Transformative Transparency in Environmental Governance

The paper examines transparency as a site of political conflict, arguing that while transparency is often seen as a tool for improving environmental outcomes, it can be used to avoid strict regulation. Using a new theoretical framework, the authors analyze climate finance under the Paris Agreement, finding that strong transparency norms have not translated into effective accountability mechanisms or donor compliance, meaning transparency alone is insufficient for an equitable climate policy regime.

• Transparency is often presented as a key factor for improving environmental outcomes, but critics suggest it may be used to replace more stringent regulatory measures to prevent significant progress.
• The authors propose a framework where transparency is viewed as a 'terrain of political conflict' where the ability to transform inequalities depends on how transparency norms are translated into accountability mechanisms and the extent of compliance with those mechanisms.
• In the specific case of climate finance under the Paris Agreement, the study finds that despite strong transparency norms, there is weak translation into accountability mechanisms and limited compliance by donor countries, rendering transparency insufficient for an adequate and equitable climate policy regime.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2018). Transformative Transparency in Environmental Governance. https://www.sei.org/publications/transformative-transparency-environmental-governance/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Transformative Transparency in Environmental Governance. 2018. https://www.sei.org/publications/transformative-transparency-environmental-governance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Transformative Transparency in Environmental Governance |date=10 August 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/transformative-transparency-environmental-governance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2018transformative, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Transformative Transparency in Environmental Governance}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/transformative-transparency-environmental-governance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }