In May earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a fantastic workshop at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on social movements and private environmental governance.  The attendees came from a wide range of disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, and law, and shared some valuable insights about how companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, social movements, and consumers more generally have influenced the emergence of environmental governance initiatives that are not based primarily on the power of the state.

I had the chance to discuss some of the data and ideas presented in my forthcoming book, and focused particularly on possible future trajectories for these initiatives.  It was great to re-connect with people such as Tom Lyon, John Maxwell, and Ben Cashore, who had attended earlier workshops at Michigan on eco-labels five or six years ago.  I also enjoyed catching up with a classmate from Berkeley’s ESPM Department, Zdravka Tzankova, and meeting new friends and other colleagues as well.  I hope we can stay in touch and follow-up further in the future, as we share a lot of common interests!