The next edition of the Green European Journal will explore an issue that has become a defining question for the years ahead: the new geopolitical context and shifting patterns of globalisation. From energy systems to economic governance, today’s political choices are situated within a rapidly evolving geopolitical scene, regulated by complex forces and demarcated by new and sometimes unseen borders and divisions. Matters such as climate, security, social rights, and economic policy can no longer be considered in isolation. That is why we’re looking for analyses, ideas, and proposals that can take a geopolitical lens to help understand the challenges facing Europe today and explore what ideas, narratives, and proposals green politics can bring to the debate.
Already in the 2010s, but now decidedly in the 2020s, the atmosphere of world politics has shifted gear to enter a phase in which considerations of power and international competition cannot be ignored. Cold War rhetoric has returned with all the dangers it implies, while multilateral institutions are often sidelined. The pandemic has accelerated this dynamic as flows of trade and people have been disrupted and many countries have opted for competitive health governance over international cooperation.
In an era of climate disasters, can climate policy be credibly separated from security policy? As the world strives to overhaul its energy system within the next 30 years, can questions of technology and resources be considered independently of their political and economic implications? As greater state intervention and regulation becomes the norm, what opportunities can be found in reforming institutions of economic governance? And what of values such as human rights, feminism, and anti-racism in an increasingly fragmented world? In such a context, the geopolitical question of who has the power to act where is central. From a European perspective, it’s also a matter of whether Europe has the capacity to set the terms of its future social and political model.
Political ecology has always had a distinctive approach to global politics. Internationalism, ties of solidarity between the Global North and South, and roots in the peace movement mean that it has always been aware of the power imbalances inherent to the international order. Ecological awareness regarding resources, agriculture, and trade flows also gives the green perspective a clear material grounding.
Though at times uncomfortable, connecting green politics in Europe to geopolitics means thinking practically about the routes to achieving a more sustainable and just world. What can green thinking bring to the debate on the future of globalisation? What opportunities and risks lie in the current shifts in global politics?
These are the kind of questions the next edition of the Green European Journal will explore. We are calling for contributions on the changing geopolitical context and Europe’s place within it.
Approach
What would you like to write about? Here are some ideas:
- Economy and finance – What is the future of the global economy and its governance in a world still suffering from the pandemic? How does renewing Europe’s socio-economic and financial model contribute to its geopolitical positioning? What is the role of the state and public investment in this context?
- Multilateralism – What is the future of multilateral institutions? How can their forms and functioning be reformed to face the challenges of the 21st century?
- Technology and infrastructure – How will control over technologies shape relations between countries and regions in the years ahead? How can critical technologies and infrastructure be shared to allow for equitable access and a just transition globally?
- Climate and biodiversity – Can ecological concerns become a pillar of international relations? How can climate and biodiversity policy be integrated into foreign policy and diplomacy? Is the urgency of the climate crisis fostering new forms of multilateral cooperation, or are old patterns and dynamics still being played out?
- Energy transition – How will the energy transition reshape power dynamics between countries and regions? How is energy and climate incorporated into the geopolitics of different actors?
- Human rights and values – How should human rights and values such as diversity be incorporated into international politics? What means does the European Union have to protect human rights beyond its borders?
- Covid-19 pandemic – How has the pandemic reshaped the geopolitical context globally? What lessons can be drawn about international cooperation on health, security, and environmental protection?
- Trade – How can global trade systems be reformed to be more sustainable, just, and resilient? What avenues are there for the relocalisation of certain industries and better regulation of supply chains?
- Conflict and peace – How is the changing geopolitical context manifesting itself in terms of new conflicts and threats? How can deepening instability be avoided?
- Europe and the European Union – What is the place of Europe in this new global context? What role can the European Union play as a geopolitical actor and what are its responsibilities? How can it leverage its soft power effectively?
- New narratives and culture – What different narratives and visions are there regarding the new geopolitical context, globally and for Europe? Can culture become a means to promote ecological sustainability around the world?
- Movements and solidarity – How can social movements and other actors across the world cooperate with the green movement in Europe?
Editorial requirements
We do not just want theoretical or academic articles for the next edition of the Green European Journal. We are looking for lively texts and interviews that will stimulate debate and imagination, and we are also open to formats such as photo essays, infographics, and comics. All contributions that take a novel approach to understand the questions set out in this call are welcome.
Pitches should be sent to jamie.kendrick@gef.eu and beatrice.white@gef.eu.
The Green European Journal strives to be an inclusive space, bringing together a diverse range of voices and perspectives. We welcome contributions from everyone. Contributions from those belonging to the following groups are especially encouraged: women, people of colour, people with a physical or mental disability, LGBTQI+ individuals, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. Contributions from southern and eastern Europe and from outside the European Union are particularly welcome.
If you would like to make a submission but require some support to do so due to a physical impairment or for another reason, we invite you to contact us directly. Send us a summary of your proposed contribution and introduce yourself before submitting a draft. We’re happy for contributors to write in a language of their choosing. Before contacting us, check our editorial guidelines carefully. Submissions may be published in print or online.
The deadline for pitches and ideas was 25 August, 2021.