The Green Turn in Global Politics: Power Transformations, Ideological Shifts, and the Emergence of Planetary Environmental Governance

Abstract

The green turn in global politics emerged as a transformative phenomenon that reshaped international power relations, ideological orientations, and environmental governance structures. This study examined how environmental sustainability influenced geopolitical power, political ideologies, and the development of planetary environmental governance. A qualitative research design based on a systematic literature review and thematic analysis was employed to investigate contemporary developments in global environmental politics. The study utilized a purposive sample of 50 peer-reviewed scholarly publications obtained from reputable academic databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and ResearchGate. Data were analyzed through thematic categorization to identify dominant trends and patterns within the literature. The findings revealed that renewable energy leadership accounted for 28%, green technological innovation represented 22%, and climate governance influence constituted 18% of the major power transformation dimensions identified in the reviewed studies. Regarding ideological shifts, sustainable development emerged as the dominant paradigm with 26%, followed by ecological modernization at 20% and climate justice at 18%. The results further indicated that multilevel governance accounted for 24% and multistakeholder collaboration represented 22% of the key components associated with planetary environmental governance. The analysis demonstrated that environmental sustainability increasingly functioned as a source of political influence, economic competitiveness, and international legitimacy. The study concluded that the green transition significantly transformed global politics by integrating sustainability principles into power structures, governance mechanisms, and policy frameworks. Planetary environmental governance emerged as a critical approach for addressing interconnected environmental challenges through collaborative, science-based, and multilevel governance arrangements.