Building a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature : Report to the United Nations for the 2012 Rio+20 Conference

Costanza, Robert; Alperovitz, Gar; Daly, Herman E.; Farley, Joshua; Franco, Carol; Jackson, Tim; Kubiszewski, Ida; Schor, Juliet B.; Victor, Peter A.

doi:10.26530/oapen_462196

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(28 reference statements)

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“…On the one hand, research suggests that RWH can have positive employment effects (through job sharing and job creation) that will reduce unemployment and the uneven distribution of work hours (Ashford and Kallis, 2014; Hayden, 2006; Trumbull, 2002), and encourage greater labour force participation for women (Lehndorff, 2014). RWH may help to reduce or prevent layoffs and “serve as a stabiliser” in periods of economic slowdown or recession (Costanza et al , 2013, p. 59). However, much debate – informed by France's 35-h work week – contests whether or not RWH weakens firm competitiveness, increases labour costs and yields lower tax revenues (Askenazy, 2013; da Paz Campos Lima, 2015; Hayden, 2006; Lehndorff, 2014).…”

Section: Reduced Work Hours Initiatives In Contemporary Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The promise of a four-day week? A critical appraisal of a management-led initiative

Delaney

Casey

2021

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PurposeThis article critically investigates a management-led experiment to institute a four-day work week with stated intentions of improving productivity and worker wellbeing. The article analyses the framing and implementation of the reduced work hours (RWH) trial, the responses of employees and the outcomes and implications of the trial. It raises concerns regarding the managerial appropriation of employee aspirations for more autonomy over time and improved work life.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a qualitative case study of a medium-sized company operating in the financial services sector in New Zealand. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 employees.FindingsOur study finds that the promise of a four-day week attracted employee favour and individualised benefits. However, entrenched managerialist practices of performance measurement, monitoring and productivity pressures were intensified. Pro-social and collective interests evident in labour-led campaigns were absent. We urge greater critical scrutiny into seemingly advantageous “business case” initiatives for reduced work hours.Originality/valueLittle is known about what happens to concern for social and employee interests entailed in reduced working hours initiatives when a management-led initiative is implemented. Indeed, the majority of research focuses on the macro-level rather than interrogating the “black box” of firms. Our inquiry contributes to these debates by asking, how does a management-led RWH initiative affect employees?

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Section: Reduced Work Hours Initiatives In Contemporary Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The promise of a four-day week? A critical appraisal of a management-led initiative

Delaney

Casey

2021

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“…Evidence needs to be generated for multiple interventions implemented at different points in transformed supply and demand chains within the complex systems that comprise the multi-dimensional environments in which we live. The kinds of transformations being called for include action in seven dimensions (science, law, technology, money, democracy, culture and behaviour) [ 1 ], a circular economy in which prosperity is privileged over growth [ 2 ], and where the most sustainable product is the one never bought in the first place [ 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards environmentally sustainable human behaviour: targeting non-conscious and conscious processes for effective and acceptable policies

Marteau¹

2017

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

106

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Meeting climate change targets to limit global warming to 2°C requires rapid and large reductions in demand for products that most contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These include production of bulk materials (e.g. steel and cement), energy supply (e.g. fossil fuels) and animal source foods (particularly ruminants and their products). Effective strategies to meet these targets require transformative changes in supply as well as demand, involving changes in economic, political and legal systems at local, national and international levels, building on evidence from many disciplines. This paper outlines contributions from behavioural science in reducing demand. Grounded in dual-process models of human behaviour (involving non-conscious and conscious processes) this paper considers first why interventions aimed at changing population values towards the environment are usually insufficient or unnecessary for reducing demand although they may be important in increasing public acceptability of policies that could reduce demand. It then outlines two sets of evidence from behavioural science towards effective systems-based strategies, to identify interventions likely to be effective at: (i) reducing demand for products that contribute most to GHG emissions, mainly targeting non-conscious processes and (ii) increasing public acceptability for policy changes to enable these interventions, targeting conscious processes.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Material demand reduction’.

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“…Accordingly, linking development with the state and the use of natural resources can help us improve Frontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org human wellbeing while staying within planetary boundaries (Sangha et al, 2022, p. 8). Therefore, the recommendation is to develop national economies that are embedded in society, which is itself embedded in natural systems (Costanza et al, 2013). Nevertheless, as pointed out in different studies (Kibria et al, 2022;Fioramonti et al, 2022;Costanza et al, 2013;, knowledge of the interactions between dimensions is still conceptual, while the need of understanding each interaction between the economy, society, and nature is a certitude.…”

Section: Sustainable Society Index and Its Link To Sustainable Develo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the recommendation is to develop national economies that are embedded in society, which is itself embedded in natural systems (Costanza et al, 2013). Nevertheless, as pointed out in different studies (Kibria et al, 2022;Fioramonti et al, 2022;Costanza et al, 2013;, knowledge of the interactions between dimensions is still conceptual, while the need of understanding each interaction between the economy, society, and nature is a certitude. Answering the aforementioned requirement, Figure 3 presents the main results obtained in previous studies, using the SSI framework and analyzing the relationship between environmental, human, and economic wellbeing, while placing the environment at the center of the discussion, with the main aim of observing the influence of other dimensions.…”

Section: Sustainable Society Index and Its Link To Sustainable Develo...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental wellbeing in the context of sustainable development: Evidence from post-communist economies

Ulman

Mihai²,

Căutișanu³

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Considering diverse national contexts, there are differences in the capacity of countries in terms of their ability to attain sustainability in its three main dimensions. The present study puts the economic, social, and environmental indicators face-to-face from 19 post-communist economies across the 2006–2020 period. It emphasizes the main vulnerabilities at the level of the analyzed countries, concentrates on these weak points, and offers concrete explanations regarding the main social and economic factors, exerting a negative influence on them. Consequently, placing climate and energy, with their major components, i.e., energy use, energy savings, greenhouse gases, and renewable energy, at the center of the analysis, as the major weak points of environmental wellbeing within the analyzed group of countries, the nature of the influence of human and economic wellbeing upon each of them is evidenced using panel data-specific methods (pooled, fixed, and random effects). The general results obtained showed the following: 1) the components of environmental wellbeing registered a different evolution among post-communist economies; 2) climate and energy components were the main vulnerabilities in terms of environmental sustainability; 3) these environmental components were closely linked to both components of economic and social dimensions; and 4) the determinants of energy use, energy savings, greenhouse gases, and renewable energy were different in the selected group of countries. This study draws attention to the fact that the patterns of development applied in the group of post-communist economies seem to strengthen sustainable goals, especially with regard to economic and human wellbeing. Moreover, while directing its focus on the main urgent environmental vulnerabilities and encouraging their strengthening by not putting the economic dimension in the center of interest, it supports the theoretical perspective of sustainable wellbeing, based on sustainability and ecological economics.

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Building a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature : Report to the United Nations for the 2012 Rio+20 Conference

Abstract: Cover images:(Left Top) by Eric Rasmussen/InSTEDD. Virgin rainforest north of Balikpapan near the eastern coast of Borneo has been clear-cut to allow for the continued planting of millions of acacia trees for pulp products and plywood.

Cited by 13 publications

References 23 publications

The promise of a four-day week? A critical appraisal of a management-led initiative

The promise of a four-day week? A critical appraisal of a management-led initiative

Towards environmentally sustainable human behaviour: targeting non-conscious and conscious processes for effective and acceptable policies

Environmental wellbeing in the context of sustainable development: Evidence from post-communist economies

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