons why forest and chemicals certification initiatives took hold in Brazil but failed to flourish in Argentina. Based on extensive on-the-ground research, this book makes a critical contribution to the field of global environmental politics, and draws conclusions that no scholar, activist, or policy-maker should ignore. - Kate O'Neill, University of California at Berkeley
Private Environmental Regimes in Developing Countries is an outstanding comparative study of the effectiveness of global voluntary programs in forestry and chemical industries. Its carefully executed case studies demonstrate the important role of domestic industrial and environmental policies in shaping the local effectiveness of these programs. Highly recommended. - Aseem Prakash, University of Washington-Seattle
An impressive historical and comparative effort that significantly enhances our knowledge of private authority in general and forest certification in particular. Espach marries incredibly thorough empirical research with superior analytical skills - the result is a greatly expanded understanding of private authority in developing countries. - Ben Cashore, Professor of Environmental Governance & Political Science, and Director, Program on Forest Policy and Governance School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University