NEWSLETTER

Dear ESEE Member,

We are pleased to send you the winter edition of the electronic ESEE newsletter.
Supported by the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management the Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI is able to maintain the website of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) and publishes this newsletter.

The newsletter is distributed only to members of the European Society for Ecological Economics. To join ESEE or renew your membership please visit www.euroecolecon.org.

If you want to publish interesting news, or information about events, job openings and new publications on the website or in the newsletter, feel free to send an email to esee@seri.at. We are also open for suggestions to improve our communication channels.


Content:

1. Editorial

  • What about needs and sustainable development? by Felix Rauschmayer

2. News from ESEE and its members

  • ESEE 2009: deadline extension
  • ESEE 2009: Student Paper Prizes
  • Support of student prizes at the 8th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics
  • Open call session for ESEE 2009: "Quality of life and sustainable development – a great couple?"
  • New secretary at ESEE
  • Journal "Environmental Policy and Governance" (Call for papers)

3. Other news

  • Year in Ecological Economics
  • Ecological Economics Certificate online
  • "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (TEEB) - Announcement of a Call for Evidence
  • Report on the International Conference "Sustainable development twenty years on: new theoretical interpretations, methodological innovations, and fields of further exploration"

4. Hot topic

  • Economic recession? Time to think and act alternatively - by Unai Pascual

5. Events

  • 1st International conference on Landscape Economics (Call for papers)
  • Regional societies conferences in 2009
  • Major conference on "Sustainable development: a challenge for European research"

6. Job openings

  • Lecturer in Water Resource Management, water@leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, UK
  • Environmental economics position at New York University
  • JRC is looking for an environmental economist as Grantholder and/or Deatched National Expert
  • Research Economists for the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (United States)

7. Publications

  • Sustainability Networks: Cognitive Tools for Expert Collaboration in Social-Ecological Systems
  • Integrating biodiversity into business strategies: the Biodiversity Accountability Framework
  • Climate Change: Financing Global Forests - The Eliasch Review has been published by Earthscan
  • New book on "Agrobiodiversity Conservation and Economic Development"
  • What about needs? Re-conceptualising Sustainable Development
  • Publication of the new Sustainable Society Index
1. Editorial:


What about needs and sustainable development?
by Felix Rauschmayer

I guess you all know the Brundtland definition of sustainable development (SD): "Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

And did you ever think about what is meant by needs? If yes, did you think about something like "I need this book"? Or rather something like: humans need resources so that they can function biologically (food, water, shelter, …). The first would be absurd because if we call such desires (for books etc.) needs, then our needs will never be met (publicity departments will take care of this, no doubt). So, there is a distinction between desires and needs. And the second seems to be too limited (even if it is not guaranteed for a large part of the currently living, let alone future generations): Can we call a life a fully human life if only the needs for the biological functioning are met? Martha Nussbaum, together with Amartya Sen at the origin of the capabilities approach, claims that far more capabilities have to be guaranteed, and that governments should see their tasks in guaranteeing basic capabilities to meet more than just biological needs.

Is this a rather academic debate or something with impacts on the "real world"? Well, did you really observe a shift towards something that we would call SD? There are a lot of words and rhetoric and the move towards sustainable development has been anchored in many governmental, business, CSO documents, all having different understandings of it. Some (as the European Council in its renewed strategy) are convinced that a dynamic economy is essential for meeting the needs of current and future generations. It is rather easy to be convinced of this (or difficult to argue against this link) if the object, the aim of sustainable development is not defined. Usually, SD is defined in some overlap of three (or four or five) fuzzy spheres: namely economics, environment, and society; or in the admitted rate of substitutability of different kinds of capital. Does any such definition of SD motivate you as a homo politicus to engage in any SD activities?

Let's go for an approach to SD that talks to the heart of the people. For this, it might be helpful to take up again the lost link to needs. Manfredo Max-Neef, who received the Kenneth Boulding Award at the last ISEE conference in Nairobi, used a list of 9 needs when working with small-scale communities: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, freedom, leisure, creation, and identity. Everybody has these same needs and just different strategies to meet them. Alone or in groups, people can identify the needs met or not met by their current strategies, and define available or currently not available strategies to meet their needs. This is not yet Sustainable Development, as they don’t necessarily take into account other peoples’ needs in a way coherent with SD. But this is a way full of dynamic interaction, with the potential for a higher well-being of those participating, and it is a way where the value of SD can have its entry rather naturally if not yet present. In this way, SD can be coupled to quality of life, dear to each of us.

