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The Sixth International Conference of the Greening of Industry Network, Developing Sustainability: New Dialogue, New Approaches, was held in Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 16–19 November 1997. This special edition of Business Strategy and the Environment attempts to capture the dialogue from the conference by presenting seven edited papers from the conference, a review of the conference's objectives and achievements from the perspective of the conference organizers, and this introductory essay. Each of the seven papers takes a different cut at theoretical, empirical and methodological questions around the focus of the conference. Together they represent the diversity and creativity of approach that is central to the conference's objective of establishing new dialogue on processes of greening and progress towards sustainable development. The organization of the conference and significant conference highlights, such as the incorporation of CERES into the organization of the conference, and the expansion of the Network into Asia, are reviewed by the conference organizers in this special edition (Fatkin and Fischer, 1998). This essay discusses new dialogues and new approaches to industrial transformation emerging from Santa Barbara. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a lack of critical perspective in environmental management has been acknowledged, the frequency of this perspective has not been measured. This was noted in the editorial of Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) 1998, where Richard Welford called for more critical theory in environmental management. BSE can be seen as a forerunner in the field. Therefore, it could be expected that the most critical and reflective research contributing to sustainable development in companies could be published in the journal. In order to analyse the extent to which critical perspective is present in environmental management, we reviewed the last six years of BSE. We found that the studies undertaken generally follow the positivist paradigm, which almost exclusively echoes marginal adjustments. Papers with a critical perspective are in the minority. Using Jürgen Habermas' work on communicative action and discourse, we conclude that there is a distortion in this scientific discourse. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a gap between organizations' intentions to adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and their provision of a clear strategy and management tools for practically realizing such intentions. In particular, the literature to date has not yet developed a pragmatic, descriptive summary of firms' designs for CSR adoption, along with a practical menu of ways to implement their designs in organizational systems. To address these gaps, this paper aims to make three principle contributions. First, it defines CSR, sustainability and their relationship in practical terms. Second, it develops a typology of CSR standpoints that incorporates a number of other classifications. Third, it offers a menu of practical methods and measurement metrics based on interpretive and complex adaptive systems perspectives. The result is a hands-on guide to the process of achieving sustainability goals and objectives from a variety of ideological positions and systems designs, thereby contributing to both managerial practice and sustainability theory. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge facing marketing (and business) is letting go of old assumptions and embarking on a journey of unprecedented uncertainty towards a more sustainable marketplace. Current marketing approaches are called into question in this paper and it is argued that they fail to represent adequately – and far less to confront – our relationships with products and the natural environment. This paper challenges marketing in this respect, investigating the consequences of putting marketing into an ecological context. By using the generative and creative power of metaphors we attempt to draw the sustainability debate away from the language of the mechanistic world; where matter is regarded as inert, mute, passive and exploitable. By using the ‘living product’ metaphor as a tool for change we explore the potential for a reorientation towards organizational–environmental configurations that are dynamic and flexible and provide space for dealing with uncertainty. These concepts are then illustrated in a number of practical examples, providing an insight into the potential of marketing in our search towards a more sustainable marketplace. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how to make agriculture more sustainable is a timely topic. This paper examines the Dutch potato supply chain in the context of its surrounding network. Based on the chain network approach it identifies constraints on conversion to organic potato production from a business administration and a public administration perspective. Two obvious constraints are the demand for ecologically produced products and the problem of cultivating potatoes. However, the potential for conversion is also affected by the way the market and the supply chain are structured, by the coordination of activities, efficiency-driven actors, relations and interdependencies between actors and by the asymmetrical distribution of power. Furthermore, conversion is constrained by the limited influence of network parties such as NGOs and current government policies. Based on the analysis, the paper questions whether the ecological approach (organic farming) will be more effective than strengthening a more generic approach stimulating the sustainability of the sector. