22
3.1.5 Why This Perspective Is Important in the Study
of Biofuel Deployment
Involving a wide range of stakeholders contributes to an increased political stability
of the strategy that we propose in this book. Any strategy that ignores the views of
certain categories of stakeholder has the risk of having it overthrown sometime later
due to their amounting discontent.
Stakeholder involvement can contribute to environmental justice. Particularly in
developing nations, economic interests of the dominant parties can overshadow the
voice of poor people. If we take the shortsighted neoliberal approach to dealing with
the issue, their interests cannot be incorporated into our analysis because they do not
have sufficient influence in the policy-making processes. However, if we take a
long-term perspective for sustainable deployment of biofuels, it is necessary to recognize the opportunity for developing sustainable and democratic governance in
these nations. Governance structure might shift over the time. In order to achieve a
robust strategy, it is necessary to have a long-term stakeholder perspective.
Therefore, advocates of stakeholder perspective need to admit that such approach
has an effect of empowering certain categories of stakeholders who are currently
underrepresented. They should also bring other kinds of underrepresented stakeholders to the arena of deliberation.
Under the high level of uncertainty, our strategy should also be designed as an
adaptive system that allows flexible rearrangements to the changing environment. In
order to achieve that, stakeholders should also be continuously redefined, and their
search for common ground should be embedded in a perpetual institution.
3.2 Multilevel Governance
3.2.1 Levels of Governance
Biofuel deployment requires a holistic analysis of stakeholders at different levels of
governance. For instance, each consumer makes a choice between biofuel and conventional fossil fuel at the gas station. This action occurs at the very local level
involving a number of consumers and gas stations. Meanwhile, imports of biofuels
occur at the international level. While it might involve a limited number of stakeholders and transactions, it can have major impacts on the utilization of biofuels at
the national and local levels. Therefore, it is necessary to look at biofuel utilization
policy at different levels of governance, from the global to the local.
It is also necessary to look at the regional/national level as an intermediary
between the global and local levels. At this level, for instance, public policy instruments of each country have influence on the utilization of biofuels. While biofuel
has become a worldwide issue because of its implication on the global environment,
still each national government has significant power in determining the course of its
M. Matsuura and H. Shiroyama
3.1.5 Why This Perspective Is Important in the Study
of Biofuel Deployment
Involving a wide range of stakeholders contributes to an increased political stability
of the strategy that we propose in this book. Any strategy that ignores the views of
certain categories of stakeholder has the risk of having it overthrown sometime later
due to their amounting discontent.
Stakeholder involvement can contribute to environmental justice. Particularly in
developing nations, economic interests of the dominant parties can overshadow the
voice of poor people. If we take the shortsighted neoliberal approach to dealing with
the issue, their interests cannot be incorporated into our analysis because they do not
have sufficient influence in the policy-making processes. However, if we take a
long-term perspective for sustainable deployment of biofuels, it is necessary to recognize the opportunity for developing sustainable and democratic governance in
these nations. Governance structure might shift over the time. In order to achieve a
robust strategy, it is necessary to have a long-term stakeholder perspective.
Therefore, advocates of stakeholder perspective need to admit that such approach
has an effect of empowering certain categories of stakeholders who are currently
underrepresented. They should also bring other kinds of underrepresented stakeholders to the arena of deliberation.
Under the high level of uncertainty, our strategy should also be designed as an
adaptive system that allows flexible rearrangements to the changing environment. In
order to achieve that, stakeholders should also be continuously redefined, and their
search for common ground should be embedded in a perpetual institution.
3.2 Multilevel Governance
3.2.1 Levels of Governance
Biofuel deployment requires a holistic analysis of stakeholders at different levels of
governance. For instance, each consumer makes a choice between biofuel and conventional fossil fuel at the gas station. This action occurs at the very local level
involving a number of consumers and gas stations. Meanwhile, imports of biofuels
occur at the international level. While it might involve a limited number of stakeholders and transactions, it can have major impacts on the utilization of biofuels at
the national and local levels. Therefore, it is necessary to look at biofuel utilization
policy at different levels of governance, from the global to the local.
It is also necessary to look at the regional/national level as an intermediary
between the global and local levels. At this level, for instance, public policy instruments of each country have influence on the utilization of biofuels. While biofuel
has become a worldwide issue because of its implication on the global environment,
still each national government has significant power in determining the course of its
M. Matsuura and H. Shiroyama