Over the last years, some research groups in Europe have started working on the links between needs, quality of life and sustainable development. More than 20 years after the publication of the Brundtland report, it is high time to link SD to what is really important to people. To air up the SD debate conceptually and practically by joining efforts of researchers coming from EE, the happiness, the capabilities and further research communities, Ines Omann, Johannes Frühmann (both from SERI, Vienna), and I have launched a call for sessions on these issues at the next ESEE conference (see below). Envisioning that people come together who are willing to learn, to contribute, to share and to take, makes me feel excited and hopeful, as I am convinced that linking SD to quality of life would make a big difference and could contribute to make this world a better place!

So, I am looking forward to learn, to share and to contribute together with you in Ljubljana and before!

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2. News from ESEE and its members:


ESEE 2009: deadline extension

The local organizing committee of ESEE 2009 announced, that the deadline for submission/editing of contributions to 8th ESEE conference in Ljubljana is extended until 15th of December 2008.

For submission please use the conference registration and management system at:
www.conftool.com/esee2009/index.php?page=login

ESEE 2009: Student Paper Prizes

The European Society for Ecological Economics is glad to announce the award of up to three prizes for best student papers presented at the ESEE 2009 conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Two of the prizes are sponsored by the Spanish Ecological Economics Network (EcoEcoEs). By offering several prizes, we wish to acknowledge the diversity of research in our society.

Each prize includes 200 € and a three-years free ESEE-membership. Furthermore, the student prize committee offers for the three papers a refereeing process which may lead to their publication in "Environmental Policy and Governance".

Please send full papers (6000-8000 words) for the consideration of the student prize committee by 31.5.09 (strict deadline) to felix.rauschmayer@ufz.de.

Support of student prizes at the 8th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics

The Spanish Ecological Economics Network (EcoEcoEs) will support the student prizes at the 8th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics.

The organization of ESSE introduced a student prize at the ESEE conference in Leipzig last year, and it was decided that this should be an ongoing activity for future conferences.

Due to the fact that EcoEcoEs received some funding from the Andalusian regional government to promote the Network during the academic year 2007-2008, it has decided to provide support for 2 student prizes, including 200 Euro + the 3-year membership to ESEE (126 $) for the next Conference.

Open call session for ESEE 2009: "Quality of life and sustainable development – a great couple?"

image_qol

The concept of Sustainable Development (SD) showed to be an agreed upon and important concept in science and media. However, despite of SD strategies in the EU and its member states, lots of international meetings, protocols, guidelines and frameworks and partial implementations, a real transition towards SD has not really started yet. Problems do not seem to decrease; on the contrary, we face more and bigger problems - such as poverty, climate change, loss of biodiversity or the current financial crisis.

For more details please click here.

Possible research questions:

  • How are needs, quality of life (qol), sustainable development (SD), values linked? Which tensions, synergies exist?
  • Do people with more sustainable lifestyles have a higher QOL than others?
  • Does a high QOL lead to more sustainable lifestyles?
  • How can politics increase QOL by simultaneously supporting SD?
  • How can Sen’s capabilities approach be integrated in SD science and concepts?
  • ...

New secretary at ESEE

Tatiana Kluvankova-Oravska is taking over the job as ESEE secretary from Wendy Kenyon.

Her secretarial responsibilities will be shared with colleagues in the Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies of Institutions, Evolution and Policies - CETIP (www.progeko.savba.sk) in particular with Veronika Chobotova who agreed to take over the students member list and communication with them.

Information on CETIP can be found on www.progeko.savba.sk or here.

Journal "Environmental Policy and Governance" (Call for papers)

As the new ESEE-affiliated journal "Environmental Policy and Governance" has not yet made its first publication yet (it is to be launched in 2009), it might have slipped your mind. Quality of submissions and quality of the journal are intimately linked, and we, as your editorial board, are looking forward to your papers that you will submit for publication in "Environmental Policy and Governance". The journal publishes innovative, high-quality articles which examine, or are relevant to, the environmental policies that are introduced by governments of the diverse forms of environmental governance. The journal invites analyses that examine how different forms of policy and governance emerge and exert influence at scales ranging from local to global and in diverse developmental and environmental contexts, not only drawing on social environmental sciences, but also by linking social and natural sciences.

