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This paper focuses on investigating the role that sustainability entrepreneurship may have in engendering a shift in the practices and operations of contemporary capitalism. Sustainability entrepreneurs are increasingly seen as being in the vanguard of a shift to a new form of capitalist development that can help to address fears over global warming, climate change and their associated negative environmental impacts. Such developments can be set within a wider popular and academic discourse of ecological modernisation, at the heart of which is a relatively optimistic view of the potential for technological change to lead to solutions for environmental problems. This paper focuses on a subset of sustainable entrepreneurs termed 'ecopreneurs' who seek to combine business practice with sustainable development and so transform their business sectors. The paper suggests that work on sustainable entrepreneurship could be substantially improved by an engagement with the literature on transition management in science and technology studies and makes some suggestions as to how such a research agenda could be advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and engagement of key stakeholders in corporate activities, communications and planning have become increasingly important to the long-term viability of a corporation. While still not a uniformly adopted practice, the value of stakeholder engagement is amplified when businesses face broad and rapidly changing conditions. Understanding the impact of meta-trends such as climate change and water shortages on the populations and environments within which companies operate implies a shift in and broadening of stakeholder definitions. This includes: how a company functions, invests, manages costs, builds and maintains human capital and technology assets, creates customer loyalty and nurtures a sustained competitive position in the marketplace. This paper demonstrates how stakeholder profiles expand under the conditions of two significant meta-trends (decreased freshwater access and global climate change) and discusses the role of sustainability consultants in helping businesses engage with this larger group of stakeholders. Following this general paper are three in-depth examples of broadening stakeholder engagement in very different industries (mining, real estate development and finance) to represent some of the more industry-specific aspects of implementing the new stakeholder engagement scheme. Stakeholder engagement is a formal process of relationship management through which companies or industries engage with a set of their stakeholders in an effort to align their mutual interests, to reduce risk and advance the triple bottom line: the company's financial, social, and environmental performance (Future 500 2004). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key element in its climate change strategy, the UK government launched a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in April 2002. The UK ETS is the first-ever national, industry-wide carbon trading scheme in the world and will eventually form part of the global carbon market which is expected to be established under the Kyoto Protocol. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the scheme both in facilitating emission reductions and also as driver towards moving from a fossil-fuel-based economy towards a low-carbon economy. By looking at early developments in the UK ETS and examining the emission profiles of FTSE 100 companies, the paper reveals some serious weaknesses and highlights that the environmental credibility of the market is hampered by low standards of emissions monitoring and reporting. The authors argue that a fundamental review of the UK scheme is required, to improve its environmental credibility and to bring it in line with the planned EU-wide scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that a major step in care for the environment will be achieved when the professions integrate environmental sustainability into their advisory role. The UK actuarial profession, which has a strong influence on practice in other countries, plays a key role in the financial sector in insurance and asset management. A historical perspective shows that the profession has been slow to recognise the environment as a relevant issue in strategic decisions and everyday action. The issue of climate change is used as an illustrative case study. Actuaries are obliged to act in the long-term interest of beneficiaries in the field of investment and to be prudent in assessing catastrophic risk for insurers. The authors contend that, by crystallising the risks and benefits of environmentally responsible options versus alternative strategies, the profession could improve its advice to clients and stakeholders, and accelerate the move towards environmental sustainability. To be successful, such a regeneration would require significant changes in the composition and conduct of the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement is a low-cost construction material whose manufacture generates significant carbon dioxide emissions. As these emissions enter a carbon-constrained world, they may ultimately have a significant impact on the industry's financial performance. Consequently, the cement industry is developing a response to climate change management and the connected political process. Ten of the world's leading cement-producing corporations, representing more than one-third of global cement production, published a joint Agenda for Action in 2002 to address sustainability issues for the industry, including climate change. Other issues identified are emissions reduction, use of fuels and raw materials, employee health and safety, local impacts on land and communities, and internal business processes. Examining the rationale for, and the effects of, proactive climate initiatives in the cement sector, this paper elaborates on the conditions for the spread of cement-related climate action to China, where more than one-third of global cement production occurs, 80% of which involves inefficient kilns using outdated, highly polluting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on corporate responses to climate change. Overview of emerging business strategies to address climate change; Examination of early experiences with the first national industry-wide emissions trading scheme launched in 2002 by the British government; Difference between the organizational efforts of the business and environmental communities in multilateral climate negotiations.

This paper presents a study of a trend-setting company in the electricity sector in the Netherlands and its innovative response to the combined influence of liberalization and climate change. The company became a first mover through its invention of the concept of green electricity and the development of a new facility for biomass combustion. The successful introduction of these innovative practices was facilitated by corresponding changes in corporate culture and strategy. These changes also enabled the company to develop new networks that bridged gaps in knowledge and gave legitimacy to enable the successful adoption of the new practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technological, economic and policy dimensions of climate change are essential to understanding and formulating corporate strategic responses. Over the past decade, advances in greenhouse gas mitigation technologies, the refinement of economic models and their underlying assumptions, and the emergence of emissions trading and other market-based policy instruments have improved understanding of the potential of innovative technologies and policies to limit the costs of reducing emissions. These developments, accompanied by growing scientific evidence of climate risks and vulnerabilities and building political momentum toward binding emissions requirements, have prompted an increase in and diversification of corporate responses. This paper provides an overview of emerging business strategies to address climate change, focusing on engagement with international negotiations and the design and implementation of Kyoto mechanisms. Responses are differentiated by sector and region, revealing evidence of divergence, prospects for convergence and the importance of leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insurance industry has been slow to address climate change. With a focus on adaptation, a few reinsurers have carried out awareness-raising and research, while the UK insurance industry has been active in terms of risk reduction. The UNEP Insurance Industry Initiative seeks to discover best practice globally and inform the international policy-making process. Its research reveals that public--private collaboration is the most effective way to engage the insurance industry in reducing vulnerability. The same principle can help to avert the further progression of climate change through more enlightened investment policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison of the organizational efforts of the business and environmental communities in the multilateral climate negotiations reveals a startling difference. In the environmental domain, the Climate Action Network has been the single dominant association of environmental groups advocating on climate change. In contrast, the population of representative business and industry associations voicing the business view on climate change has been turbulent, with the prominence of different organizations fluctuating over time. This turbulence has two causes. First, policy shifts on the climate issue by key multinationals created tension within the business community. Second, this tension was exacerbated by the particular functions of business associations in the climate negotiations. Business associations provide three services -access, consensus and anti-politics-for their members in the international climate negotiations. A comparison between the business and environmental communities reveals that the anti-politics function, which is particular to business associations, hampers them in accommodating internal conflict and in organizing consensus across different national political contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflects on the experiences with interactive backcasting, an alternative approach to traditional forecasting and planning methods, in the Dutch project Climate OptiOns for the Long term. Background on the project; Analysis of response options to climate change; Suggestions for the improvement of the interactive backcasting method.

Presents information on several key strategic environmental developments around the world for the last quarter of 2000. Symposium organized by the Global Reporting Initiative; Formation of a coalition for combating climate change; Proposal from the European Commission; Initiatives launched by British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a meeting of business leaders and environmentalists in London in October 2000.

Presents an update on environmental management in Europe as of September 2000. Actions taken by European countries on the growing public protests against fuel prices; Steps taken by Germany to meet its climate change obligations; Drop in the greenhouse gas emissions of Great Britain between 1991 and 1999.

Focuses on the views of several continents and organizations on how to tackle climate changes constructively. United Nations; North America; Asia.