Sustainability Standards And Instruments

This book serves as an introduction to sustainability standards and instruments and includes chapters on initiatives of governmental and intergovernmental bodies, sectoral CSR commitments, CSR-related reporting and management standards, and securities exchanges and regulators. It is becoming increasingly clear that firms can contribute to their own wealth and to overall societal wealth by considering the effect they have on the world at large when making decisions and take operational actions to execute their strategies. All of this has led to growing interest in “corporate social responsibility,” or “CSR,” which has been described as the way that firms integrate social, environmental, and economic concerns into their values, culture, decision making, strategy, and operations in a transparent and accountable manner and thereby establish better practices within the firm, create wealth, and improve society. The commitments and activities associated with any CSR initiative should begin with compliance with laws and regulations promulgated by the governmental entities have jurisdiction over the firm’s activities; however, CSR extends well “beyond the law” to include important subjects as to which the law has not been able to keep. As a result, voluntary corporate responsibility standards developed from a variety of sources have emerged to fill the gap. This book serves as an introduction to sustainability standards and instruments and includes chapters on initiatives of governmental and intergovernmental bodies, sectoral CSR commitments, CSR-related reporting and management standards, and securities exchanges and regulators.

This open access book focuses on the issue of sustainability standards from the perspective of both global governance frameworks and emerging economies. It stems from the recognition that the accelerated pace of economic globalization has generated production and consumption patterns that are generating sustainability concerns. Sustainability standards (and regulations) are increasingly being used in a bid to make global consumption and production more sustainable. Given the dense inter-connectedness of economic affairs globally, the use of sustainability standards has become a concern of global governance, who face the challenge of achieving a balance between the use of standards for genuine sustainability objectives, and not allowing them to turn into instruments of protectionism or coercion.The emerging economies, given their increasing engagement with the global economy, are most impacted by the use of sustainability standards. The emphasis of ‘emerging economies’ in this book is retained both by using case studies from these economies and by collating perceptions and assessments of those located in these economies. The case studies included span sectors such as palm oil, forestry, food quality, vehicular emissions and water standards, and address the problems unique to the emerging economies, including capacity building for compliance with standards, adapting international standards in domestic contexts and addressing the exclusion of small and medium enterprises etc. Complex interfaces and dynamics of a global nature are not limited to the thematic of this book but also extend to the process through which it was written. This book brings together insights from developed as well as emerging economies (Germany, India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico and China). It also brings together scholars and practitioners to jointly ponder upon the conceptual aspects of the global frameworks for sustainability standards. This book is a very useful resource for researchers and practitioners alike, and provides valuable insights for policy makers as well.

This handbook provides an introduction to Voluntary Sustainability Standards as instruments to make international trade more sustainable. Chapter 1 sets out to describe what VSS are, how they have emerged and how they have evolved. Chapter 2 delves deeper into how VSS work to achieve sustainability goals. Chapter 3 takes stock of the current literature and evidence on the effectiveness of VSS. Chapter 4 turns attention to the use of VSS by other trade-related policy instruments.

This open access book focuses on the issue of sustainability standards from the perspective of both global governance frameworks and emerging economies. It stems from the recognition that the accelerated pace of economic globalization has generated production and consumption patterns that are generating sustainability concerns. Sustainability standards (and regulations) are increasingly being used in a bid to make global consumption and production more sustainable. Given the dense inter-connectedness of economic affairs globally, the use of sustainability standards has become a concern of global governance, who face the challenge of achieving a balance between the use of standards for genuine sustainability objectives, and not allowing them to turn into instruments of protectionism or coercion.The emerging economies, given their increasing engagement with the global economy, are most impacted by the use of sustainability standards. The emphasis of ‘emerging economies’ in this book is retained both by using case studies from these economies and by collating perceptions and assessments of those located in these economies. The case studies included span sectors such as palm oil, forestry, food quality, vehicular emissions and water standards, and address the problems unique to the emerging economies, including capacity building for compliance with standards, adapting international standards in domestic contexts and addressing the exclusion of small and medium enterprises etc. Complex interfaces and dynamics of a global nature are not limited to the thematic of this book but also extend to the process through which it was written. This book brings together insights from developed as well as emerging economies (Germany, India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico and China). It also brings together scholars and practitioners to jointly ponder upon the conceptual aspects of the global frameworks for sustainability standards. This book is a very useful resource for researchers and practitioners alike, and provides valuable insights for policy makers as well.