Have a look at www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/eet and submit!

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3. Other news:


Year in Ecological Economics

The Year in Ecological Economics is a new monographic series published by Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). Karin E. Limburg and Robert Costanza are coeditor-in-chiefs. It is to be published in 2009. Currently there is a 'Call for Contributions'. For more details see the Flyer.

Ecological Economics Certificate online

Certificate in Ecological Economics is being offered online by the he University of Vermon (www.metacourses.org).
All content is available completely free online with no advertisements. Two courses are completely developed online: Ecological Economics and Simulation Modeling

"The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (TEEB) - Announcement of a Call for Evidence

The project "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (TEEB) has launched a Call for Evidence (CfE) on the website of the EU DG Environment. TEEB was launched as a consequence of the G8+5 Environmental Ministers meeting in March 2007 in Potsdam, Germany. Further background information on TEEB can be found here.

The CfE for Phase Two of TEEB welcomes theoretical insights, but is particularly interested in empirical evidence and practical experience. It covers a range of topics, broadly ranging from the valuation of ecosystems, to national policy and local administration issues, to helping business and consumers understand the problem of biodiversity loss. The CfE is directed at a broad audience of scientists, policy-makers, NGO’s and anyone who has hands-on experience with the management of ecosystems and biodiversity.

The Call for Evidence for TEEB can be found here. The link above will take you to a website where you will find preliminary Tables of Content for the various TEEB end reports. You can submit your evidence (literature, report, website, …) via email or via a questionnaire, where you can provide your evidence in more detail. Your contributions are most welcome.

For the foreseeable future, the CfE will remain open and be updated as necessary. Evidence submitted after a future closing date may still be considered.

Report on the International Conference "Sustainable development twenty years on: new theoretical interpretations, methodological innovations, and fields of further exploration"

Organized by CLERSE and coordinated by Bertrand Zuindeau, this conference was supported by ESEE and took place in Villeneuve d'Ascq (France) on November 20-22. It enjoyed a certain success: over 350 participants, including more than 100 speakers, coming mainly from Europe, rich and varied discussions.

The keynote speakers focused their presentations on several aspects: the importance of "needs" in the Brundtland definition of sustainable development (Felix Rauschmayer), the underexploited aspects of the SD concept and a call for further research on these topics (Jacques Theys), the “Economics of functionality” and its relations with SD issues (Christian du Tertre).

More, 30 workshops were organized, mainly thematically (spatial dimensions, agriculture, transports, corporate social responsibility, poverty, governance, North-South relationships, etc.).


Audience, during one of the 30 workshops

Nevertheless, one of the specificities of this conference compared to other conferences on similar subjects was probably the numerous methodological and theoretical workshops. Several workshops focused on theoretical approaches (mostly heterodox) of sustainable development, such as institutional and post-keynesian economics. Of course, French "schools" of thought (such as "proximity economics", "regulation" school, "conventionalist economics") were well represented. In a sense, this conference was echoing the European brand of ecological economics focusing on institutional and governance dimensions.


Olivier Petit, Felix Rauschmayer, Bruno Villalba, Bruno Boidin: Presentation of two research networks: "ESEE" and "Sustainable Development and Fragile Territories"

One short session was specifically dedicated to present two research networks working on sustainable development issues. The French network "sustainable development and fragile territories", at the origin of the Journal "Développement durable et territoires" ("Sustainable development and territories": developpementdurable.revues.org) and ESEE were briefly presented during this session.

All the papers presented will be available at the following address: clerse.univ-lille1.fr

Moreover, an ambitious publications project, including 6 Journal special issues and 2 books is now scheduled.

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4. Hot topic:


Economic recession? Time to think and act alternatively
by Unai Pascual

Undeniably, the hot topic in the streets, cafes, bars, schools, universities and factories (especially the latter) is the world economic crisis or recession. There are many opinions about this issue, some more informed than others, especially by academics and journalists and not least by those who are and will be suffering dearly from it. I mean the young unemployed people, for instance, in Europe. It is a fertile ground for producing countless newspaper articles and not least academic papers (at least academics may not loose their jobs!). Everyone is trying to find an explanation to the ongoing economic mess (and the mess seems to have just started!).

