Balancing authority and meaning in global environmental assessment: An analysis of organisational logics and modes in IPBES

Abstract

This paper interrogates the parallel goals of global environmental assessments (GEAs) to be both authoritative and meaningful sources of environmental expertise. It explores authority and meaning as distinct ‘organisational logics’ that guide the development of GEAs. Through the case of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the paper examines the organisation of expertise using an analytical framework of six organisational modes: the modes of foundation, incorporation, representation, convention, exhibition and transformation. Drawing on interviews and document analysis, the paper finds that the logic of authority and the logic of meaning often promote distinct organisational arrangements that are at times mutually reinforcing and at times in tension. The analysis suggests that balancing these two pursuits is not without its challenges. However, it highlights the potential to recognise GEAs as experimental and evolutionary organisations for environmental governance.