184
11.3.2 Creating Resilient Institutional Mechanisms for Biofuel
Utilization
How could we incorporate the argument for resilient governance into the discussion
of biofuel utilization strategy? The question has to be answered for different levels
of governance.
At the local level, biofuel project might be better conceived as an institutional
building rather than as a project that completes within a specific time frame. Through
the mutual-gains model, they might be able to reach a mutually satisfactory utilization strategy. They might be able to deploy a conventional technology in a short run
with satisfaction to every stakeholder. In addition to that once-through process, they
are encouraged to form an organization and institutionalize rules regarding how
they maintain and reconfigure the project outcomes. A new technology might be
available only 1 year after the completion of the project. Local weather condition
might change due to climate change, and the necessary feedstock might become
unavailable in the field. With such institutionalized mechanisms, local stakeholder
can easily adapt its biofuel utilization strategy to the changing environment.
At the regional/national level, the same kind of organization is necessary to
deliberate and negotiate on the biofuel policy. Such a body has to set forth biofuel
policy and regulations in a timely manner. This regional/national arrangement has
to be in accordance with the global and the local level.
Lastly, at the global level, institutional development has already begun by a few
stakeholder-focused initiatives, such as RSPO and RSB. While they produce sustainability standards and other kinds of guidelines as a product of their mutual-gains
policy formulations, the organization itself is a manifestation of institutional development (i.e., these organizations are not disbanded after the preparation of certain
documents). A wide variety of stakeholders continuously collaborate under these
institutions. One possible concern about these institutions hinges on their openness.
Are they willing to change its membership according to the changing situations in
the field? Do they engage in the reflective practice that periodically questions the
effectiveness of institutional arrangement? Detailed studies on the actual management of such international organizations are much needed.
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial 2.5 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/),
which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any
medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter’s Creative
Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not
included in the chapter’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by
statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from
the copyright holder.
M. Matsuura and H. Shiroyama
11.3.2 Creating Resilient Institutional Mechanisms for Biofuel
Utilization
How could we incorporate the argument for resilient governance into the discussion
of biofuel utilization strategy? The question has to be answered for different levels
of governance.
At the local level, biofuel project might be better conceived as an institutional
building rather than as a project that completes within a specific time frame. Through
the mutual-gains model, they might be able to reach a mutually satisfactory utilization strategy. They might be able to deploy a conventional technology in a short run
with satisfaction to every stakeholder. In addition to that once-through process, they
are encouraged to form an organization and institutionalize rules regarding how
they maintain and reconfigure the project outcomes. A new technology might be
available only 1 year after the completion of the project. Local weather condition
might change due to climate change, and the necessary feedstock might become
unavailable in the field. With such institutionalized mechanisms, local stakeholder
can easily adapt its biofuel utilization strategy to the changing environment.
At the regional/national level, the same kind of organization is necessary to
deliberate and negotiate on the biofuel policy. Such a body has to set forth biofuel
policy and regulations in a timely manner. This regional/national arrangement has
to be in accordance with the global and the local level.
Lastly, at the global level, institutional development has already begun by a few
stakeholder-focused initiatives, such as RSPO and RSB. While they produce sustainability standards and other kinds of guidelines as a product of their mutual-gains
policy formulations, the organization itself is a manifestation of institutional development (i.e., these organizations are not disbanded after the preparation of certain
documents). A wide variety of stakeholders continuously collaborate under these
institutions. One possible concern about these institutions hinges on their openness.
Are they willing to change its membership according to the changing situations in
the field? Do they engage in the reflective practice that periodically questions the
effectiveness of institutional arrangement? Detailed studies on the actual management of such international organizations are much needed.
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial 2.5 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/),
which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any
medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.
The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter’s Creative
Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not
included in the chapter’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by
statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from
the copyright holder.
M. Matsuura and H. Shiroyama