I recently met some friends and some of them, being good economists, adamantly argue that we can trace back the crisis to the Bretton Woods institutions. They claim that the IMF and the World Bank have not worked and have left the biggest debtors in terms of trade balances (e.g., USA) unchecked. Others, who are more socially active and can assess the pulse in the streets and squares, add to this that wars (e.g., Iraq and Afghanistan) have cost the world a lot (not only in lives lost!) and that just helped to deepen a crisis which was already in the making. Yet, others mention the unscrupulous unethical behaviour of big banks which, apart from lending toxic credits to those who could not afford them, have traditionally shifted the costs of their actions to society at large. However those are the banks where most of us keep our savings. So, who is unethical here? Yet, there are also those who point out that under a system described as market fundamentalism, one cannot obviate one of its intrinsic ingredients, that is, the structural and cyclical crises. All in all, all of my friends agree that they find it at least quite curious (to say the least) that while governments are happy socialising the cost of the crisis, they have not tried to socialise the gargantuan profits made by those same ‘toxic’ financial organisations.

Possibly, the reality is a mix of all these factors. I am inclined to believe that there is never a single cause to such problems and that all of these bear some truth and can help us explain why we are in this situation. In Europe, governments are asking (should I say demanding?) the tax payer for help in order to bail out banks, in effect socialising banks’ reckless financial mess. The cost is a huge fiscal burden that we would all have to come to grips with in the very near future. No wonder why young and not so young workers who have either lost their jobs or see their jobs in jeopardy are stunned by seeing all this happening.

One of the names mentioned a lot by journalists and economic commentators is that of John Maynard Keynes. It seems that they want to rescue him now somehow. But one cannot but wonder what Keynes would have suggested at these dire times. While I am not a fortune teller, my guess is that he would have possibly applauded the idea of spurring aggregate demand through fiscal policies. But I think that he would point that had his 1944 recommendations during the Bretton Woods conference been accepted, "another cockerel would have sung" (Spanish phrase). In fact, his main recommendation was to set up what he called the International Clearing Union (ICU). This would be an international bank which could issue the ‘bancor’ (its own currency) that would also be exchangeable with national currencies at fixed rates of exchange. The main purpose of the bancor would be to become the unit of account between nations in order to measure the trade deficit or surplus of countries. If countries had too large a trade deficit of surplus, the ICU would charge them interest thus creating the incentive to keep their balance sheets really balanced. While Britain officially endorsed this initiative during the Bretton Woods negotiations, the world’s biggest creditor at the time (the USA) rejected it. The result: the IMF and World Bank were born giving the US a veto power within them. Many would argue (from Nobel prize economists such as Joseph Stiglitz to environmental and social activists such as George Monbiot) that had the world not been financially governed by the IMF the cyclical crisis of most capitalist economies would not have been so deep and catastrophic for the millions of small farmers in developing countries and workers around the world. It is quite remarkable that the last G20 meeting admitted that he Bretton Woods Institutions should be reformed. However, the only concrete suggestions they made were that the IMF should be given more money and that poorer nations should have greater voice and representation, but with the US right to veto not being changed. I think that Keynes would have listened to the G20 select club proposals with a grimed face.

Most ecological economists would argue that while the above diagnosis of the actual economic mayhem may be more or less accurate, still the main question is how is this situation and the resulting new national and international economic (and financial) institutional make up going to impact on the much deeper environmental recession? Undoubtedly, the underlying environmental recession shares the same structural roots with the actual economic situation and, thus, probably shares similar solutions. Most of these solutions would involve seriously restructuring the main institutions shaping the actual economic world order. Of course, this calls for an alternative economic system. But no one seems to be devoting much time to this idea. Why not? I think that it would need to be an economic system that would not create incentives to favour individualistic and short sighted profiteering at the expense of creating pervasive and systematic ‘social costs’ as Kapp would put it. That is, it would penalise those reducing their private costs by shifting them on to other sectors or third persons in a systematic way. Whether we are talking about shifting private costs in the real economy or in those unregulated financial black holes is accidental.

Turning to the environmental impacts of the crisis I see two possibilities. One, that the economic crisis may crate the necessary conditions for a critical mass of intellectuals, academics, politicians et al. for rethinking our whole approach to the main environmental and economic challenges we face. That is channelling all the efforts towards exposing a new economic alternative that is environmentally sound. Another possibility, and one that I fear is the most realistic one, is that the short term economic solutions would put further strain on the environment and thus would position ourselves further away from activating the necessary incentives in the economy to reach satisfactory environmental outcomes.

