Message-ID: <352CE2B4.1076@worldscope.co.uk> Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 15:01:08 +0000 From: John Stuart <mailto:greenleaf@worldscope.co.uk> Subject: Getting Real To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
--Greener Management International; The Journal of Corporate Environmental Strategy and Practice would like to announce a ÔCall for PapersÕ on the general theme of
Getting Real The Practical Application of Sustainable Development
Desperately seeking sustainability? Or simply convinced that there are more definitions of sustainable development than there are companies doing anything about making it a reality? Is sustainable development a diplomatic phrase thatÕs been taken too seriously for its (and our) own good, or can it inform the actions that will shape the next phase of post-millennial corporate development? Has the cutting edge of ecological and environmental management theory gone blunt? Has the business world remained unshaken, unstirred and unconvinced?
ÊÊIn the early 1990s, board-level executives feared that environmental management would prove to be a Trojan horse left by environmentalistsÑan offering of acceptable issues that, when wheeled into the boardroom, would have a nasty surprise lurking in its belly. The first stirrings of social auditing, ethical issue management and sustainable development have done little to calm these forebodings. Even those executives lifting their gaze from the immediate concerns of making a profit to contemplate the broader horizons offered by sustainability are not sure what the next steps might be. It seems that the honeymoon period is definitely over for the concept of sustainable development, and business in particular is anxious to see some tangible results.
ÊÊThis call for papers is to those who are turning theory into practice in the realm of sustainable development and corporate management. There are several theoretical models already fresh from the drawing board (Factor 4+, Natural Step, EPE, WBCSD, ZERI, ISO 14001 and sustainability-promoting companies, among others) but seemingly little on the ground for managers to walk around and touch. In some quarters, there is already talk of sustainability in terms that equate it to Ôindustrial ZenÕ,Ña great idea, but nothing to do with the real world.
ÊÊYet if sustainable principles are not to be sidelined, there are important lessons to be learned from work in progress. From the difficulties of compiling accurate indicators to the problems of a systematic approach to ethical problems; from data-mining to knowledge management; and from issue risk assessment to customer value management, there seems to be no end to the number of management tools that can be used to make some aspect of sustainable development a three-dimensional reality, with known qualities, properties and characteristics.
ÊÊCase studies, think-pieces, examples of best practice and practical guidance are all required for a special issue of Greener Management International, and a subsequent book project, especially from those practitioners investigating the relationship between our increasing knowledge of environmental management and our confused and somewhat hazy understanding of sustainable development. Papers on any related subject will be considered, but potential contributors might like to address issues includingÑbut not limited toÑthe following:
* The impact of sustainable development principles on planning functions * Corporate/competitive strategies for sustainability * Launching sustainable industry sectors (e.g. the Danish and Californian wind energy industries) * Creating industrial ecology complexes * Change programmes to move from environmental management to sustainable development * The financial implications of sustainable principles at corporate level * Supply-chain management and sustainable issues * The corporate politics of sustainability * Early indications of progress towards sustainable development * Sustainability indicators * Social and ethical auditing * Management tools for sustainable development * Promoting sustainability through products * Sustainability and small companies * Local government response to sustainable development * Business education for sustainability * Managing for sustainability through the business cycle, coping with recessions
If you wish to discuss a potential contribution in detail, please contact:
Christopher Sheldon Green Inck. 5 Augustus Road Stony Stratford Milton Keynes MK11 1HJ UK E-mail: mailto:chris_sheldon@mkcn.org.uk or Philip Sutton Director, Policy and Strategy Green Innovations Inc. 195 Wingrove Street Fairfield (Melbourne) VIC 3078 Australia E-mail: mailto:psutton@pegasus.com.au
Contributor guidelines and sample copies of the journal can be obtained from:
John Stuart Co-ordinating Editor Greenleaf Publishing Broom Hall 8-10 Broomhall Road Sheffield S10 2DR UK Tel: +44 (0)144 2663789 Fax: +44 (0)114 2679403 E-mail: mailto:greenleaf@worldscope.co.uk http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com
First drafts should be submitted by 1st July 1998 Authors wishing to submit Ôblue skyÕ think-piecesÑtaking a more projective approach to scenario-building on the topic of corporate environmental performanceÑshould contact the editors by 18th May 1998.