At present, energy transition is a crucial phenomenon that is at the very heart of governmental policies. There are a huge number of stakeholders involved in the change, but among these, the main socioeconomic actors that affect environmental and social impacts are energy companies. In this research, we analyze their institutionalized role in the Spanish wind energy sector, in the framework of the ecological movement. We consult the special views, opinions and motivations given by managers responsible for Institutional Relations in the main wind energy companies in Spain, and their perceptions of environmental reporting. We therefore tackle aspects related to the drivers of the social and environmental disclosure of environmental and social information. Research has been carried out based on documentary secondary analysis, and the use of a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews has revealed tendencies and pressures in the sector. Results suggest that the social context and public opinion pressure organizations to reveal environmental and social information. We also put forward how information is conveyed to the society through accountability practices, and the different institutionalized ways in which this is achieved.
Just transition tackles the consequences of a transition to a zero-carbon economy while addressing the issues of equity and justice so that nobody is left behind. It is a roadmap that informs the action of states towards sustainable development. The paper focuses on how Argentina and Chile, with a high percentage of informality in their economies and their labour markets, have embedded just transition into their legal orders through the submission of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The analysis of both experiences to protect workers is based upon three aspects: the Global South perspective; the 2015 ILO guidelines; the historical step that Argentina and Chile have reached in the submission of their second NDCs since these are the first Latin American countries to have expressly included just transition and work in their NDCs. After a thorough analysis, the paper concludes that this seems to be a promising first step that requires, nonetheless, a global approach in order to protect the environment and ensure that no one is left behind.
In June 2019, the European Union and Mercosur reached a political agreement in order to sign a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA), which aims to increase interregional trade and to further develop cooperation in non-commercial areas, such as food security and labor regulations. The EU has a normative power through which it intends to export its values and standards. Upon the ratification of this agreement, MERCOSUR and its Member States will certainly need to reform their legal orders so as to align themselves with the food security international standards such as the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties. It may also have an impact upon intellectual property regulations. Labor standards constitute another key aspect of the non-commercial interests of this agreement. In order to avoid social dumping, the EU may require MERCOSUR Member States to ratify ILO Conventions such as the 87 – which has not been ratified by Brazil yet – in order to guarantee a level playing field. Since the final text is currently being discussed, the impact of this agreement will largely depend upon the political will of both parties.
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