The last UNFCCC conference has tried to establish the new basis and commitments for the industrial signatory countries of the Kyoto Protocol which will expire in 2012. Following the Bali conference last December, the negotiations may create the favourable conditions for a new treaty in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. However, there are those crying out that this is not the best timing to talk about costly renewable energy strategies or the mitigation of CO2 emissions. In fact, the industry lobbies in Europe are already expressing that they fear that they would not be able to carry out the profound changes that would be needed in order to fulfil the industry’s reductions in green house emissions. This is the typical and very much predicted short-sighted approach by the industry to the coupled ecological-economic recession that we are facing. For example, it is quite worrying that Ivo de Boer, the executive secretary of the UNFCCC which has organized the Poznan conference has recently stated that the financial crisis is having an impact on the negotiations regarding climate change. The question now is whether the European Union’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 is in jeopardy? Also, is the EU going to show the kind of leadership that so much prouds itself with and invest sufficiently in controlling climate change to reach its goals? We should all lobby for this commitment not to be watered down because of difficult economic conditions. Further, we should not lose perspective and realize that, as Evo Morales in Bolivia, has eloquently argued that the US and the EU are spending about 300 times more in salvaging the international financial system which bankers themselves have created, than investing towards climate change. Some food for thought.

An what about eco-Obama’s pleads? My guess is that this is also another quite hot topic for this newsletter. Barack Obama has recently restated that his intention is for the USA to reduce its green house emissions to the 1990 level. But it is unlikely that his government would be in a position to be able to participate in the negotiations and to sign the agreement in 2009. It is interesting that Obama has expressed the intention to use the State to create thousands of new jobs in order to soothe the unemployment impact of the economic recession. Interestingly, many of these jobs would be created, according to his election plead, in the renewable energy sector. This is an interesting economic and ecological action plan. Nevertheless, we are quite used to hear spin doctors and political pleads during election campaigns that seldom materialise. It is wiser to wait and see than to through our hats into the air in celebration. Actions are what matter. Words, even in print, are ephemeral. How Obama may turn into an eco-(logical)-Obama is yet to be seen.

This brings to me to another related issue that I have come across in the press these days. Perhaps some printed words by Nicholas Stern (the well known leader of the Stern Review 2006 on the economics of climate change) should be brought to the fore. Stern has expressed some of his ideas about the economic crisis in relation to climate change in a recent article published in the Guardian newspaper. He has pointed out that "monetary policy alone, important though it is, is unlikely to pull us out of the recession quickly: fiscal policy to expand demand must play a role. But increased government spending should be focused not just on boosting short-term demand. We must promote growth that can be sustained". Such kind of statements by a reference academic on climate change is interesting but I must admit that quite worrying too. His almost religious view is that growth should be sustained. This is like praying to the Almighty God Growth by a pro-growth fundamentalism ideology. What is really worrying is that the main intellectual idea to bring new dynamism to our economies is basically summarised in two commandments: boost consumption and further boost consumption. One must recognise that this is a very imaginative idea! But what kind of consumption do we need (if we need it at all) in affluent countries such as those in the EU? The one that furthers us from nature and makes us more individualistic and further lose community bonds? Should we spend our money in fashionable holidays in Hawaii? (surely popstars do it all the time and that is cool). Further, this would create confidence in the aviation industry and allow it to expand and increase economic growth. Of course, our Almighty God Growth would forgive us for the mortal sin of increasing CO2 emissions. Well, what about spurring eco-consumerism? Nice idea! People in Europe should buy biofuels from Indonesia’s palm oil plantations and eat healthy organic food such as apples from New Zealand. An excellent idea too! Food miles? Sorry. This is not the time to talk about it; we are in an economic recession you know? Bon appetite.

Why not be a little bit more imaginative and try to think and act alternatively? Why not use this opportunity to change our consumerism culture so that in which we ‘degrow’ our material and energy expenditure? As Serge Latouche would ask us, why not decolonise our minds? I would add, why not become atheists regarding God Growth? We would realise that we can maintain our standard of living with an alternative view on consumerism. An economic recession seems to me the ideal time to start this degrowth journey. If Keynes was imaginative about the International Clearing Union, can we not be imaginative about our consumption patterns? We surely can.

