Constructing the green economy: integrating sustainability for governance?
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Exeter
Department Name: Politics
Abstract
According to UNEP (2011: 14) 'disillusionment with our prevailing economic paradigm' has led to the green economy entering public policy discourses at multiple governance levels, a concept that necessitates 'an alternative paradigm in which increased wealth does not lead to growing environmental risks, ecological scarcities and social disparities'. Much of this disillusionment results from threats posed by climate change, biodiversity loss and unsustainable consumption which are set to intensify in future, providing challenges to existing socio-economic systems. Greening economies to more fully integrate environmental concerns will therefore involve major transformations in current governance structures to reorient markets, shift consumption patterns and redistribute resources to enhance environmental protection and social well-being, a factor recognised in recent global initiatives such as the United Nations' global Green New Deal and Green Economy programmes (UNEP 2009, 2011). Within the European Union, facilitating green/low carbon economic growth is now a strategic priority in the 2010 Lisbon Strategy (Lisbon 2020) for jobs and competitiveness (CEC 2010). In addition, the green economy is a strategic theme in the upcoming UN Rio+20 Conference on sustainable development in 2012, ensuring it remains at the forefront of future governance priorities.
However, the green economy remains a somewhat nebulous and potentially contested concept, in need of further empirical and theoretical explication in order to provide normative policy strategies. For some environmentalists the green economy remains controversial since it appears to downgrade long term sustainability issues in favour of economic concerns, while endorsing a techno-centric development view (Jackson 2009). This is a critical issue we seek to examine in the research seminar series.
In this respect, the seminar series aims to build on the existing investigations of the applicants into green budgeting (e.g. Russel and Benson 2011; O'Riordan 2011) and others, to generate further empirical, theoretical and normative research into how the green economy concept is being framed and integrated in EU states. The seminar series also seeks to stimulate debate and provide tentative policy relevant recommendations on potential governance solutions.
Several auditable objectives are central to this aim. Firstly, the seminar programme will establish an international network of scholars and policy-makers to generate and share research on the green economy. Secondly, the programme will involve multiple academic and non-academic partners in this process. Thirdly, the organisers will disseminate research outputs via more traditional publication outputs and to partners through a feedback session and policy note. Fourthly, the seminars will stimulate active dialogues with local, national and international policy communities in order to more widely disseminate findings and generate policy relevant recommendations to facilitate future governance. Finally, the research will promote the international profile of the ESRC and participant organisations.
Two of the major strengths of the research programme consequently will be its originality and relevance. In view of the former, the issue of the green economy is relatively new, academically novel and is an emerging high-profile global policy agenda. Its cross-cutting nature, moreover, necessitates new ways of working across traditional academic boundaries. The research seminars will therefore address significant gaps in knowledge through generating new resarch and cross-disciplinary comparative insights. In view of the latter, the series will directly input into emerging policy discussions at local, regional, national, EU and global levels via the various partner organisations identified in the application (see 'Case for Support'). The research will be particularly timely in respect of the upcoming Rio+20 event in 2012.
However, the green economy remains a somewhat nebulous and potentially contested concept, in need of further empirical and theoretical explication in order to provide normative policy strategies. For some environmentalists the green economy remains controversial since it appears to downgrade long term sustainability issues in favour of economic concerns, while endorsing a techno-centric development view (Jackson 2009). This is a critical issue we seek to examine in the research seminar series.
In this respect, the seminar series aims to build on the existing investigations of the applicants into green budgeting (e.g. Russel and Benson 2011; O'Riordan 2011) and others, to generate further empirical, theoretical and normative research into how the green economy concept is being framed and integrated in EU states. The seminar series also seeks to stimulate debate and provide tentative policy relevant recommendations on potential governance solutions.
Several auditable objectives are central to this aim. Firstly, the seminar programme will establish an international network of scholars and policy-makers to generate and share research on the green economy. Secondly, the programme will involve multiple academic and non-academic partners in this process. Thirdly, the organisers will disseminate research outputs via more traditional publication outputs and to partners through a feedback session and policy note. Fourthly, the seminars will stimulate active dialogues with local, national and international policy communities in order to more widely disseminate findings and generate policy relevant recommendations to facilitate future governance. Finally, the research will promote the international profile of the ESRC and participant organisations.
