• Energy Research
• GB close
• Portuguese close
• University of Bristol close

The institutional framework of contemporary society has changed since the boundary between public and private spheres became increasingly fluid, with the State no longer the only actor to regulate the behaviour of social actors, nor indeed, the only actor to problematize what is public. Other actors have also begun to develop their own initiatives in relation to public matters, and this also applies to the environmental agenda. In this context, this article aims to develop an approach to public sector initiatives aimed at the environment by examining the experiences of the Public Management and Citizenship program database and the recent activities of the Friends of the Amazon Network. The conclusion is that such an approach should consider at least three elements: Transversality - environmental impacts involve different areas of knowledge and governmental action; No Neutrality - understanding environmental impacts involves negotiation in the public arena; Governance - environmental issues require coordination and relationships between different actors.