MULTISTAKEHOLDER GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY.NORMATIVE INSIGHTS FROM A DELIBERATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This dissertation critically examines the legitimacy and effectiveness of multistakeholder governance (MSG) in sustainability, arguing that power asymmetries undermine the transformative potential of these governance models. While MSG frameworks, particularly Multistakeholder Initiatives (MSIs), have been promoted as inclusive and participatory responses to global challenges, empirical evidence suggests that they frequently fail to address key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty reduction (SDG 1), inequality mitigation (SDG 10), and climate action (SDG 13). The core problem identified is that corporate actors, while positioned as central stakeholders, exercise disproportionate influence, shaping governance mechanisms in ways that prioritize commercial interests over broader social and environmental objectives. Building on governance studies, business ethics, and deliberative democratic theory, this dissertation argues that deliberative democracy offers a viable normative and institutional framework to address these imbalances. By emphasizing reasoned justification, inclusion, and other essential deliberative principles, this normative perspective can help mitigating corporate dominance in MSIs. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining conceptual analysis with case studies of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. These cases reveal structural limitations in current MSG frameworks, particularly in their accountability mechanisms and their ability to empower marginalized stakeholders. As a response, the dissertation proposes a deliberative reform agenda, including the institutionalization of mini-publics and stronger mechanisms for stakeholder empowerment. By bridging deliberative democratic theory with global sustainability governance, this work contributes to the debate on corporate legitimacy and the need for democratic oversight in transnational regulatory frameworks.