Hybridity of Accountability Logics in Voluntary Sustainability Governance: The Case of Commitment 2050
以芬兰“承诺2050”平台为案例,研究自愿性可持续倡议中官僚法律、经济管理和社区三种问责逻辑如何混合运作,发现灵活性虽能扩大参与但削弱了有效性和合法性。
ABSTRACT Governance of sustainable development increasingly relies on voluntary standards and commitments, the credibility and effectiveness of which hinge on accountability—ensuring actors align with shared goals and follow through on them. However, voluntary initiatives operate outside traditional control structures and blend elements of state, market, and community governance. This study examines how accountability is constructed and practiced through the lens of accountability logics. Using Finland's Commitment 2050 platform as a case, it analyzes how bureau–legal, economic–managerialist, and community logics shape the motivations, standards, processes, and consequences of account‐giving. The findings indicate that commitment‐based accountability emerges from the shifting and often uneven balance between these logics. While Commitment 2050 fosters multiple motivations and relations, accountability remains largely unrewarded and unsanctioned. This flexibility can broaden participation but weaken effectiveness and legitimacy. Future studies should examine how logic configurations evolve and how voluntary initiatives can achieve credible flexibility.