Claiming legitimacy: analysing conflict in the environmental policy process

The author presents a conceptual framework for the analysis of conflicting claims in the environmental policy context. It is suggested that claims can be analysed at three distinct levels: the social process of legitimisation and justification; the legal process of recognition and protection; and the political process of realisation. Outcomes depend in a complex and dynamic manner on the interaction of claims at each of these levels. An appreciation of these links may significantly enhance our understanding of the environmental policy process.