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Politics of Sustainable Development

Politics of Sustainable Development. 4. The Challenge of Green Business. ”The fundamental assumption [is] that economic growth and the resolution of ecological problems can, in principle, be reconciled…” Maarten Hajer, The Politics of Environmental Discourse, 1995, p 26.

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Politics of Sustainable Development

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  1. Politics of Sustainable Development 4. The Challenge of Green Business

  2. ”The fundamental assumption [is] that economic growth and the resolution of ecological problems can, in principle, be reconciled…”Maarten Hajer, The Politics of Environmental Discourse, 1995, p 26

  3. Green Business as Politics • as activism, or political action • from protest to cooperation • from resistance to appropriation • from movement intellectuals to brokers • as decision-making, or policy • from ”command and control” to co-construct • from ”end of pipe” to strategic innovation • from lobbying to networking

  4. ecomodernism natural capitalism ecoefficiency The Emergence of Green Business EM ecological economics corporate sustainable development sustainable development environmental assessment pollution prevention, cleaner technologies appropriate technology, soft energy environmental economics and policy pollution control, ”end-of pipe” Environmental awareness, or consciousness

  5. Example: Automotive Politics Phase One: Pollution Control, up to about 1975 lead-free gasoline, catalytic mufflers Phase Two: Environmental Policy, ca 1975-87 collective transportation, electric cars Phase Three: Sustainable Development, ca 1987-99 sustainable traffic planning, high-speed trains Phase Four: Green Business, from about 2000 market-oriented differentiation, hybrid cars

  6. What is Green Business? • ideas/discourses: the cosmological dimension • eco-efficiency • ecological modernization • natural capitalism • networks/institutions: the organizational dimension • World Business Council for Sustainable Development • Greening of Industry Network, UNEP • Natural Step, Society of Ecological Economics • practices/competencies: the technical dimension • corporate environmental management • environmental and energy planning • technological management and innovation

  7. Eco-efficiencyAccording to DeSimone and Popoff (1997) • Reduce toxic dispersion • Enhance material recyclability • Extend product durability and recyclability • Increase service intensity of products • Improve market opportunities • Enhance image

  8. Eco-efficiency as a Strategy of Appropriation • Discursive framework: • a story-line of global competition • a business economics language: instrumental rationality • Institutional structures: • transnational business networks • commercial rules and regulations • Practical measures: • emission trading, green products • incremental design and product improvements

  9. Ecological ModernizationAccording to Rinkevicius (1998) • Flexible, or soft regulation regimes • Making pollution prevention ”pay” • Precautionary principle • Dialogue and consensus in decision-making • International cooperation

  10. The Eco-Modernist Strategy • Discursive framework: • a story line of deliberative governance • a political sociological language: communicative rationality • Institutional structures: • public-private partnerships, sustainable business hubs • intergovernmental bodies and agreements • Practical measures: • sustainability indicators, strategic EIA • life cycle analysis and management

  11. Natural CapitalismAccording to Hawken, Lovins and Lovins, Natural Capitalism (1999) • Radical resource productivity (eg factor ten) • Biomimicry: redesigning industrial systems along biological lines • Transition to a service and flow economy • Investing in natural capital, in addition to physical, human, and social capital

  12. An Eco-Culture Strategy ? • Discursive framework: • a story-line of cultural transformation • a systemic language: ecological rationality • Institutional structures: • networks of think tanks and consultants, academics and activists • experimental examples, educational programs • Practical measures: • industrial and urban ecology projects • green life-styles, ecological consumption

  13. Green Business as Cognitive Praxis From movement… to institutions appropriate technology green products organizational alliances competing networks ecological society sustainable growth popular education entrepreneurship knowledge integration specialization interpreting translating movement intellectuals commercial brokers

  14. Types of Brokerage • Networking/organizing • vertical (within companies or branches) • horizontal (across branches and/or countries) • Mediation/translation • specialized consultants (often within one sector) • generalist academics (”ecomodernists”) • Facilitation/entrepreneurship • project managers and consulting experts • product champions (within business firms)

  15. For example… • Networking • GIN (Schot and Fischer), WBCSD, ISEE • Mediation • Amory Lovins, Björn Gillberg, Arne Remmen • Entrepreneurship • IIIEE, The Natural Step, Body Shop

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