Social contracts and environmental change: conceptualizing interdependencies
Dombrowsky, Ines / Annabelle Houdret / Markus Loewe / Tobias ZumbraegelExternal Publications (2026)
in: Society and Natural Resources, first published 10.06.2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2026.2680651
Open access
Environmental change can affect social contracts, which are the relationships between societal groups and between such groups and the state. Droughts, river pollution and rising sea levels often change the distribution of resources within countries or harm some societal groups more than others, raising questions about compensation. Social contracts can also trigger environmental change, mainly because the environment and future generations cannot themselves participate in social contract negotiations. Many social contracts allow influential elites to overuse or pollute natural resources, harming the environment, other societal groups and future generations. Drawing on existing social contract and environmental governance research, this introductory article develops a conceptual approach for analyzing the bidirectional effects between the environment and the relations between different parts of society and the state. It presents different types of interaction using multiple examples. This approach helps to identify starting points for the negotiation of more sustainable and inclusive social contracts.
