scholarly journals Transnational sustainability certification for the bioeconomy? Patterns and discourse coalitions of resistance and alternatives in biomass exporting regions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Vogelpohl
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Political Economies ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Sustainability Standards ◽  
Discourse Coalitions

AbstractThe bioeconomy is nowadays widely proclaimed by governments and corporations around the world as a new paradigm for a sustainable economy. Essentially, it broadly denotes the promotion, development and establishment of the use of biogenic resources in diverse kinds of industrial technologies, production processes and products. Yet, in order for the bioeconomy to be sustainable, it has to be assured that these biogenic resources are sourced sustainably. In the last 30 years, transnational sustainability certification (TSC) has established itself as a popular instrument in this context, for example in the case of European biofuels sustainability regulation. In the last decade or so, however, TSC initiatives in several biomass production sectors like palm oil, soy, fruits, aquaculture or fisheries—mostly initiated by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations from the Global North—are increasingly met with resistance from actors from the resource-producing countries, mostly located in the Global South. Issues brought up in this context concern their lack of legitimacy and respect for national regulatory sovereignty and conflicting priorities in terms of sustainable development. Consequently, governmental and corporate actors from the resource-producing countries have developed sustainability standards that now at least partly compete with TSC. Against this background, this contribution investigates this apparent dilemma of biomass certification by taking stock of existing TSC initiatives and territorial responses to them in several sectors of the bioeconomy in order to discover general patterns and dynamics of transnational biomass sustainability certification. This analysis is based on a review of existing empirical studies on these issues as well as on conceptual literature on discourse coalitions and transnational hybrid governance for the classification of the different aspects and developments in the individual sectors. Results show that TSC is indeed challenged in all sectors around story lines of sovereignty and sustainability, employed by closely associated state and industry actors in the specific context of the prevalent state-industry relations and the practices and institutions of the respective international political economies. Beyond this general pattern, these alternative systems take on different shapes and complex relations between transnational and territorial sustainability governance emerge that are not always antagonistic, but also exist in parallel or even complementarily and involve various hybrid configurations of public and private actors. Overall, this casts some doubt on the potential of TSC as an instrument to safeguard the sustainability of the bioeconomy and shows one of its potential pitfalls, which is reflected upon in the conclusion.

scholarly journals Public and Private Governance in Interaction: Changing Interpretations of Sovereignty in the Field of Sustainable Palm Oil

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greetje Schouten ◽  
Otto Hospes
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Transnational Governance ◽  
Private Governance ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Regulatory Capacity ◽  
Sustainability Standards

Since the 1990s, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses have gained prominence as architects of new forms of transnational governance creating Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS). The legitimacy and effectiveness of VSS are dependent on interactions with public authorities and regulation. While studies suggest that the (perceived) gain or loss of sovereignty by a state shapes public–private interactions, we have little understanding on how states use or interpret sovereignty in their interactions with VSS. In this paper, we explore what interpretations of sovereignty are used by states at different ends of global value chains in interactions with VSS. Based on a comparative and longitudinal study of interactions of Indonesian and Dutch state actors with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, we conclude that states strategically use different and changing notions of sovereignty to control the policy and debate regarding sustainable palm oil. When interactions between public and private governance are coordinative in nature, notions of interdependent sovereignty are used. However, when interactions are competitive, domestic and Westphalian notions of sovereignty are used. Our results show conflicting interpretations and usages of sovereignty by different states, which might negatively impact the regulatory capacity within an issue field to address sustainability issues.

scholarly journals THE CONTRIBUTION OF NGOS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: AN EVALUATION OF STAKEHOLDERS' PERCEPTION

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 47-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIRGÍNIA TALAVEIRA VALENTINI TRISTÃO ◽  
JOSÉ AMÉRICO MARTELLI TRISTÃO
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Private Sector Organizations ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Public And Private Sector

Abstract Environmental education practiced by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) presents itself as a new teaching method directed at changing habits, attitudes and social practices seeking solutions for the social-environmental degradation afflicting the contemporary world. This work seeks to identify the perception and expectations of stakeholders regarding the contribution of NGOs in environmental education. The research was guided by the Delphi method and, as a result, verified that the involved stakeholders understand that environmental education practiced by NGOs must be ample, free, professionalized and directed towards all the segments of society via partnerships with public and private sector organizations.

