The socio-economics of the transition to ecological sustainability

Informacje na temat projektu

Identyfikator umowy o grant: INTAS-93-1423

Projekt został zamknięty

Data rozpoczęcia 1 Listopada 1994

Data zakończenia 31 Października 1995

Finansowanie w ramach

• International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993-

Koszt całkowity € 0,00

Wkład UE € 25 000,00

Koordynowany przez

University of Edinburgh
United Kingdom

Exploitable results

The socio-economics of the transition to ecological sustainability

The project explores the lessons that could be drawn from the post-perestroika period of change in the former Soviet Union, to provide a clearer understanding of the processes of societal change. Ecological issues are posing unprecedented problems for societal development, problems for which social thinking has not prepared modern societies. These are problems of limits to existing development, the balancing of contradictory or incompatible tendencies, the interactions between the 'mega-dimensions' of society under conditions of growing interdependence, the speed and forms of change. Social transformation in modern interdependent societies is an entirely different process from the past developments from agrarian to industrial societies. The project began to explore this least studied and most badly mix understood set of issues. The following conclusions were reached and are now being followed up. Much greater emphasis needs to be placed on socio economic aspects of the problem, in discussions and programmes for ecological sustainability; the notion of sustainability itself is so contradictory, that it becomes important to define what is to be sustainable, humankind, society as a whole, specific social groups, certain patterns of development, certain levels of production and/or of well being, culture and for spiritual values, knowledge, science and technology, the global society-nature 'system'. Both the transition to sustainable development and the present changes in Russia are historically unprecedented types of social. The project concentrated on identifying the internal logic of regulatory mechanisms, aware that changes are unpredictable. Events in Russia have shown how large scale structural shifts create shortages of investment goods and transplant investment issues into totally new dimensions. The large scale shifts implied by a transition to sustainability will, transform the character of investment in the future. An important consequence is growing reluctance to invest into environmentally sound projects.