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5. Events:

1st International conference on Landscape Economics (Call for papers)

The CEEP (European consortium on landscape economics) would like to announce the 1st International conference on Landscape Economics. It will take place in Vienna (Austria) on July 2-4, 2009. Deadline for paper submission is March 2, 2009. Download the call for papers here.

Additionnaly, we would like to inform on a call for papers for a special issue of the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management on Landscape Planning and Valuation. Deadline for paper submission is March 21, 2009.

Regional societies conferences in 2009

Uneven years are years for Regional Societies Conferences. ESEE holds - as you certainly know - its conference in Ljubljana June 29- July 2. Under you find an overview of other regional societies' conferences that may be of interest to you.

  1. African Society for Ecological Economics (ASEE):
    ASEE 2009: Conference on Economics in Natural Resource Management. To be held 21 and 22 May 2009, Cape Town, South Africa. Paper/Poster TITLES & ABSTRACTS to reach Wendy Paisley (paisley@botanicalsociety.org.za) via email by 20 January 2009.
    Visit: www.ecoecoafrica.org/NoticesASEE.htm#_3._Conferences_and_Calls_for_Papers

  2. Canadian Society for Ecological Economics (CANSEE):
    CANSEE 2009: Conference on Prosperity for a Sustainable Society. To be held October 15-17, 2009 Simon Fraser University (Harbour Centre); Vancouver, British Columbia
    Visit: http://www.cansee.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=68

  3. Indian Society of Ecological Economics (INSEE)
    INSEE 2009: Conference on Environmental Governance. To be held 21-23 January 2009 in Ahmedabad, India
    Visit: www.ecoinsee.org/5thBiennial.pdf

  4. United States Society for Ecological Economics (USSEE)
    USSEE 2009: Conference on Science and Policy for a Sustainable Future. To be held May 31 to June 3 in Washington DC.
    Visit: www.ussee.org/conference09/
Also the Australia-New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) has announced that they will hold a conference in 2009
Visit: www.anzsee.org for updates to come.

Major conference on "Sustainable development: a challenge for European research"

The European Commission is preparing a major conference on "Sustainable development: a challenge for European research" that will take place in Brussels on 26-28 May 2009. The Scientific Committee for the conference, chaired by Prof. Jaeger from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the European Climate Forum, is pleased to invite submissions of papers for this conference.

The deadline for submissions is mid-day on 15 January 2009.

More information: ec.europa.eu/research/sd/conference/2009/index_en.cfm?pg=call

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6. Job openings:


Lecturer in Water Resource Management, water@leeds, School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, UK

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated environmental social scientist to join the Sustainability Research Institute to work on a strategic interdisciplinary University initiative on water resources research. You will enhance and develop new links across water@leeds and to key stakeholders in water governance. The ideal candidate could contribute to the development of integrative methods across the social and natural sciences through research on water policy, economics or management or on the broader process associated with the governance of water resources. The position is research protected for 3 years (50% of normal academic staff teaching duties) with a gradual increase in teaching duties thereafter. We are particularly interested in researchers who consider the links between climate change and water resources, whether in developed or developing country contexts. You should have a PhD, a track record in water resource research and a background in environmental social sciences. Appointment will be made at University Grade 8 (£35,663 - £42,583 p.a., Pay Award Pending).

Further details about the School can be found at www.see.leeds.ac.uk, while information about water@leeds can be found at www.water.leeds.ac.uk/water@leeds. Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Joseph Holden, email j.holden@leeds.ac.uk, tel +44 (0)113 343 3317 or Professor Andy Gouldson, email a.gouldson@leeds.ac.uk, tel +44 (0)113 343 6417. To download an application form and job details please visit www.leeds.ac.uk and click on jobs. Alternatively these may be obtained via email recruitment@adm.leeds.ac.uk or tel +44 (0)113 343 5771.

Environmental economics position at New York University

New York University invites applications for a faculty position in Environmental Policy, created as part of an emerging university-wide initiative in Environmental Studies. The successful candidate will have responsibilities in both the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (tenure home) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have a doctoral degree in a relevant discipline.

