The green versus environmental state: Reviewing two decades of conceptualizing state-led approaches

A consensus has emerged that a green transition is only possible if the state plays a central role. Conceptualisations of this state role have multiplied over the last two decades. In this article, we trace the scholarship’s evolution through the rise of the terms in the 2000s, their proliferation in the 2010s, and the recent convergence around the green state and environmental state. While the literature has contributed important insights into the political, societal, and economic dimensions of the state’s role in a green transition, we identify conceptual conflation in how the terms are used. To begin to provide conceptual coherence, we propose anchoring the debate through an umbrella term, within which numerous distinct terms can coexist. For this purpose, we propose using the ‘green state’ as the umbrella term given its connotation with effectively addressing environmental problems, and suggest a two-part definition as a state-led approach to ensuring environmental sustainability .