Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

O'Riordan T & Jager J. (eds). 1996. Politics of Climate Change. Routledge. pp xiv + 396. ISBN 0 415 12574 X. £16.99.

Unlike much of the burgeoning literature on climate change, this text looks not at the science but at the institutions that make the science and subsequent policy. The 12 chapters fall, unevenly, into three parts. The first part is an introduction to both science and institutional analysis. The opening chapter provides a historical overview which is followed by analyses of the legal aspects of the climate change convention and greenhouse gas inventories. The fourth chapter marks a change by examining the arguments surrounding the concept of institution whilst trying to provide a framework for discussion. Having set the scene the next 7 chapters study specific areas' responses to climate change. Two chapters cover the EU (law and politics) with one for each of the UK, Norway, Italy and USA/Third World. This leaves the last chapter for review and conclusion. 2 appendices give the UN framework and the Berlin mindate.

This text works on a number of levels. For those wishing to gain a good, brief overview of policy development in a few nations there is much usefid material with a coherence often lacking elsewhere. For those wanting a reference to legal documents there is a useful overview of the key items. These two aspects make the book useful for teacher and advanced student. The third level - the subjection of climate change policy to organisational theory (rather than scientific analysis) is perhaps the most successfid but also the most difficult and, ultimately, frustrating because one feels that there is more mileage in the study. It's an area worth far more exploration - a sequel perhaps?