Two of the major strengths of the research programme consequently will be its originality and relevance. In view of the former, the issue of the green economy is relatively new, academically novel and is an emerging high-profile global policy agenda. Its cross-cutting nature, moreover, necessitates new ways of working across traditional academic boundaries. The research seminars will therefore address significant gaps in knowledge through generating new resarch and cross-disciplinary comparative insights. In view of the latter, the series will directly input into emerging policy discussions at local, regional, national, EU and global levels via the various partner organisations identified in the application (see 'Case for Support'). The research will be particularly timely in respect of the upcoming Rio+20 event in 2012.
Planned Impact
Research on the green economy is very much in its infancy. While a growing policy objective in political discourses, it remains both underdeveloped and poorly understood. It is consequently anticipated that there will be a number of stakeholders from the proposed seminar series, both academic and non-academic, who will benefit directly and indirectly through a variety of means.
Firstly, as outlined in the 'Academic Beneficiaries' section of this application, the seminar series will directly benefit academic participants as it will provide a venue to present innovative research on the green economy issue with a view to disseminating findings further through academic publication and communication to non-academic stakeholders such as policy-makers.
Secondly, the series will directly benefit other academics and students. The applicants will ensure that the research is publicised as widely as possible to an academic audience through publications, conference papers, university websites and will incorporate material into their undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
Thirdly, the seminar series has obvious direct benefits for partner organisations. Both the EAC and EEAC perform a valuable advocacy and advisory role for EU national governments in relation to critical environmental issues. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) meanwhile is one of the leading environmental policy research bodies in the EU, providing input to policy processes at the EU and national levels. The research generated on the green economy will therefore have the potential to directly input into the development of political strategies at the EU and national government level. In addition, as the EEAC is currently developing its position, in conjunction with Member States, on the upcoming Rio+20 conference on global sustainable development, the research would be timely and potentially extremely valid. The Principal Investigator is also affiliated to several leading research groups, including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the Centre for Social and economic Research on the Global Environment and the Earth Systems governance network, all of whom will benefit from the seminar outputs. The co-investigators are also connected to a variety of partner organisations who will also gain from research generated on best practice within the green economy, most notably the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Pennine Prospects and Business in the Community.
Fourthly, the wider, indirect benefits of the seminar series research on the green economy are potentially high. Dissemination of outputs via different stakeholders and media pathways will ensure that ideas generated will be available to other environmental organisations and political bodies with the aim of stimulating further debate on the green economy.
In summary, in terms of 'who' will benefit, the seminar series will engage both academic and non-academic users. When considering 'how' they will benefit, the programme will provide significant opportunities to develop 'impact' through generating research, stimulating debate on the green economy issue and providing policy relevant recommendations to partners.
In this respect, the following partner organisations and research networks have been identified:
The European Environmental Advisory Councils (EEAC)
The UK Government Environmental Audit Committee (EAC)
Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
The Earth Systems Governance (ESG) international network of scholars
The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
The Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE) UEA
Bradford Centre for Sustainable Environments, University of Bradford
Sustainability Research Institute, University of Leeds
Business in the Community, West Yorkshire
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire
Pennine Prospects, Yorkshire
Forum for the Future
Firstly, as outlined in the 'Academic Beneficiaries' section of this application, the seminar series will directly benefit academic participants as it will provide a venue to present innovative research on the green economy issue with a view to disseminating findings further through academic publication and communication to non-academic stakeholders such as policy-makers.
