SAMFUNN: New Principles and Instruments of Environmental Governance and the Influence of Scientific Input

New international norms (precaution, transparency), and new instruments (negotiated agreements, environmental labelling etc), imply changes in the science-politics interface in environmental governance. Actors seen as relevant to environmental risk and po licy option assessment are more heterogenous than before. With an emphasis on Norway, four issue areas will be addressed: forestry, fisheries, GMOs and chemicals. Knowledge producers include university institutions, applied research institutes, consultanc y firms, and the internal research units of other stakeholders: governmental agencies, industry, and environmental NGOs. The project draws upon rationalist and political approaches when pinpointing factors that determine the influence of competing knowle dge claims. The focus is on (1) the perceived state of knowledge about the risks and policy options (uncertainty and consensus); and (2) the access structure of systems for risk and option assessment (widely held perceptions about which knowledge producer s have a legitimate claim to participate). Distinctions are made between (i) hierarchic systems; (ii) specialised systems; and (iii) loosely structured systems; for hierarchic or specialised structures, we will map their (iv) stakeholder composition. Met hodologically, we will provide a set of comparative case studies. Each study will examine patterns over time in participation and access structures, explore the significance of new norms and instruments, record changes in the level and type of scientific controversy, and examine the relationship between access structure, controversy, and the influence of competing claims to knowledge.