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The article presents a request for the submission of reports on sustainable development and identity. The increasing rate of consumption negatively affected the ecological system. Sustainability needs to be contextualized in terms of identities. Identities are influenced by social reality. The papers should examine the aesthetic, emotional. communicative and social aspects of consumption and organizing in different social and cultural contexts. The papers could either be based on empirical findings or be conceptual.

This paper focuses on the practical approach to sustainable development in Bhutan and specifically on public views on and experiences with the implementation of this strategy. Bhutan's development goal is ‘gross national happiness’. The strategy it has adopted to achieve this goal is known as the ‘middle path strategy’, which essentially addresses four sources (‘pillars’) of gross national happiness: economic development, ecological preservation, cultural preservation and good governance, without giving greater emphasis to any one pillar over the others. The paper is based on a survey conducted in 10 districts of Bhutan. Standard pre-designed questionnaires were used for interviews with representatives of three main groups in society: the state, civil society and the market. The results of this survey, the first of its kind to be carried out in the country, revealed that there is general agreement with the substance of the development strategy, although not everyone is fully aware of its scope and implications. A remarkable outcome of the survey, and one that contrasts with happiness studies conducted elsewhere in the world, was the high score for happiness in a country whose gross domestic product is so small. However, people do feel uncertain and the chosen development path is still fragile. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s there has been a significant interest in small island developing states (SIDS). Since the 1990s the vast majority of this focus has been on economic and environmental ‘vulnerabilities’. This paper reaffirms the importance of ‘the social’ when analysing the ‘vulnerabilities’ of SIDS through a country case study of Seychelles in the context of its SIDS status. It outlines Seychelles' demographic processes and macroeconomic volatilities and discusses its post-independence social development achievements. This paper provides critical analysis of how these achievements have been attained and considers the extent to which the present levels are sustainable. It argues that significant social gains are under threat from a range of domestic and international forces, potentially destabilizing the main pillar of the economy, tourism. The paper concludes that while the economic and environmental vulnerabilities of SIDS are of conceptual importance, reaffirming the centrality of the social is vital to understanding the potential causes and consequences of these vulnerabilities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development has achieved widespread acceptance throughout the world as an appropriate goal for humankind. Applying the concept at both government and corporate levels has proved difficult due in part to an inherent conflict between the ecological, social and economic dimensions contained within contemporary interpretations of sustainable development. This paper describes a version of sustainability that provides clear and unambiguous direction for decision makers. Replacing the typically Western neoclassical economic perspective contained within most interpretations of sustainable development with a Buddhist perspective of economics leads to an internally consistent version of sustainability referred to as sustainable sufficiency. A study of a decision process within an organization operating within a sustainable development framework is used to provide contrast with decision making within a sustainable sufficiency framework. A conclusion of this paper is that the sustainable sufficiency concept reinforces the view that neoclassical economic principles provide a barrier to achieving the social and ecological objectives contained within contemporary interpretations of sustainable development. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of the relationship between economic development and the environment has been discussed since the 1960s, yet opinion remains divided. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation and begins by reviewing the largely theoretical discussions from the limits to growth debate of the 1970s to the advent of sustainable development inthe 1980s. The paper then examines the recent studies that have subjected the growth - environment relationship to a statistical analysisthrough the estimation of environmental Kuznets curves (EKCs). The extent to which these studies indicate a decoupling of environmental damage from growth is considered and reasons are suggested why some environmental indicators appear to improve with growth whilst others deteriorate. In order to illustrate the need to interpret EKCs carefully, forecasts of global emissions are made, for the period 1990-2020, for two pollutants that EKCs suggest are being decoupled from economic growth. Policy implications are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how a nuclear power corporation integrates sustainability into corporate strategies and practices. The case study focuses on one of the world's largest nuclear power generators and describes the corporate capture of sustainable development in its strategic efforts to promote a growth strategy. The paper shows how corporate strategies to address sustainability concerns involve managing different stakeholders, enabling the corporation to sustain its economic growth strategy. Three types of stakeholder management strategy are identified: reinforcement strategies for supportive stakeholders, containment strategies for obstructive stakeholders and stabilization strategies for passive stakeholders. The paper argues that, despite claims of sustainable development in the nuclear industry, there is no significant shift in the 'business as usual' approach and that sustainable development is merely reframed as sustainable growth. