Abstract/Summary

Growing concern over the impact of climate change has led to numerous commitments, especially among members of the Paris Agreement, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The implementation of environmental laws is explored through the lens of public policy theory with a case study on the implementation of legislation to combat the flaring of associated petroleum gas in Russia (Decrees 7 and 1148 of 2009 and 2012). The increase of flaring volumes from 2010 to 2020 reveals that the legislation did not reach compliance. The authors rely on a qualitative study based on 22 expert interviews and the triangulation of findings with secondary sources to offer new interpretations of the reasons for ‘policy-failure’, yielding new insights on the structural and organizational factors that compromise the implementation of environmental legislation and policy recommendations on overcoming enforcement inconsistencies. The findings highlight the necessary balance between participatory mechanisms and top-down enforcement, the risks associated with a lack of community involvement and the specific challenges associated with environmental governance. While the existing literature places a pronounced emphasis on the demobilization of social actors in explaining poor policy compliance, this paper argues that other factors, such as the internal organization of oil companies, enforcement inconsistencies and structural market problems, may be more influential in determining policy outcomes.