We seek applicants who are enthusiastic about working in a multidisciplinary environment and in an evolving NYU environmental studies community that spans the human and natural sciences. Candidates should have strong research interests and capacity in one or more substantive areas of relevance for Environmental Studies, including economics, political science, public policy, environmental science, urban planning, law, geography, and sociology. The new faculty member will play a leadership role in Environmental Studies research, teaching (including core courses), and program development.

The Environmental Studies Program is part of a new, university-wide initiative launched in September 2006. An interdisciplinary undergraduate major in Environmental Studies is currently in place; a graduate-level program is planned as well. We anticipate several additional appointments as part of this initiative.

The Wagner School, which was established in 1938, offers both masters and doctoral degrees. The School's nearly 40 full-time faculty members are trained in a wide variety of disciplines, but share a commitment to addressing issues of public importance in their teaching and research.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, beginning October 31, 2008, and continuing until the position is filled. Applicants should send a cover letter and curriculum vitae via email to: environmentalsearch.wagner@nyu.edu

In addition, please have three references send letters of recommendation to:

Environmental Policy Search Committee
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
The Puck Building, 2nd floor
295 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012-9604

JRC is looking for an environmental economist as Grantholder and/or Deatched National Expert

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is offering a position to work on the analyses of tradeoffs and trends in ecosystem services. Through case studies the candidate will develop approaches for the valuation of ecosystem services and how to link requirements for the conservation of living ecosystems and habitats with opportunities for economic development.

The position is available either as Grantholder or as Detached National Expert.

Concerning the Grantholder call, please find more details here and here.

As SNE Seconded National Expert (for details click here) the application has to be made through the Permament Representation of the countries at the European Commission (deadline middle of January 2009). Adresses can be retrieved here while general information on the SNE contract can be found here.

Research Economists for the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (United States)

The Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) seeks candidates for the following positions:

Up to 3 Ph.D. Economists specialized in natural resources, agriculture and environmental issues to form part of a team with a mission to influence country policies and IDB loan programs in these areas.

Minimum requirements include:

  1. Ph.D.
  2. A policy-oriented research agenda on the issues detailed above
  3. Fluency in English, Spanish or Portuguese
  4. Relevant policymaking experience, versatility and flexibility to do research on a variety of topics and to work in groups are valuable assets for all applicants.
Responsibilities include:
  1. The production of high-quality research for publication in refereed journals
  2. Writing for the Bank's publications
  3. Providing the Bank with analysis and communication of policy issues.
The IDB Research Department offers an outstanding research environment along with a competitive salary and benefits.

Interested candidates should apply through the IDB Human Resources Department according to the following steps:
  1. Visit the following website: www.iadb.org/hrd/vacancies.asp
  2. Look for the posting number: 08/154
  3. Create your profile, complete and submit all the information required. If you have previously applied to another posting at the IDB you will be able to update all your information.
Some members of the selection panel will begin to interview candidates at: the 2009 ASSA Meetings to be held in San Francisco, California scheduled for January 3-5 (www.vanderbilt.edu/AEA/Annual_Meeting/).

Candidates who wish to be considered for interview at ASSA should register at the IDB Human Resources Website preferably 2 weeks prior to the meetings (www.iadb.org/hrd/vacancies.asp)

Application has to be received by March 15 2009.

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7. New Publications:


New book on sustainability and expert collaboration
Sustainability Networks: Cognitive Tools for Expert Collaboration in Social-Ecological Systems
by Janne Hukkinen

ISBN: 978-0-415-46160-3
Binding: Hardback
Published by: Routledge
Publication Date: 11th August 2008
Pages: 208
Order here

Sustainability is a word that means different things depending on who is using it, thus underlining the potential problems involved in experts from different fields teaming up to tackle sustainability problems. In this book, Janne Hukkinen argues for a reflexive approach to sustainability as a means of coming to grips with the threatening challenges arising from human–environment interaction. The author illustrates his argument with a case study of natural resource management in Lapland, showing how sustainability is understood holistically by academics and professionals alike.

Sustainability Networks book reflects an emerging cognitive turn in sustainability sciences, conceptualizing environmental challenges during action on our social and material environments, rather than in isolation. Hukkinen argues that this conceptual blending enables sustainability experts to hybridize themselves: to immerse themselves in the fields of other experts and imagine the other’s work – both prerequisites of trans-disciplinary knowledge integration. This book shows how sustainability experts can reveal their intellectual engagements when designing scenarios and indicators and presents a rigorous framework for organizing expert collaboration.

