The transformative potential of environmental governance integration for sustainable land use: The case of subsidence in the Dutch peatlands

Transformations of existing systemic structures are needed to address the root cause of many environmental land-use (ELU) problems: unsustainable land use. One policy principle that can help achieve such transformation entails integrating cross-cutting ELU problems with non-environmental policy domains, also known as environmental policy integration (EPI). Its transformative potential is disputed, however, because different forms of integration involve varying degrees of value attribution to environmental concerns vis-à-vis other policy goals. Since the EPI literature indicates this degree is greatly influenced by actors and institutions, we consider environmental governance integration (EGI) a more appropriate term for evaluations. Using the case of subsidence in the Dutch peatlands, we aim to provide insights into EGI's potential and scope for improvement in facilitating transformative change toward sustainable land use. Our study reveals generally low to moderate EGI, because ELU concerns were integrated within the boundaries of a land-use system that prioritizes prevailing economic interests. This indicates EGI being a (business-as-usual) governance approach that merits the label economic governance integration, since (transformative) environmental governance integration would entail an exploration of a myriad of different sustainable land-use options, irrespective of existing system structures. We recommend a cognitive shift as a precondition for institutional reform and politics favoring transformative governance.