xvii
rethinking the economy and, in this case, exploring changes to the fi scal regime
which would promote more resource-effi cient economies.
In the next chapter, Chap. 8 , Thomas Wiedmann considers the environmental and
social impacts of the increase in global trade experienced during recent decades. He
discusses how, for example, today’s longer and increasingly complex global supply
chains make it more diffi cult to connect the environmental impacts of production to
the fi nal consumer of the goods and services. In addition to discussing developments in analytical tools and data requirements, Wiedmann also discusses the
broadening of indicators. He reviews how studies now extend beyond the traditional
analysis of carbon emissions, to include other environmental indicators such as land
and water use and, importantly, social indicators such as child labour, which extend
the analysis into the ‘Social equity’ lobe of Fig. 1 .
The chapter by Angela Druckman and Tim Jackson ( 9 ) follows neatly from
Thomas Wiedmann’s Chap. ( 8 ), as it takes the concept of ‘footprinting’, which
Wiedmann applies to trade, and applies it to household consumption. Both
approaches are based on consumption perspective accounting, which uses whole
systems, life cycle thinking to attribute all impacts along supply chains to fi nal consumers. Druckman and Jackson review the determinants of the carbon footprints of
Western households, the composition of average household footprints, and also discuss the rebound effect. They conclude that while it is vital to address the systems
of provision of food, energy, housing and transportation, structural income growth
presents a key challenge and that we should seek solutions that provide low carbon
lifestyles with high levels of well-being. Once again, ‘development’ must not to be
equated with economic growth.
In Chap. 10 Marlyne Sahakian picks up on the importance of the structure of the
economy and the well-being it provides by introducing the concept of the social and
solidarity economy, fully embracing the ‘Social equity’ lobe in Fig. 1 . As noted
above, a high quality of life is the objective, not just economic activity as measured
by GDP. The concept is people centric: it aims to place service to communities
ahead of profi t and embraces the notion of reciprocity. Examples of activities of the
social and solidarity economy include social entrepreneurship, crowd funding, fair
trade, community currencies and some forms of peer-to-peer sharing. Many of these
activities are niche: they are often at the grassroots level operating at the margins of
the dominant capitalist economy. Hence, to make progress, the issue of scale is, she
says, the greatest challenge. Importantly for this book, Sahakian analyses the linkages between the social and solidarity economy and industrial ecology and fi nds
many synergies. She also, however, notes a tension that is a challenge for the future,
whereby industrial ecology generally prioritises the environment, whereas the social
and solidarity economy prioritises people. In the terms of Fig. 1 , a genuine balance
must be found between the ‘Environmental compatibility’ and ‘Social equity’ lobes.
In Chap. 11 , Megha Shenoy focuses attention on developing countries – the
‘global South’ – and so returns to the original focus of sustainable development.
The holistic approach of industrial ecology can provide a valuable platform on
which to develop strategies and policies for sustainable development. In turn, the
development of industrial ecology thinking should be informed by experience in the
Introduction
rethinking the economy and, in this case, exploring changes to the fi scal regime
which would promote more resource-effi cient economies.
In the next chapter, Chap. 8 , Thomas Wiedmann considers the environmental and
social impacts of the increase in global trade experienced during recent decades. He
discusses how, for example, today’s longer and increasingly complex global supply
chains make it more diffi cult to connect the environmental impacts of production to
the fi nal consumer of the goods and services. In addition to discussing developments in analytical tools and data requirements, Wiedmann also discusses the
broadening of indicators. He reviews how studies now extend beyond the traditional
analysis of carbon emissions, to include other environmental indicators such as land
and water use and, importantly, social indicators such as child labour, which extend
the analysis into the ‘Social equity’ lobe of Fig. 1 .
The chapter by Angela Druckman and Tim Jackson ( 9 ) follows neatly from
Thomas Wiedmann’s Chap. ( 8 ), as it takes the concept of ‘footprinting’, which
Wiedmann applies to trade, and applies it to household consumption. Both
approaches are based on consumption perspective accounting, which uses whole
systems, life cycle thinking to attribute all impacts along supply chains to fi nal consumers. Druckman and Jackson review the determinants of the carbon footprints of
Western households, the composition of average household footprints, and also discuss the rebound effect. They conclude that while it is vital to address the systems
of provision of food, energy, housing and transportation, structural income growth
presents a key challenge and that we should seek solutions that provide low carbon
lifestyles with high levels of well-being. Once again, ‘development’ must not to be
equated with economic growth.
In Chap. 10 Marlyne Sahakian picks up on the importance of the structure of the
economy and the well-being it provides by introducing the concept of the social and
solidarity economy, fully embracing the ‘Social equity’ lobe in Fig. 1 . As noted
above, a high quality of life is the objective, not just economic activity as measured
by GDP. The concept is people centric: it aims to place service to communities
ahead of profi t and embraces the notion of reciprocity. Examples of activities of the
social and solidarity economy include social entrepreneurship, crowd funding, fair
trade, community currencies and some forms of peer-to-peer sharing. Many of these
activities are niche: they are often at the grassroots level operating at the margins of
the dominant capitalist economy. Hence, to make progress, the issue of scale is, she
says, the greatest challenge. Importantly for this book, Sahakian analyses the linkages between the social and solidarity economy and industrial ecology and fi nds
many synergies. She also, however, notes a tension that is a challenge for the future,
whereby industrial ecology generally prioritises the environment, whereas the social
and solidarity economy prioritises people. In the terms of Fig. 1 , a genuine balance
must be found between the ‘Environmental compatibility’ and ‘Social equity’ lobes.
In Chap. 11 , Megha Shenoy focuses attention on developing countries – the
‘global South’ – and so returns to the original focus of sustainable development.
The holistic approach of industrial ecology can provide a valuable platform on
which to develop strategies and policies for sustainable development. In turn, the
development of industrial ecology thinking should be informed by experience in the
Introduction