Globalization and the water-energy-food nexus – Using the global production networks approach to analyze society-environment relations

Franz, Martin; Schlitz, Nicolas; Schumacher, Kim Philip

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2017.12.004

Cited by 55 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…While there is a growing body of literature on the evolution of this concept as well as on its potential benefits and shortcomings, most of this research focuses on studying related governance arrangements and policies (Lebel and Lebel, 2018;Pahl-Wostl et al, 2018;Venghaus and Hake, 2018). Despite the obvious implications for global value chains and production networks, very little if anything is known about whether the concept of nexus thinking has also been adopted and applied by business, despite calls for more research on the interactions between environmental policy and private sector actors (Burch et al, 2019;Franz et al, 2018;Hoff, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nexus thinking in business: Analysing corporate responses to interconnected global sustainability challenges

Dahlmann

Bullock

2020

Environmental Science & Policy

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nexus thinking in business: Analysing corporate responses to interconnected global sustainability challenges

Dahlmann

Bullock

2020

Environmental Science & Policy

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“…Braun et al ., ). Network and chain approaches within EEG have proved useful to analyze the environmental concerns related to globalized economic activities, and their mitigation (Schmitt & Schulz, ; Franz et al ., ). Most GPN/GVC contributions to EEG focus on the environmental upgrading of specific economic actors and the ‘greening’ of value chains (e.g.…”

Section: Environmental Change In Economic Geographymentioning

confidence: 97%

“…EEG ‘describes a loose grouping of grounded research activities that address the reciprocal relationships between economic organization and environmental outcomes’ (Bridge, : 76). From its outset (Braun et al ., ) it invoked a range of different conceptual frameworks like ecological modernization, multi‐level environmental governance and political ecology that have since been extended to (sustainability) transition studies and post‐growth (Schmitt & Schulz, ), or the water‐energy‐food nexus (Franz et al ., ), amongst others (c.f. Braun et al ., ).…”

Section: Environmental Change In Economic Geographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental change and the informal plastic recycling networks of Kolkata

Schlitz

2020

Singap J Trop Geogr

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This article introduces plastic recycling networks in Kolkata, India, as a case to illustrate the contradictory entanglement of economic and environmental change in urban informal contexts of the Global South. In light of the prevailing environmental critique of informal plastic recycling in India, this article discusses plastic recyclers’ environmental impact and contribution as well as the potential to enhance the environmental and economic performance of their business. Network and chain approaches in the emerging field of Environmental Economic Geography are combined with the notion of social metabolism to conceptualize the entanglement of environmental and economic processes as well as socio‐environmental inequalities entailed in recycling networks. The analysis reveals the impact that the heterogeneity and fluctuation of plastic waste supply has on the economic organization of recycling networks, giving rise to distinct forms of governance in its intermediate and down‐stream segments. Such an integrated perspective also serves to explain why environmental upgrading is hard to achieve under prevailing circumstances by plastic recyclers in Kolkata. Based on an assessment of the social and political conditions of informality under which plastic recyclers operate, the adoption of common assumptions about ecological modernization imbuing parts of Environmental Economic Geography is called into question.

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“…While opponents to the current agricultural practices try to upscale competences and decisions, as the EU infringement procedure highlights, regional proponents try to keep major competences within their sphere of influence. Traditionally, the regional agri-food system was characterized by a close network between business and governmental actors, forming the basis for the collective organization of different associations and the development of strong collective power, which are used to influence political institutions on the local and regional levels (Franz et al 2018). To prevent stricter legislation at higher levels with less favorable political climate, additional, privately organized measures have been taken, such as a costly manure export program, aiming to redistribute manure from areas with high agricultural intensity to those with less (Franz et al 2018).…”

Section: Scalar Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scale-related governance challenges in the water–energy–food nexus: toward a diagnostic approach

et al. 2020

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The notion of a water–energy–food (WEF) nexus was introduced to encourage a more holistic perspective on the sustainable development of natural resources. Most attention has been directed at identifying potential synergies and trade-offs among sectors that could be addressed with improved technologies and management. The governance of the WEF nexus more broadly has received comparatively little attention, and the importance of scale in space and time has been largely ignored. Inspired by scholarship on multi-level governance in individual sectors, this paper identifies four scale-related governance challenges in the WEF nexus, namely: (1) scalar fit, which arises when planning and operating procedures work at different levels along the scales of space and time in different sectors; (2) scalar strategies, wherever the levels at which actors have influence and in which action takes place are contested and negotiated; (3) institutional interplay, where rules and norms in different sectors influence each other at different levels; (4) scalar uncertainty, arising out of the complexity of multi-level and multi-scale interactions. The relevance of these four challenges is illustrated with case studies from developed and developing countries. These examples show the importance of considering multiple levels and scales when assessing the likely effectiveness of WEF nexus governance mechanisms or proposals. The cases underline the need to pay close attention to issues of power, contestation, and negotiation, in addition to the analysis of institutional design. Thus, this paper recommends that nexus governance efforts and proposals be scrutinized for scale assumptions. The four identified challenges offer a suitable starting point for diagnosis.

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Globalization and the water-energy-food nexus – Using the global production networks approach to analyze society-environment relations

Cited by 55 publications

References 24 publications

Nexus thinking in business: Analysing corporate responses to interconnected global sustainability challenges

Nexus thinking in business: Analysing corporate responses to interconnected global sustainability challenges

Environmental change and the informal plastic recycling networks of Kolkata

Scale-related governance challenges in the water–energy–food nexus: toward a diagnostic approach

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