Collaboration between the government and environmental non-governmental organisations for marine debris policy development: The Taiwan experience

Marine debris are a primary environmental issue second only to climate change. Public-private collaboration is considered the most effective approach to tackling this problem, but few studies have reported how the government could collaborate with citizens for greater policy development. In 2018, the Taiwanese government announced that the marine debris action plan could be successful. It is a bottom-up action by environmental protection groups to establish a cooperative relationship with the government. In this study, we analyse the dynamic interaction process by government, Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs), and the public during the past two decades through the lens of contextual interaction theory (CIT). The CIT analysis revealed that raising public awareness, establishing a relationship of trust, establishing effective public-private communications, and collaboration platforms are critical factors that allowed the government and ENGOs to jointly formulate the marine debris governance action plan. Hence, our results may provide insights for citizen groups seeking to influence policymaking.