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study on the identification of key sustainable development issues for the transmission system of an electric utility. It provides a structured approach to identifying priorities for action within existing corporate infrastructure. The application of the process is discussed, with an emphasis on strategies for the selection of priorities for immediate action, illustrating linkages between the selected key issues and lessons learned. To demonstrate how the issues may lead to the development of indicators, example sustainable development indicators are presented for a selected key issue. The case study illustrates that key stakeholders must be involved throughout the entire process, that the process of developing the issues and indicators is just as important as the final result and that any indicator development process must build on existing corporate infrastructure wherever possible. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a new approach for sustainability appraisal in development projects in Serbia by using the analytic hierarchy process as a group decision-making framework. Selection of the most acceptable location for pumping stations in the Galovica drainage area is chosen for the case study. Three experts (an ecologist, a hydro-engineer and a local authority representative) evaluated three alternative locations regarding technical, economical, environmental and social criteria. Sensitivity analysis shows that the group decision will remain stable unless the importance weight of the hydro-engineer is set to 0.9 or higher. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an argued case for making sustainable development a policy obligation for the European Training Foundation (ETF) and for vocational education and training (VET) reform in the partner countries that are served by ETF. In relation to ETF it points out that no major emphasis has been put to date on combining economic, social and environmental considerations. It then analyses the ways economies operate in relation to sustainable development and the changed knowledge and skills needed for both economies and for a sustainable future. Implications for VET reform include attending to the broad goals of inclusion and equity, a reconsideration of the competences to be developed and the didactic approaches within a framework of lifelong learning. The didactics proposed are in line with current thinking related to constructivist pedagogy, an inter-disciplinary approach to ‘real life’ problems and increasing the porosity of school boundaries to the community. The scope of VET's mission should extend well beyond the confines of preparing young people for narrow labour market skills. The article is of particular significance for re-directing the focus of ETF and VET reform policy but will be of interest to a much wider audience, as it provides a synthesis of future-oriented ideas and options relating to education's obligations to face the urgent need to ensure sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present study investigates learning toward sustainable development in multi-stakeholder public–private networks. The evidence is grounded in the data from six tourism networks in four European countries. The process of cooperation appears more important vis-à-vis achievements regarding sustainable tourism than the structure of networks. This process will determine the network's ability to become adept at explicating tacit knowledge among its actors, and to develop the network so it can facilitate the creation of sustainability outcomes. A leading public actor may assume a ‘teacher's’ role in the network. In these instances, the network runs a risk of becoming merely an information dissemination tool. This involves a trap of one-way communication and under-used knowledge utilization opportunities. Receptivity of the teacher actor is low and the partners do not really collaborate. The teacher actor should make a special effort to create feedback loops leading to two-way communication, so that a learning strategy of collaboration can take place. The findings also imply that in some networks with a public leader there is an overly high belief in the ability of information dissemination and classroom education to promote learning about sustainable development although learning about sustainability in the practical level requires concrete results and joint action. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of industrial ecology focuses on groups of firms and their stakeholders that interact to achieve sustainable development. This article presents a dynamic approach to the interaction within such networks of organizations. The literature on networks and group dynamics provides us with contradicting views on the extent to which learning is possible in a developing group of organizations. We assess these views, and apply them to three types of groups of firms: sectors of industry, product chains, and regionally defined groups. In addition, the necessary capabilities of individual organizations to learn within these contexts are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an evaluatory note regarding an article by J.L. Newton and E.T. Freyfogle in this issue. They have pointed out the origins of the term sustainability and its serious defects when used as a goal for conservation. Among those defects is the arrogant presumption inherent in the implication that it is up to us to manage and sustain the planet and that we are capable of doing the job. According to both the authors, this presumptuousness lends a self-contradictory tone to sustainability which is particularly noticeable in the oxymoronic phrase sustainable development. sustainability is sometimes mentioned in association with the conservation of forest ecosystems and the conservation and restoration of wetlands, connected to flood management and the maintenance of ensured supplies of unpolluted fresh water.

The article presents information on the application of biotechnology to industrial production holds many promises for sustainable development, but many products still have to pass the test of economic viability. For tens of thousands of years, humans relied on nature to provide them with all the things they needed to make themselves more comfortable. They wove clothes and fabrics from wool, cotton or silk, and dyed them with colors derived from plants and animals. But all this has changed during the first half of the twentieth century, when organic chemistry developed methods to create many of these products from oil.