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Introduction

Introduction Steven Bernstein, Matthew Hoffmann, and Erika Weinthal We kick off Issue 20-2 with a forum by Kate Neville on the complications of diverting fossil fuel finance. Over the last decade, climate activists have pushed for institutions to shift their investments away from the fossil fuel sector. At a time when international action on climate change has come to a halt, owing not only to the lack of US engagement but also to the COVID-19 pandemic, Neville provides an important account of the role of markets and the private sector in shaping environmental outcomes. She especially highlights their intersection with advocacy for divestments from fossil fuels. In doing so, Neville cautions proponents of fossil fuel divestment also to take into account the unintended social and environmental consequences that can result from reinvestment in other sectors, including in renewable energy technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic is providing an opportunity, albeit from terrible circumstances, for the GEP community to reflect on the state of the global envi- ronment and broader issues of sustainability. While the articles in this issue were researched and written before the pandemic hit, the themes and insights that they explore—new ways to measure sustainability, the limits and opportunities of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Global Environmental Politics MIT Press

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References (20)

Publisher
MIT Press
Copyright
© 2020 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ISSN
1526-3800
eISSN
1536-0091
DOI
10.1162/glep_e_00558
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Steven Bernstein, Matthew Hoffmann, and Erika Weinthal We kick off Issue 20-2 with a forum by Kate Neville on the complications of diverting fossil fuel finance. Over the last decade, climate activists have pushed for institutions to shift their investments away from the fossil fuel sector. At a time when international action on climate change has come to a halt, owing not only to the lack of US engagement but also to the COVID-19 pandemic, Neville provides an important account of the role of markets and the private sector in shaping environmental outcomes. She especially highlights their intersection with advocacy for divestments from fossil fuels. In doing so, Neville cautions proponents of fossil fuel divestment also to take into account the unintended social and environmental consequences that can result from reinvestment in other sectors, including in renewable energy technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic is providing an opportunity, albeit from terrible circumstances, for the GEP community to reflect on the state of the global envi- ronment and broader issues of sustainability. While the articles in this issue were researched and written before the pandemic hit, the themes and insights that they explore—new ways to measure sustainability, the limits and opportunities of

Journal

Global Environmental PoliticsMIT Press

Published: May 1, 2020

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