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As environmental degradation becomes an increasingly pressing issue with widespread effects, states will have to take on escalating responsibilities for addressing externalization of environmental costs. This development calls for a reintroduction of the state as a central object of study within the field of environmental politics. Drawing on a recent essay by James Meadowcroft, this paper argues that there are interesting parallels between the emergence of welfare states and the emerging ecological state. Chief among the similarities is that both welfare states and ecological states are faced with the task of mitigating negative market externalities. The first part of the paper outlines a framework for analysing and typologizing emerging ecological states. The core argument is that since the primary task for the emerging ecological state is to provide and maintain environmental public goods, this places the state’s …