The thesis identifies the emergence and increasing political importance of ‘Discourse‐Coalitions’ as a new way in environmental politics. In this concept, environmental management combined social theory with detailed empirical analysis, illustrating the social and political dynamics of ecological modernization through a study of the industrial waste water controversies in Hsin Chu. The thesis concludes with a reflection on the institutional challenge of environmental politics in the years to come. The thesis is not only seen as a reflection on environmental politics, but is also focused for its application of discourse analysis to the study of the policy process.