EGOS - European Group for Organizational Studies

Sub-theme 17: Exploring innovative approaches for governing climate change

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Bettina Wittneben, University of Oxford, UK

Chukwumerije Okereke, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Bobby Banerjee, College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Call for Papers

Efforts by governments, businesses and other autonomous actors seeking to respond to the unique challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change have resulted in a wide range of innovative schemes at local, national and global levels. Within the past decade, the world has witnessed the successful institutionalization of the first truly international emission trading scheme, the formation of many unique public-private partnerships and the establishment of voluntary carbon offsetting programs. Other creative approaches induced by the threat of climate change include avoided deforestation and land use schemes, the clean development mechanism (CDM), massive investments in renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and the development of private standard setting and reporting initiatives such as the carbon disclosure project (CDP).

However, despite the proliferation of these innovative schemes, there are still fears in some quarters that the absolutely drastic depth of cuts required to meet climate stabilization targets demand even more radical and fundamental shifts in the current socio-political structures, organizations and modes of organizing. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand, assess, and articulate the potential transformative ability of the variety of innovative schemes that have emerged in response to the global environmental challenge. The purpose of this sub-theme is therefore to bring diverse scholarship from international relations, political economy, management studies and organization theory to explore the characteristics of innovative approaches to governing climate change with a view to understanding their nature, implications for society and organizations as well as their ability to meet the goals of sustainability.

Papers that address one or a combination of the following issues are particularly welcome:

In-depth analysis of innovative approaches to governing climate change, articulating potential implications for transforming society, organizations and ways of organizing.
Detailed accounts of the factors that are most likely to trigger fundamental changes; and in what directions such changes are most likely to occur.
In-depth accounts of the actors and forces as well as the underlying rationales that are driving innovative approaches to climate change.
Analysis of the role of existing institutions, structures and ideas in both shaping and constraining creative responses to climate change and other environmental problems.

Bettina Wittneben?received her MBA (International Business) from the University of Alberta and the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Grenoble. Her PhD thesis from the University of Cambridge on institutional change in the transfer of climate-friendly technology was awarded the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Prize. She has consulted the UN climate secretariat as well as worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Wuppertal Institute of Climate, Environment and Energy. As Assistant Professor for Business and Society at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Bettina founded the Sustainability and Climate Research Center. She has recently joined the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford as Research Fellow. Her theoretical research interests include institutional change, new ways of organizing and decision-making processes.

Chukwumerije Okereke?is Senior Research Associate at the Tyndall Center Headquarters, School of Environmental Sciences, and University of East Anglia. His main research interest is in the theory and practice of global environmental governance. His latest books are "Global Justice and Neoliberal Environmental Governance" (Routledge 2007) and "The Politics of the Environment" (ed.) (Routledge 2007). His current research focuses on the interactions between corporate carbon strategies and future international climate policies.

Bobby Banerjee?is Professor of Management and Associate Dean of Research at the College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts and has taught there as well as at the University of Wollongong, RMIT University and the University of South Australia. His research interests include sustainability, corporate social responsibility, postcolonialism and socio-cultural aspects of globalization. He is widely published in the field of sustainable development, corporate environmentalism and globalization and his work has appeared in leading international journals including 'Human Relations', 'Organization Studies', 'Journal of Marketing', 'Organization' and 'Journal of Management Studies'.

Sub-theme 17: Exploring innovative approaches for governing climate change

Back to list

Bettina Wittneben, University of Oxford, UK

Chukwumerije Okereke, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Bobby Banerjee, College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Call for Papers

Efforts by governments, businesses and other autonomous actors seeking to respond to the unique challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change have resulted in a wide range of innovative schemes at local, national and global levels. Within the past decade, the world has witnessed the successful institutionalization of the first truly international emission trading scheme, the formation of many unique public-private partnerships and the establishment of voluntary carbon offsetting programs. Other creative approaches induced by the threat of climate change include avoided deforestation and land use schemes, the clean development mechanism (CDM), massive investments in renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and the development of private standard setting and reporting initiatives such as the carbon disclosure project (CDP).

However, despite the proliferation of these innovative schemes, there are still fears in some quarters that the absolutely drastic depth of cuts required to meet climate stabilization targets demand even more radical and fundamental shifts in the current socio-political structures, organizations and modes of organizing. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand, assess, and articulate the potential transformative ability of the variety of innovative schemes that have emerged in response to the global environmental challenge. The purpose of this sub-theme is therefore to bring diverse scholarship from international relations, political economy, management studies and organization theory to explore the characteristics of innovative approaches to governing climate change with a view to understanding their nature, implications for society and organizations as well as their ability to meet the goals of sustainability.

Papers that address one or a combination of the following issues are particularly welcome:

In-depth analysis of innovative approaches to governing climate change, articulating potential implications for transforming society, organizations and ways of organizing.
Detailed accounts of the factors that are most likely to trigger fundamental changes; and in what directions such changes are most likely to occur.
In-depth accounts of the actors and forces as well as the underlying rationales that are driving innovative approaches to climate change.
Analysis of the role of existing institutions, structures and ideas in both shaping and constraining creative responses to climate change and other environmental problems.

Bettina Wittneben?received her MBA (International Business) from the University of Alberta and the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Grenoble. Her PhD thesis from the University of Cambridge on institutional change in the transfer of climate-friendly technology was awarded the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Prize. She has consulted the UN climate secretariat as well as worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Wuppertal Institute of Climate, Environment and Energy. As Assistant Professor for Business and Society at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Bettina founded the Sustainability and Climate Research Center. She has recently joined the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford as Research Fellow. Her theoretical research interests include institutional change, new ways of organizing and decision-making processes.

Chukwumerije Okereke?is Senior Research Associate at the Tyndall Center Headquarters, School of Environmental Sciences, and University of East Anglia. His main research interest is in the theory and practice of global environmental governance. His latest books are "Global Justice and Neoliberal Environmental Governance" (Routledge 2007) and "The Politics of the Environment" (ed.) (Routledge 2007). His current research focuses on the interactions between corporate carbon strategies and future international climate policies.

Bobby Banerjee?is Professor of Management and Associate Dean of Research at the College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts and has taught there as well as at the University of Wollongong, RMIT University and the University of South Australia. His research interests include sustainability, corporate social responsibility, postcolonialism and socio-cultural aspects of globalization. He is widely published in the field of sustainable development, corporate environmentalism and globalization and his work has appeared in leading international journals including 'Human Relations', 'Organization Studies', 'Journal of Marketing', 'Organization' and 'Journal of Management Studies'.

Sub-theme 17: Exploring innovative approaches for governing climate change

Back to list

Bettina Wittneben, University of Oxford, UK

Chukwumerije Okereke, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Bobby Banerjee, College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Call for Papers

Efforts by governments, businesses and other autonomous actors seeking to respond to the unique challenges posed by anthropogenic climate change have resulted in a wide range of innovative schemes at local, national and global levels. Within the past decade, the world has witnessed the successful institutionalization of the first truly international emission trading scheme, the formation of many unique public-private partnerships and the establishment of voluntary carbon offsetting programs. Other creative approaches induced by the threat of climate change include avoided deforestation and land use schemes, the clean development mechanism (CDM), massive investments in renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and the development of private standard setting and reporting initiatives such as the carbon disclosure project (CDP).

However, despite the proliferation of these innovative schemes, there are still fears in some quarters that the absolutely drastic depth of cuts required to meet climate stabilization targets demand even more radical and fundamental shifts in the current socio-political structures, organizations and modes of organizing. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand, assess, and articulate the potential transformative ability of the variety of innovative schemes that have emerged in response to the global environmental challenge. The purpose of this sub-theme is therefore to bring diverse scholarship from international relations, political economy, management studies and organization theory to explore the characteristics of innovative approaches to governing climate change with a view to understanding their nature, implications for society and organizations as well as their ability to meet the goals of sustainability.

Papers that address one or a combination of the following issues are particularly welcome:

In-depth analysis of innovative approaches to governing climate change, articulating potential implications for transforming society, organizations and ways of organizing.
Detailed accounts of the factors that are most likely to trigger fundamental changes; and in what directions such changes are most likely to occur.
In-depth accounts of the actors and forces as well as the underlying rationales that are driving innovative approaches to climate change.
Analysis of the role of existing institutions, structures and ideas in both shaping and constraining creative responses to climate change and other environmental problems.

Bettina Wittneben?received her MBA (International Business) from the University of Alberta and the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Grenoble. Her PhD thesis from the University of Cambridge on institutional change in the transfer of climate-friendly technology was awarded the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Prize. She has consulted the UN climate secretariat as well as worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Wuppertal Institute of Climate, Environment and Energy. As Assistant Professor for Business and Society at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Bettina founded the Sustainability and Climate Research Center. She has recently joined the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford as Research Fellow. Her theoretical research interests include institutional change, new ways of organizing and decision-making processes.

Chukwumerije Okereke?is Senior Research Associate at the Tyndall Center Headquarters, School of Environmental Sciences, and University of East Anglia. His main research interest is in the theory and practice of global environmental governance. His latest books are "Global Justice and Neoliberal Environmental Governance" (Routledge 2007) and "The Politics of the Environment" (ed.) (Routledge 2007). His current research focuses on the interactions between corporate carbon strategies and future international climate policies.

Bobby Banerjee?is Professor of Management and Associate Dean of Research at the College of Business, University of Western Sydney, Australia. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts and has taught there as well as at the University of Wollongong, RMIT University and the University of South Australia. His research interests include sustainability, corporate social responsibility, postcolonialism and socio-cultural aspects of globalization. He is widely published in the field of sustainable development, corporate environmentalism and globalization and his work has appeared in leading international journals including 'Human Relations', 'Organization Studies', 'Journal of Marketing', 'Organization' and 'Journal of Management Studies'.