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the themes of rationality and legitimation in the discourse of sustainable development. We start by constructing ideal types of interpretation of sustainable development (weak and strong) and rationality (value rationality and instrumental rationality) as conceptual and theoretical ‘tools’ for our further analysis. We then discuss the role of and analyze the construction of rationality and legitimation in the sustainable development discourse. We explore the ways in which rationality and legitimation are constructed to support one's own interpretation, and, on the other hand, how the rationality and legitimacy of the opposing interpretations are nullified. We then discuss the basis of prudent decision-making, and the possibilities and problems that are bound up in the concept of sustainable development. The paper concludes by stating that when it comes to sustainable development neither societal decision-making nor the actions based on it is currently prudent. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key goal of renewable resource managers in developing countries is to take actions to ensure that the resource being managed stays away from irreversible or crisis states, in which it provides neither consumptive nor non-consumptive services to humans. However, despite a manager's best efforts, the resource may still hit a crisis state. Therefore, given a particular management regime, it is useful to know how long it takes until the resource hits a crisis state. In this paper, the authors provide a theoretical analysis of this hitherto unstudied question. They first probabilistically delineate two management regimes. Next, they compute the expected time until crisis for both these regimes. Finally, they provide a numerical example to illustrate the working of their model and then discuss the implications of their findings for renewable resource management in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of articles related to economics. "Post-Conflict Pro-Poor Private-Sector Development: The Case of Timor-Leste"; "Effects of International Trade, FDI and Environmental Regulation on Sustainable Development: China Data"; Development Strategies for Inclusive Growth in Developing Asia."

Widespread agreement exists on the broad outlines of the concept of sustainable development for developing countries. This calls for a development model capable of meeting basic needs without depleting natural resources at a rate that robs future generations of their use. In this regard, citizen participation is also considered key to legitimise such policy choices. However, there is considerable disagreement over the substance and meaning of the major components of the concept and the relationship between them. This paper argues that positions in policy disputes over the sustainable development of the forest cluster in two distinct approaches: market-friendly initiatives and grassroots development. Since market economies prevail almost everywhere, the question that is posed concerns the conditions under which the grassroots development approach is included as a significant complement to market-friendly initiatives. This is a political question, requiring an examination of actors, interests and power resources. The paper thus applies a political economy framework to a paired comparison of Mexico, where grassroots development approaches (community forestry) had notable successes, and Chile, where market-friendly forest policy crowded out alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of sustainable development evaluation methods has proliferated during the last few years. However, they are often time consuming and expensive to conduct, making reiteration, a crucial part of assessing progress, an unappealing and difficult task. Making the results comprehensible and meaningful to the public is also challenging but essential if evaluations are to be translated into policy and action. Moreover, although such evaluations are important in assessing progress towards sustainable development, it may be hard to make them responsive to change, which is synonymous with the concept of development. Change includes both the conditions being assessed and the techniques that are used. This paper explores the crucial elements for making sustainable development evaluations work using the Bellagio principles as a framework to identify tools that can be used to implement them. These principles are interrelated and taken together can help ensure the effectiveness of sustainable development evaluations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, more than half of the output in the major OECD countries has been knowledge based. This paper argues, however, that the current growth-oriented exposition of the knowledge economy rooted in the conventional concept of free competition is insufficient for promoting the long-term development of human societies. Although we now live in a knowledge economy, most countries have been concurrently characterized by serious phenomena such as environmental degradation and growing economic inequality. The prospect of meeting global commitments, for instance, to reducing inequality, as outlined in the 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and endorsed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, is bleak and the global society as a whole has become less and less sustainable. Indeed, the world is better seen as composed of numerous (but finite) knowledge economies. To take up the challenge of sustainable development of human societies, we have to develop a pluralistic perspective of the knowledge economy and fully acknowledge the characteristics of each unique knowledge system (such as indigenous knowledge possessed by a small tribe). Once we can help each individual knowledge system develop into a specific set of economic