The Greening of Criminology in Oceania

Abstract

This article examines the history of green criminology in the Oceania region and identifies the wide set of local and global challenges that will shape its future development. While there are undoubtedly crime and criminal justice issues throughout Oceania, most of the distinctly criminological work has taken place in the regional metropoles of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The article demonstrates that the history of green criminology in Australasia is simultaneously a global history. It begins with a short reflection on the nature and context of intellectual production and a description of the initial forays into green criminology. This is followed by exposition of the development of green criminology in Australasia, first by discussing the international dimensions of the emerging field, and second by tracing its evolution at the regional level. The article concludes with a few observations on present environmental developments and political forces that are and will continue to affect the status, sustainability and vitality of green criminology across Oceania.