Transparency in transnational governance: The determinants of information disclosure of voluntary sustainability programs

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Schleifer, Philip; Fiorini, Matteo; Auld, Graeme
• 署名单位: University of Amsterdam; European University Institute; Carleton University
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.12241
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 488-506
• 关键词: global environmental governance; private governance; ACCOUNTABILITY; ORGANIZATIONS; certification; STANDARDS; DESIGN; legitimacy; GOVERNMENT; BUSINESS

摘要

The rise of new transnational governance has intensified debates about a lack of accountability in global politics. Reviewing the mechanisms through which transparency can foster accountability beyond the state, this article explores the determinants of information disclosure in the field of transnational sustainability governance. Examining the institutional design of 113 voluntary sustainability programs, we find a positive correlation between the involvement of public actors and information disclosure. In contrast, the role of civil society is more ambiguous. There is no statistical support for arguments linking non-governmental organization participation to increased transparency. At the same time, our analysis reveals a robust correlation between civil society-led metagovernance and information disclosure. Moreover, we find that crowding has a negative effect on transparency, whereas normative peer pressures have no influence. At a broader level, the analysis reveals a lack of deep transparency among transnational sustainability governors. This limits the scope for transparency-induced accountability in this policy domain.