Volumes 2009
Economic and Environmental Studies
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Good governance at the local level: toward a
global village or a city republic?
Author: JARL K. KAMPEN Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands 
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download >> ( 151 KB)Abstract: Present initiatives sheltering under the umbrella of “good governance” appear to be wrong answers to wrong questions. Increasing liberalization and public participation, practical derivatives of the parallel debates on new public management and social capital, created the present day situation of good governance amounting to decreasing the scope of public influence whilst increasing the channels of participation. Practical application of ideas on good government, in the form the various government renewal plans executed in the past few decades, have led to a focus on the form of governance rather than the content of governance. What is required however, is an orchestrated effort to direct regional cooperation toward the aim of acquiring a sustainable economy, taking good governance principles such as openness, voice, regulatory quality, control of corruption, accountability, effectiveness, and coherence for granted. The acts at local level require a city republic as a future image of the surviving municipality rather than the mirage of a global village. Keywords: Good governance, local government, globalism, peak oil |
Author: DAINORA GRUNDEY Vilnius University, Lithuania
PDF download >> ( 139 KB)Abstract: This article presents the concept of sustainability in an interdisciplinary context by adapting the principles of sustainability adopted in the education system and presenting some evidence from Lithuanian universities based on a survey conducted in 2006-2007. Students and university lecturers were surveyed, in order to define the impact of the discipline and principles of sustainability as imbedded in the daily life of a university, its curricula and university governance. Keywords: sustainable development, university governance, interdisciplinary approach, Lithuania |
Author: FLORIAN KERN University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
PDF download >> ( 101 KB)Abstract: This paper argues that fostering low carbon innovation is key to achieving two EU policy goals simultaneously: reducing carbon emissions and being competitive. The UK has ambitious goals in reducing its carbon emissions by 60% in the long term and has set up the Carbon Trust as an independent, non-profit company, led by business but financed by the government. Its mission is to help businesses to cut their carbon emissions and to support the development of low carbon technologies. The aim of this paper is to analyse the Carbon Trust’s activities and to discuss to what extent the Carbon Trust approach could be a model for the transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The analysis is based on 26 semi-structured interviews, as well as a literature and documentary review. It finds that the Carbon Trust approach is promising, but that there are substantial difficulties in transferring this model to the transition countries. Keywords: Sustainable energy, innovation policy, Carbon Trust, transition countries |
Authors: ROMY KOHLMANN, STEFFEN PREISSLER, MALGORZA STENGEL Fraunhofer Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, Leipzig, Germany
PDF download >> ( 136 KB)Abstract: In terms of current issues of sustainable development, the European Union (EU) recently promoted the importance of National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSD) as an operative and effective tool for the implementation of sustainable development (SD). Since they can provide independent advice and foster dialogue with civil society and stakeholders on SD, NCSD seem to be an appropriate tool at the governmental level. However, an overview of NCSD throughout Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) gives a very diverse picture. The NCSD differ considerably in their definition, composition, independence and resources, as well as in the impact of their work. Taking into consideration positive experiences with effective NCSD in some Member States, the following questions can be raised: What characteristics should NCSD have? Also, is there a common use of NCSD in CEE? For this purpose, this paper analyses the NCSD in several CEE countries and subsequently aims at outlining the similarities and differences between particular NCSD, including their extent and approach, in order to explain variation in their national performance. The EU recommends a set of features that NCSD should possess in order to operate as an effective tool for governments to implement SD. Keywords: Sustainable development, national councils for sustainable development, Central and Eastern Europe, stakeholder involvement |
Authors: MARIANNA GORBAN, MATTHEW JOHNSON, STEFFEN PREISSLER Fraunhofer Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, Leipzig, Germany
PDF download >> ( 133 KB)Abstract: Recent EU communications on sustainable development goals have declared how corporations should respond to political and societal demands through socially responsible business practices. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a more widely used and controversial term, which attempts to cover business involvement on meeting social and environmental requirements. We discuss how the EU communication affects corporate policies on CSR in the light of sustainable development. The most recent steps that the EU Commission has made on CSR are traced, and its reflection on national and corporate levels are discussed. This study will focus on companies in three European countries, namely Hungary, Germany and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, three companies were selected from each country in the Oil & Gas and/or Energy industry sectors to observe how certain policies have been adopted and influenced corporate behaviour (as seen in financial reports and CSR reports). The companies’ CSR policies will be evaluated according to Welford’s (2004) 20 elements of CSR, which are based on similar communications of international codes and conventions, such as the ILO convention, and UN Global Compact that the EU Commission has adopted. Keywords: Sustainable development, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), European Commission, Germany, Hungary, United Kingdom |