Students engaged in interdisciplinary approaches to environmental policy and management, sustainability strategy and science and technology studies will find this book extremely interesting.

Janne Hukkinen is Professor of Environmental Policy at the University of Helsinki. He is the author of Institutions in Environmental Management (1999) also published by Routledge.

Integrating biodiversity into business strategies: the Biodiversity Accountability Framework

The Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité (FRB) (www.fondationbiodiversite.fr) and Orée - Entreprises, territoires et Environnement (www.oree.org) has just published "Integrating biodiversity into business strategies: the Biodiversity Accountability Framework".

It can be downloaded in French here and in English here.

Climate Change: Financing Global Forests - The Eliasch Review has been published by Earthscan

Earthscan is pleased to announce the publication of Climate Change: Financing Global Forests. Also known as the Eliasch Review, this independent report commissioned by the UK Prime Minister assesses the impact of global forest loss on climate change and explores the future role of forests in the international climate change framework, with particular emphasis on the role of international finance.

It includes new modelling and analysis of the global economic impact of continued deforestation and provides a comprehensive assessment of the opportunity and capacity-building costs of addressing the problem. It shows that the benefits of halving deforestation could amount to $3.7 trillion over the long term. However, if the international community does not act, the global economic cost of climate change caused by deforestation could amount to $12 trillion.

In this detailed report, Eliasch makes a clear and forceful case for forests to be included in international carbon trading mechanisms. He calls for the international community to support forest nations to halve deforestation by 2020 and to make the global forest sector carbon neutral by 2030.

Click here to read the Guardian's editorial on the Eliasch Review, and here for an opinion piece by Tony Juniper, former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth UK, and special adviser to the Prince of Wales’ Rainforest Project.

New book on "Agrobiodiversity Conservation and Economic Development"
by Andreas Kontoleon, Unai Pascual and Melinda Smale

This book by Andreas Kontoleon and Unai Pascual in collaboration with Melinda Smale, reflects current developments in the economics of agrobiodiversity and focuses its attention on the role agrobiodiversity can have for economic development. As a new and rapidly expanding subfield at the interface of environmental/ecological, agricultural and development economics, this volume provides a thorough, structured and authoritative coverage of this field.

Topics covered include the economic modelling of agrobiodiversity, policy and governance solutions for the conservation of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, contracts, markets and valuation. The authors include well-known and respected academics and researchers who have a real policy perspective into the role of agrobiodiversity and economic development. The book provides coherent and up to date coverage of the economics of in-situ agrobiodiversity conservation which is to a large extent currently absent.

Though the material in the volume is primarily written for economists, its content and style are highly relevant and accessible to ecologists and conservation biologists, and to academics from other broad disciplines that are located within the areas of economics and ecology.
Routledge information page on this book

What about needs? Re-conceptualising Sustainable Development
by Felix Rauschmayer, Ines Omann, Johannes Frühmann, Lisa Bohunovsky

Abstract
In this paper we argue why a re-focus on needs and quality of life can make sustainable development (SD) more appealing for politicians and citizens. This is done by describing concepts, such as needs, strategies, values, capabilities, well-being and quality of life and by explaining the links between these concepts and SD. We link the individual model of needs to the societal concept of sustainable development in the context of quality of life.

According to our framework, capabilities and well-being are the constituents of quality of life. A high quality of life can be seen as being able to meet one’s needs sufficiently and feel well about it. SD implies restrictions with regard to the choice of strategies to meet current needs. These restrictions translate into SD-oriented policies directed at strategies, values, agency, or resources. We found five tensions that have to be addressed when policies should lead to a transition to SD and increase/maintain the quality of life.

In the conclusions we show the advantages of our framework and address the challenges such as the design of appropriate research and policy or the organisation of decision processes based on this concept. Finally, we sketch two options to respond to those challenges: (1) a new form of science, called mode-3, which is based on mode-2 science AND integrates explicitly the subjective dimension and emotions; (2) an adapted version of the multi-criteria analysis.

You can download the paper here.

Publication of the new Sustainable Society Index

The Sustainable Society Foundation has published the new Sustainable Society Index, the SSI-2008.

For more information please read the press release.

The full publication can be downloaded from www.sustainablesocietyindex.com

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