institutions that freely exchange concepts and beliefs with each other in a global environment, we will be able to develop a global economy that embodies a value-committed basis that assures a sustainable path of development on earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development and poverty are pervasive problems in the Niger Delta, mainly due to lack of significant Nigerian government commitment to the development of the region. As a corporate citizen, Shell has contributed in various ways to local community development in the area. Based on a critical analysis of the changes in its strategies and policies, the paper contends that Shell's previous approaches to community development in the Niger Delta encouraged unsustainable development and a culture of dependency. It concludes that the recently launched sustainable community development strategy has the potential to succeed where others failed, if it is implemented within a tri-sector partnership framework involving Shell, the Nigerian government and civil society. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of how business organizations, civil society organizations and government agencies can engage one another for ‘boundary-spanning’ dialogue and develop mutually beneficial ‘working partnerships’ in resolving the challenges of sustainable development. Over the past decade the concept of sustainable development has expanded to include the simultaneous consideration of economic growth, environmental protection and social equity in business and decision making. An increasing number of businesses have responded by engaging in corporate citizenship programmes to promote sustainable development. Strategic partnerships between civil society organizations and businesses are widely promoted as important new strategies, which will bring significant sustainable development benefits especially to developing countries. This interaction arises from an understanding of the need for comprehensive and integrated approaches to business, environmental and social issues that involve increasingly broader participation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is argued that the view of the economic sphere as a closed system cannot appropriately deal with the issue of sustainable development. Evolutionary economics is then presented as a fruitful alternative to apprehend the interactions between the economic, the human and the natural spheres. This emerging field offers both a firm theoretical basis (based upon recent developments in physics, biology, dynamic systems theory and the sciences of complexity) and practical, pragmatic answers to the implementation of a sustainable path of development. This is further illustrated with the presentation of the evolutionary logic of a multi-level common regime. Such a regime could be an institutional counterpart of social and environmental dynamics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: We reexamine and explore the modern view of inequality against entrepreneurial market process theories, which leads us to three key assertions. First, we question the validity of income inequality as a proxy for true inequality (i.e., inequality of individual well‐being), observing nonlinearity between the two constructs. Second, we explore the entrepreneurial microfoundations of growing and shrinking inequality in market societies, arguing that individual inequality is primarily the outcome of abnormal gains from disequilibrating creative destructive processes. These shifts are temporary, however, as equilibrating (arbitraging) entrepreneurship competes away monopoly profits. Growing inequality trends, then, are seen primarily as the result of increasingly large, but also shorter, waves of creative destruction. Finally, we reconsider the issue of the injustice of inequality through this market process lens. Managerial summary: We contribute three arguments to the debate over economic inequality. We are (or ought to be) concerned over differences in individual well‐being, not income. Studies of income inequality can be misleading. We argue that a key and so far overlooked source of economic inequality is entrepreneurship. Disruptive entrepreneurship (via innovation) redistributes economic resources away from the present industry, reallocating them in a more unequal redistribution, with the successful disruptor capturing an unequal share of resources. Imitative entrepreneurship, however, tends to mitigate this inequality, competing away abnormal profits while expanding new products’ diffusion among consumers. Finally, we observe that economic inequality may not be as unjust as previously thought, and we caution against corrective policy that might inhibit entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it possible to devise a political development project which meets the demands of sustainable development but also provides an alternative to the policies advocated by international institutions? This article argues that the solidarity economy offers some interesting approaches. In the North, the solidarity economy is encouraging people to raise questions about the choice of economic system. Moreover, it is enabling them to think about the direction development should take instead of relying on the ready-made ideas furnished by the market, with its incessant incantation of economic growth. In the South, the strategy is completely different. These countries value what already exists – an economy embedded in the local – and are promoting a plural economy that is subject to social and environmental criteria. The solidarity economy thus constitutes a major means of re-embedding northern economies. With regard to southern countries, it provides the tools they need to further their development, which will not be sustainable if they focus solely on the demands of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the economic condition in Madagascar. Growth of Madagascar's economy in 2003; Improvement of some main roads in Madagascar; Launching of Growing Sustainable Business for Poverty Reduction Initiative.