Climate Change and Sustainable Development

This paper argues that in the future the primary focus of policy research and global agreements should be the de-carbonization of economic development. Consequently, instead of treating climate stabilization and economic development as separate and equal, the strategy should be to re-integrate the two global policy goals, in part by separating responsibility (and funding) from action. This will require an approach that goes beyond Kyoto. The paper invokes the example of the Manhattan Project to argue for a massive, globally funded public investment program for the deployment of renewable energy technologies in developing countries.carbon emissions, climate change, sustainable development, international cooperation, mitigation, adaptation

Sustainability, economic restructuring and social change

In what could perhaps be referred to as the postmodernist mother of fiction - the novel 'Haroun and the sea of stories' - Salman Rushdie at one point puts his main character Haroun in a mail coach driven by a Mr Butt, on a rocky, windy, slippery road high up in the mountains, trying to reach a certain point before sunset. Faster and faster the bus goes, no longer stopping even to collect or deposit mail, frightening the passengers, but Mr Butt disregards their howls. Then Mr Butt sees another dangerous bit of road ahead and exclaims: 'The snow line! Icy patches ahead! Crumbling road surface! Hairpin bends! Danger of avalanches! ... ' and quite contrary to what Haroun had hoped, Mr Butt then turns his observations into a possibly fatal conclusion by shouting to himself: 'Full speed ahead' (Rushdie, p.36). I tell this story - which, incidentally, has a happy ending - because I regard Mr Butt's attitude as illustrative of the archetypical mainstream economist's response to almost any problem he or she may be confronted. with: they are very likely to conclude their analysis by recommending more economic growth - to develop at full speed. In a context of trying to contribute to sustainable development from a social science perspective, I think there is much more - if not much else - to say. We should learn from the warning on the wall near the exit of the bus station where Haroun read: If from speed (read: growth - JBO) you get your thrill, Take precaution - make your will This inaugural address marks my passage from the domain of environmental economics to the wider one of development studies, and the bridge between the two is called 'sustainable development'

Environment and Poverty: Perspectives, Propositions, Policies

This paper reviews what insights environmental and ecological economics have provided regarding the 'poverty-environment'- nexus within the 'EnvironmentDevelopment'-system. Various perspectives are discussed, such as 'the poor as agents' and 'the poor as victims' hypotheses, (a) institutions oriented approaches, (b) livelihood based analyses, (c) capabilities frameworks, (d) rights-oriented approaches, (e) pricing of environmental services (PES). Policies forwarded at the international level are discussed. Some of the new perspectives identified are beginning to penetrate into these proposals. The validity of PES as an overall recipe to dealing with the nexus is examined critically

Environment and Poverty

This paper reviews what insights environmental and ecological economics have provided regarding the 'poverty-environment'- nexus within the 'EnvironmentDevelopment'-system. Various perspectives are discussed, such as 'the poor as agents' and 'the poor as victims' hypotheses, (a) institutions oriented approaches, (b) livelihood based analyses, (c) capabilities frameworks, (d) rights-oriented approaches, (e) pricing of environmental services (PES). Policies forwarded at the international level are discussed. Some of the new perspectives identified are beginning to penetrate into these proposals. The validity of PES as an overall recipe to dealing with the nexus is examined critically