Non-State Actors and the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Asia: Achievements, Problems, and Prospects

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 461-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro CHECHI
Keyword(s):  
World Heritage ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
World Heritage Convention ◽  
Private Interests ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Outstanding Universal Value ◽  
State Actors ◽  
The One

AbstractThe philosophy underlying the UNESCO World Heritage Convention of 1972 [WHC] consists in promoting a system of international co-operation in the context of which the States Parties commit to preserving the cultural treasures of “outstanding universal value” located within their territories. However, it is a fact that today many properties inscribed on the List set under the WHC are endangered. This paper will focus on the role played by “non-state actors” in the enforcement of the WHC. It will thus dwell upon the relationships between public and private interests, on the one hand, and between international and domestic legal orders, on the other. Its purpose is to map out and discuss the most salient problems about the involvement of non-state actors—particularly non-governmental organizations [NGOs] and private companies—in the monitoring and implementation of the WHC.

The Role of Citizen Science in Environmental Education

2017 ◽  
pp. 213-230
Author(s):  
Ria Ann Dunkley
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Evaluation Approaches

Citizen Science is increasing in popularity and used by many academics, community groups and Non-Governmental Organizations in scientific data collection. Despite this, little is known about the motivations and experiences of those who contribute to citizen science projects, nor about the impacts of involvement in citizen science upon the individual. Moreover, few have considered the pedagogic process that individuals undergo as they participate in these activities. Citizen science practitioners and program developers stand to benefit from increased understanding of these experiences in terms of their capacity to enhance environmental education. Such increased understanding of the implications of citizen science may also promote the development of sustainability education. This chapter synthesizes insights from existing literature, policy documents and practical projects to explore the pedagogic potential of the convergence of citizen science and environmental education. The chapter concludes that progressive evaluation approaches are needed to complement what is an emergent field.

From humanitarian assistance to “intervention on humanitarian grounds”?

1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (288) ◽  
pp. 228-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice Torrelli
Keyword(s):  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Sanitary Conditions

While States ever more ardently defend their sovereignty, which does little to improve international cooperation, and as the application of humanitarian law in armed conflicts declines, men of good will throughout the world are doing their utmost to reverse these trends. The century now drawing to a close has witnessed a plethora of private initiatives taken in an effort to temper reasons of State by more humane considerations. Many non-governmental organizations, some symbolically styling themselves “without borders”, have taken over where governments can no longer cope, organizing relief, combating drought, preserving the environment or improving sanitary conditions. These voluntary organizations whose vocation is to serve mankind are without question pursuing humanitarian aims as defined in the first Red Cross principle, which is “to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found”, and whose “purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being”. Emergency medical assistance organizations, stating that they wish to remain independent of the powers that be, demanding freedom of action to help all victims and encouraged by the example set by Henry Dunant and the ICRC, do not hesitate to claim that their activities fall within the terms of an as yet unwritten body of law entitling them to bring assistance to needy civilian communities, even against the will of the government. Indeed, they believe that receiving proper care is one of the basic human rights of the individual, wheresoever and whosoever he may be. Such basic rights know no national boundary. While awaiting recognition of their activities, the duty to intervene is created by moral considerations.

Dezvoltare personală și feminism: O perspectivă sociologică asupra mișcărilor pentru drepturile femeilor în România neoliberală

Transilvania ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Elena Trifan
Keyword(s):  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Structural Inequality ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

The article aims to analyze the ways in which personal development is used as a tool to manage social justice issues, domestic violence cases and other forms of structural inequality. In most works in the social sciences, self-help discourse has been criticized for reiterating the individualizing neoliberal discourse that leads to growing social inequalities, along with blaming the most vulnerable for their own fate. However, personal development as a practice has been used by organizations working at community level to address personal issues caused by social inequalities. The analysis aims to present the intertwining of global ideological and political plans at the individual level through non-governmental organizations, their projects and personal development courses. The research consisted in the analysis of the activities and projects of the organizations that are part of the Network for Preventing and Combating Violence against Women (VIF) and the ethnography data of personal development practices in Romania from a previous research.

scholarly journals Whose hegemony? The world in the context of competition for the new global rule