Secondly, the series will directly benefit other academics and students. The applicants will ensure that the research is publicised as widely as possible to an academic audience through publications, conference papers, university websites and will incorporate material into their undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
Thirdly, the seminar series has obvious direct benefits for partner organisations. Both the EAC and EEAC perform a valuable advocacy and advisory role for EU national governments in relation to critical environmental issues. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) meanwhile is one of the leading environmental policy research bodies in the EU, providing input to policy processes at the EU and national levels. The research generated on the green economy will therefore have the potential to directly input into the development of political strategies at the EU and national government level. In addition, as the EEAC is currently developing its position, in conjunction with Member States, on the upcoming Rio+20 conference on global sustainable development, the research would be timely and potentially extremely valid. The Principal Investigator is also affiliated to several leading research groups, including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the Centre for Social and economic Research on the Global Environment and the Earth Systems governance network, all of whom will benefit from the seminar outputs. The co-investigators are also connected to a variety of partner organisations who will also gain from research generated on best practice within the green economy, most notably the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Pennine Prospects and Business in the Community.
Fourthly, the wider, indirect benefits of the seminar series research on the green economy are potentially high. Dissemination of outputs via different stakeholders and media pathways will ensure that ideas generated will be available to other environmental organisations and political bodies with the aim of stimulating further debate on the green economy.
In summary, in terms of 'who' will benefit, the seminar series will engage both academic and non-academic users. When considering 'how' they will benefit, the programme will provide significant opportunities to develop 'impact' through generating research, stimulating debate on the green economy issue and providing policy relevant recommendations to partners.
In this respect, the following partner organisations and research networks have been identified:
The European Environmental Advisory Councils (EEAC)
The UK Government Environmental Audit Committee (EAC)
Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
The Earth Systems Governance (ESG) international network of scholars
The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
The Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE) UEA
Bradford Centre for Sustainable Environments, University of Bradford
Sustainability Research Institute, University of Leeds
Business in the Community, West Yorkshire
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire
Pennine Prospects, Yorkshire
Forum for the Future
Organisations
| Description | The research had several aims, as specified in the original research application, which are useful to return to summarising the Project Findings. The research aimed to consider the extent to which sustainability was being integrated into current governance approaches to the green economy. In this respect, it proposed to undertake three seminars in order to generate new research on three core themes, namely green budgeting, green jobs/businesses and green equity issues. A final seminar would then draw together findings and develop potential opportunities for dissemination and extending the research forward. In meeting these aims, the research programme was highly successful. Firstly, a research seminar was held in May 2013 at the University of East Anglia, London campus, to examine the notion of green budgeting, i.e. how environmental concerns are being integrated into government fiscal cycles. The session encompassed six papers on this subject and drew participants from the Netherlands, Poland and the UK. Secondly, this seminar was followed by another event in July 2013, held at the University of Bradford's Business School. This seminar focussed on green employment and green industrial growth and featured research conducted by academics and also the experiences of business actors. Thirdly, another seminar was held in January 2014 at the University of Exeter to examine the extent to which equity, justice and poverty concerns were being integrated into the green economic responses of governments; primarily in the UK. This session generated further research on several policy responses, including UK government low carbon reduction mechanisms. Finally, a seminar was staged at the British Academy in London in May 2014 to summarise key findings and discuss opportunities for publishing research and disseminating outcomes. Both academics and policy practitioners attended this final event, thereby enhancing the external impact of the research project. Key findings discussed at this final event can be summarised as follows. There are differing conceptualisations of what precisely constitutes the 'green economy', and the research is helping to draw together a more coherent definition that can guide future policy-making. Some understanding of how the green economy is developing in the post-2008 financial crash era was also evident from the research, although more cross-national data is required. Despite some positive examples of the green economy in action, primarily the creation of new green industries and policy mechanisms, the overall progress towards 'greening' the economy, and hence the wider promotion of sustainable development, has been slow. In conclusion, many participants felt the need for greater government direction and new policy thinking. In meeting its original aims, the research project also produced multiple outputs and generated several publication opportunities. Firstly, in total, the seminar series produced seventeen papers that provided new and original insight into how the green economy was developing, in the UK and other countries. Secondly, some of these findings were utilised to generate a policy brief for members of UK Government's Environmental Audit Committee. Thirdly, one academic journal article, in Environmental Politics, has already been published from the research, while the investigators have also secured a journal special issue opportunity with Environmental Policy and Governance. While the special issue aims to incorporate as many of the seminar papers as possible, its production is still in progress. In addition, the investigators are currently writing a synoptic paper, aimed at a high quality academic journal, that will lay out a broad agenda for future research on the green economy. Again, this article will include contributions from the seminar participants. |
