Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Governing Human-Environment Relations -- Part I: Simple Environmental Governance. Natural Resources -- Environmental Protection -- Ecosystem Services -- Part II: Complex Environmental Governance. Horizontal Interplay -- Vertical Interplay -- Part III: Environmental Governance in the Anthropocene. The Great Acceleration -- The Sustainability Transition -- Conclusion: Making Environmental Governance Work.

"Oran R. Young examines a variety of efforts to meet the challenge of governing human interaction with the environment in the interest of sustainability. At the same time, he considers measures to minimize restrictions on human actors in using their natural resources. Young looks at issues including climate change, biodiversity, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon cycle disruption in exploring impacts from the local to the global. The book draws on general ideas about the nature of governance while exploring new models for governing human-environment relations."--Publisher's website.