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-411
Author(s):  
Marina Kostic
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
World Order ◽  
The United States ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The World ◽  
Domestic Affairs

The subject of this article is the relation between hegemony and the world order in which hegemony (understood as leadership of a certain country or group of countries through the consent of others), and not a mere change of balance of power, represents a key for the change of the world order (understood as establishing a new leadership and rules in the world). This means that changes in the distribution of power do not necessarily mean the change of the existing world order, i.e. leadership and rules of conduct in international relations, but that this requires counter-hegemony too, which can be described as the collapse of the foundations on which the existing consent for leadership and the world order is based upon and creation of the foundations of a new world order. This means a criticism of the existing liberal-democratic paradigm, its crisis and establishing of a new paradigm of international relations, as well as the attitude towards the domestic affairs of the countries. Just as the engagement of the United States after the World War II and then after the Cold War represented the establishment and expansion of American hegemony, the activities of Russia and China today can be best understood and seen through the concept of counter-hegemony. It includes three elements: the desire for reform of those international institutions that still maintain US hegemony and/or the creation of new ones in which there is no US participation; working with elements of civil society such as non-governmental organizations, scientific and other expert organizations, the media and churches; as well as the prevalence of different principles regulating international relations (multipolarity and noninterference in domestic affairs instead of global leadership and interventionism under the guise of responsibility to protect and democracy promotion). We approach this issue within the framework of neo-Marxist, precisely neGramscian, theoretical perspective on international relations, and use literature review and content analysis as research methods.

Application of Social Network Analysis to Major Petrochemical Accident: Interorganizational Collaboration Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Marzieh Abbassinia ◽  
Omid Kalatpour ◽  
Majid Motamedzade ◽  
Alireza Soltanian ◽  
Iraj Mohammadfam
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Interorganizational Relationships ◽  
Fire Department ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

ABSTRACT Objective: Crisis management in major accidents requires the collaboration among different organizations. One of the most important problems of crisis management is the lack of coordination between executive organizations. The aim of this study was to examine the structural characters and problems of interorganizational network during crisis in the petrochemical industry and provide solutions to achieve the highest performance in crisis management. Methods: The organizations involved in crisis management were identified through interviews and questionnaires. Gephi (0.9.1) software was used to examine interorganizational relationships. Results: In this study, the crisis management team consisted of 25 public and private organizations and non-governmental organizations. The highest betweenness centrality was observed in Crisis Management of Provincial Government (CMPG) (142.16) and Fire Department of Petrochemical Complex (FDC) (89.3). The highest closeness centrality was observed in FDC (0.77), CMPG (0.7), Shazand Governorate (0.7), and Crisis Management of University of Medical Sciences (0.7). Conclusions: Coordination between organizations plays an important role in crisis and emergency management, and social network analysis helps identify strengths and weaknesses of organizations involved in crisis management, overcome those weaknesses, and consequently achieve the best performance in crisis management.

The international actor (the individual) in international relations

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Ziad Khalaf Abdullah Al - Jubouri
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
The State ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Scientific And Technological Development

The concept of international relations is very broad. In modern use it includes not only relations between States but also relations between States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations and other enterprises. As a result of the scientific and technological development of mankind and the accompanying economic, social and cultural developments, Is the only actor in international relations there are other international people have emerged to exist one by one in harmony with and consistent with these developments in humanity is no longer the international theater exclusive to the State alone, Lyon are better with the ability to work, performance and influence in international relations, the last of whom is an actor visible international individual.

Solid Waste Management in the Context of Public Policies and Private Sector Participation

2019 ◽  
pp. 229-247
Author(s):  
Gamze Yıldız Şeren
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Important Position

Public policies have undoubtedly a very important position in the economy. The environmental economy is a phenomenon that requires intervention in the market through public policies. This is because environmental problems need to be intervened with public policy tools because they have the characteristics of externalities and are public goods. Accordingly, waste management is a subject of environmental economics, at which point public policies come into play particularly at the level of local governments and gain importance. However, this is not only a matter of public policies but also requires the active involvement of the private sector and social participation. The participation of society and non-governmental organizations, as well as public and private partnerships plays a pivotal role in the effective management of this process because it is difficult to understand the significance of solid waste management for a society that has not completed its intellectual and cultural education.

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