| Exploitation Route | Impact exploitation routes can be divided into four strategies that include scientific and non-scientific impact. Firstly, the research programme actively sought to include non-academic actors as well as academics, in order to ensure a wide dissemination of research material. In this respect, policy entrepreneurs from the environmental sector were included in the final seminar discussions. The input of these actors will be incorprated into the synoptic paper being written as part of the research outputs (see above). Secondly, the seminar series targeted the involvement of governmental and other public bodies. Scope therefore exists to feedback results to these stakeholders. As specified above, a policy brief was produced for the UK Government's Environmental Audit Committee and active links with this body are being maintained by co-investigator Prof O'Riordan. In addition, a representative from Natural England was invited to the first seminar to give an overview on government policy on environmental valuation. Thirdly, the seminar series also included representatives from industry and the non-profit sector. The green employment seminar, in particular, actively sought the engagement of such actors and there therefore is potential to continue this engagement in the future through developing joint research initiatives; particularly in the area of stimulating localised green economic activity in the UK. Finally, as outlined above, there is significant potential to generate academic impact through the publication of the journal special issue and synopsis article; both of which are currently under production. Potential use in a non-academic context (circa 250 words) Please outline any anticipated or potential economic or societal impacts that you believe your project might have in future on the 'user' community. As specified in our original application, the concept of the green economy has been utilised by governments worldwide as a potential antidote to the twin threats of economic malaise in the current recession and the looming ecological crisis caused by unsustainable development trajectories. This research therefore has the potential to generate policy-relevant impacts that extend well beyond its initial value as an academic output. Although the green economy is a much discussed 'buzzword' in government policy circles, the extent of its development globally and, more importantly, the degree to which it is actually environmentally and socially sustainable, remains poorly understood. The research project is therefore well placed to start fulfilling this evident demand both through its analysis of current practices but also through its potential to provide the basis for normative policy recommendations. In this respect, the investigators will be examining the potential to further disseminate findings to policy-makers, while also exploring the possibility to extend the research forward in future by engaging in more in depth comparative study using different national case studies of the green economy. The aim of such research would be to overtly inform future policy development. |
| Sectors | Energy,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | ESRC Research Seminar Series on the Green Economy The research had several aims. Initially, it aimed to develop research on the green economy in the UK and other countries to examine facilitators and constraints on integration of these principles into government policy. It also then aimed to disseminate this research more widely, to non-academic partners to generate impact. In respect of the latter, two main approaches were adopted to external dissemination. Firstly, the researchers drafted a policy brief summarising the findings of the research. This policy brief was submitted to the UK Government's Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), who are actively considering these issues. Project partner Professor Tim O'Riordan, who has strong connections to the EAC, also was able to convey the findings of the policy brief directly to Committee members. However, the current political climate has meant that environmental issues have been somewhat downgraded in government priorities so, as yet, the findings have not featured in government policy development. The researchers continue to work on these issues and have sought other means of disseminating the research in written form, with one academic journal article published, another in review and a forthcoming journal special issue, currently in preparation, featuring research from the seminar series. Secondly, as specified in the research application, the researchers sought to actively involve non-academic partners in the seminar series. In this respect, the seminar series was relatively successful. The second seminar, on green jobs and business, included representatives of several external organisations: Pennine Prospects; the Ecology Building Society; the Re:centre,; and ICF GHK London. In addition, the final seminar at the British Academy in London included a number of non-academic partners from a variety of organisations such as environmental consultancies, NGOs and financial institutions. All of these actors were able to actively contribute to the discussions. As mentioned above, the research is ongoing and we will continue to look for relevant opportunities to enhance the non-academic usage of the work. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Energy,Environment,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |