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Principles for sustainability: the need to shift to a sustainable conventional regime

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Abstract

This paper argues that the present dominant economic system rests upon unquestioned beliefs that are in a deep contradiction with the pursuit of sustainable development. The economics of conventions is used as an analytical framework through which to demonstrate the conflict between the dominant conventions underpinning societal development and the objectives of sustainable development. It suggests that a trajectory towards the objectives of sustainable development should be managed through a reflexion concerning the conventional principles required to be adopted in order to favour the emergence of a new conventional regime. The principles of proximity, the increase in individual and collective capabilities, and participative democracy are presented as possible principles that could be adopted in order to favour the emergence of a new conventional regime.

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Notes

  1. The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro.

  2. For instance, Chiappori (1994) has demonstrated that neoclassical economic theory is a self-fulfilling theory. The fact that agents follow its rules allows it to function correctly, but “the truth of the theory is conditioned to its hegemony: it is exact only in the measure it is considered as exact” (Chiappori 1994 p. 71–72, translated by authors).

  3. See Buclet (2011a, b, c) for a detailed discussion on the basis of these reference points.

  4. Such as Serge Latouche or Christian Laval.

  5. We could also discuss the social consequences of global agriculture or global tourism in these countries; however, space does not permit.

  6. Related to the gift mechanisms as demonstrated by Mauss (1925)

  7. A detailed discussion of which is beyond the scope of this paper.

  8. Such proximity might help to combat the 29 % of primary school children in the UK that think cheese comes from plants (British Nutrition Foundation 2013).

  9. Giddens (1990) suggests that the technological and organizational complexity of expert systems reduces the autonomy of people in their capacity to produce things they need. The more the control of expert systems escape the individual, the less the individual masters variables ensuring their capabilities.

  10. This is at least the typical reaction observed during research seminars related to the economic sciences.

  11. Ibidem.

  12. Urban metabolism and territorial metabolism utilise the same methodology but differ only concerning the system being analysed, a city in one case, a territory (local area, region) in the second case, respectively. We prefer the term territorial metabolism as it is more generic.

  13. Which account for the energy, materials and emissions produced with a city’s boundaries.

  14. Which account for the direct resource use of households and the indirect (upstream) resource use resulting from the purchase goods and services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d’Urbanisme de Grenoble, UMR 5194 PACTE-Territoires (CNRS, UPMF, UJF, IEPG), 14 Avenue Marie Reynouard, 38 100, Grenoble, France

    Nicolas Buclet

  2. Division of Industrial Ecology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 34, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    David Lazarevic

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  1. Nicolas Buclet
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  2. David Lazarevic
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Correspondence to David Lazarevic.

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Buclet, N., Lazarevic, D. Principles for sustainability: the need to shift to a sustainable conventional regime. Environ Dev Sustain 17, 83–100 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9539-4

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