Driven by mega trends such as climate change, migration, globalization, or population development, sustainable development and sustainability management have now become vital areas of concern for almost all firms. This textbook provides comprehensive knowledge on sustainability management to reduce costs and risks, increase reputation and legitimacy, generate competitive advantages, and advance the sustainable development of companies and society. The book covers not only the concepts of sustainable development and sustainability management but also the relevant instruments and tools used in all essential management domains such as marketing, accounting, supply chain management, innovation management, and many others. Furthermore, this sustainability management textbook employs an extensive stakeholder perspective to illuminate the influence of various actors, such as employees, customers, investors, or governmental/non-governmental organizations. FEATURES Faces of sustainability: These features introduce thought leaders in sustainability from all areas of society. - Sustainability in business: These features provide examples of sustainability and unsustainability in business practice from all over the world. Sustainability in business: These features provide examples of sustainabity and unsustainability in business practice. Sustainability in society: These features illustrate practical challenges, ideas, and concepts of sustainability from a societal point of view. Sustainability in research: These features give a recap on seminal research articles on different aspects of sustainability management. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL The book is supported by an extensive range of online resources for students and course instructors that can be accessed via https://sustainabilitymanagementbook.com/ PRAISE "One of the leading scholars on sustainable business takes the classroom into the 21st century. A must-read for students, executives, and thought leaders interested in the management of sustainability." Dirk Matten (Schulich School of Business) "This is more than a textbook. It’s a handbook for anyone who is interested in sustainability from the most to the least sophisticated." Robert G. Eccles (Founding Chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) "A wonderful, timely, and badly needed resource for instructors. The text is both very current and built on a flexible framework. In the dynamic, unfolding field of sustainability management, this is an essential quality." Michael V. Russo (University of Oregon) "The book is highly timely and succeeds in achieving an excellent balance between the big picture of sustainability management and the necessary level of detail. Great help for teachers and students alike!" Minna Halme (Aalto University School of Business) "Finally, a book fully focused on sustainability management! This book gives an excellent overview of the strategic and operational dimensions of making sustainability a reality in contemporary business." Jonatan Pinkse (The University of Manchester) "Cutting edge, innovative, and comprehensive, Rüdiger Hahn sets the standard for the next generation of texts that address the most important challenges facing business today." Andrew Crane (University of Bath) "Sustainability management can only be comprehensive when it allows for tensions, and thoroughly considers the perspective of the Global South. This textbook presents the reader with tools to enable them to deal with tensions, and will be helpful to both decision-makers and communities in raising awareness of the importance of diverse perspectives." Edeltraud Günther (United Nations University)

Environmental policy is undergoing a dramatic transformation. The problems connected with global change, the need for preventative action, and the growing importance of non-source pollution call for new courses of action and new institutional arrangements. In this situation, it is fairly obvious that both the traditional command and control policy instruments and the more modern financial and economic instruments are increasingly under stress. This volume deliberately aims to break new ground in providing the conceptual tools necessary for the next generation of environmental policies. In doing so, it covers a wide interdisciplinary range, from public policy analysis to international law, and draws upon much international experience, well reflected by the mixed composition of the contributors. On the basis of a shared theoretical framework, the book explores the potential of new policy instruments, such as policy evaluation or mediation, proposes alternative institutional arrangements for dealing with the issues, classifies existing instruments, and illuminates the process through which old and new tools can be set into operation.

This book examines education about standardization in the context of sustainable management. It shows the role of standardization education in the global economy, and in markets, industries and businesses. The book presents knowledge on standardization for sustainable management, describes measures that can be taken to stimulate it, and highlights strategies for teaching and disseminating the concept. Subsequently presenting a number of best practices and case studies, the book seeks to align theory and practice. For researchers, this is the first academic publication that interconnects the concepts of sustainability, standardization and education. For professionals in the area of sustainability it shows that standardization is an essential instrument for enhancing sustainability for which proper education is needed. For standardization professionals the book reveals the links to sustainability and it shows not only the importance of education about standardization but also how this can be organized, and finally, for universities, the book shows that standardization deserves to be included in the curriculum, and it provides guidance and best practice examples about how this can be done.

As Thomas Sterner points out, the economic 'toolkit' for dealing with environmental problems has become formidable. It includes taxes, charges, permits, deposit-refund systems, labeling, and other information disclosure mechanisms. Though not all these devices are widely used, empirical application has started within some sectors, and we are beginning to see the first systematic efforts at an advanced policy design that takes due account of market-based incentives. Sterner‘s book encourages more widespread and careful use of economic policy instruments. Intended primarily for application in developing and transitional countries, the book compares the accumulated experiences of the use of economic policy instruments in the U.S. and Europe, as well as in select rich and poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Ambitious in scope, the book discusses the design of instruments that can be employed in a wide range of contexts, including transportation, industrial pollution, water pricing, waste, fisheries, forests, and agriculture. Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management is deeply rooted in economics but also informed by perspectives drawn from political, legal, ecological, and psychological research. Sterner notes that, in addition to meeting requirements for efficiency, the selection and design of policy instruments must satisfy criteria involving equity and political acceptability. He is careful to distinguish between the well-designed plans of policymakers and the resulting behavior of society. A copublication of Resources for the Future, the World Bank, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).