Content:

1. News from ESEE and its members

  • European Society for Ecological Economics on Facebook

2. Other news

  • Sustainabilitystudies.at online!
  • Final CEECEC Newsletter
  • The Economics of Sustainable Resource Use

3. Hot topic

  • The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Key Findings

4. Events

  • 2nd International conference on Landscape Economics (Call for Papers)
  • NatureTM Inc? Questioning the Market Panacea in Environmental Policy and Conservation (2nd Call for papers)
  • 14th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis "Governing Global Challenges"
  • Summer Academy 2011 - Call for Applications
  • ARALIG PhD Course
  • Synthesizing Different Perspectives on the Value of Urban Ecosystem Services
  • USSEE 2011 Conference
  • IIASA YSSP 2011: Summer Fellowship Opportunity for Graduate Students
  • XIVth World Water Congress
  • Resilient Cities 2011
  • 6th ECPR General Conference
  • Summer School in Environmental Governance
  • Call for ASA papers: Energy Controversies and Conflicts
  • Conference on 'Water Governance: Meeting the Challenges of Global Change'

5. Job openings

  • Gund Professor of Ecological Economics, and Director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics
  • Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Central Romania - 4 New PhD Positions
  • Researcher position at FEEM
  • Fellowship on EU Water Framework Directive / Participation

6. Publications

  • Sustainable Development: Capabilities, Needs and Well-being
  • Enough is Enough: Ideas for a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources
  • Environmental Policy and Governance

1. News from ESEE and its members:

European Society for Ecological Economics on Facebook

The Publications and Publicity Committee is committed to use new forms of media to spread news and information about ESEE. To inform in particular about events and publications, it has decided to create a Facebook group called European Society for Ecological Economics. It can be easily found using the search function on Facebook (www.facebook.com).

Visitors will have access to information published by the group's members and if you join the group you'll be able to post comments and view links, pictures, videos.

For additional information please contact: Ines Omann (email: ines.omann@seri.at), and Charlotte Da Cunha (email: charlotte.da-cunha@reeds.uvsq.fr).

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2. Other news:

Sustainabilitystudies.at online!

Society is facing multiple environmental challenges, climate change and global change as most demanding, this raises the need for scientific expertise in the field of Sustainability Studies. www.sustainabilitystudies.at is a platform designed to bridge scientific and institutional borders and publicize different courses within this field of study in Vienna.


Final CEECEC Newsletter

The final newsletter of CEECEC, an EC-funded CSO capacity building project is now online here. Inside you'll find links to our new E-Book, available in English and French, Ecological Economics from the Bottom-Up. This is a unique open access resource for learning/teaching ecological economics through real-life CSO case studies on conflicts in areas such as mining, forestry, transport infrastructure, tourism, waste management, corporate accountability/liability, ecological debt, and protected areas management. You'll also be able to read about our on-line course, and access 3 new reports. "From Activism to Policy Research: Key Issues and Topics for Future Collaborative Sustainability Research" is based on the work of CEECEC network partners, but contains topics ripe for cooperative research from non-CEECEC CSOs that we met along the way in Kenya and Slovenia. Meanwhile, "Ecological Economics and CSOs: A Blueprint for Collaboration" showcases the processes and methods developed over the course of the project to enhance joint knowledge production. Finally, "CSOs and Ecological Economics: Mapping and Assessing CSO Engagement with the Field" presents an overview of ecological economics (EE) research used by CSOs.


The Economics of Sustainable Resource Use

The Daly News is an innovative source of information about the limits to economic growth and the transition to an economy that fits within the ecological capacity of the planet. Named after Herman Daly, the award-winning ecological economist, The Daly News provides a short but poignant essay at the top of each week. Launched in May of this year, The Daly News has quickly gained a diverse audience. You can read the latest from Herman Daly, Brian Czech (author of Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train), Brent Blackwelder (emeritus president of Friends of the Earth), and Rob Dietz. Please take a look and subscribe if you are interested in institutions and policies for a sustainable and fair economy. The URL is dalynews.org.

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3. Hot topic:

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB): Key Findings
by Pushpam Kumar1 (UNEP) and Irene Ring (UFZ)

image'TEEB brings a rigorous economic focus to bear on the problems of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, and on their impacts on human welfare. TEEB is a very timely and useful study not only of the economic and social dimensions of the problem, but also of a set of practical solutions which deserve the attention of policy-makers around the world.'
Nicholas Stern, I.G. Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

'A landmark study on one of the most pressing problems facing society, balancing economic growth and ecological protection to achieve a sustainable future.'
Simon Levin, Moffett Professor of Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution Behaviour, Princeton University, USA

Background: In the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity, one usually raises questions like Why economics? What can economics deliver? Where does economics fail? Understanding the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity can inform decisions on where to stop and how much to conserve in the world of conflicting choices and competing demands for resources. Credible and transparent valuations of ecosystem services are useful in this. Secondly, economics can indicate how indirect drivers are affecting the flow of services from forests, wetlands, marine and other ecosystems. There are many examples of where a seemingly unrelated change in exchange rate has impacted soil erosion and where agricultural subsidies have caused eutrophication of lakes or caused overfishing in the coast. Economic tools can be helpful when applied in a positive analytical framework (understanding and predicting outcomes) but it could be quite challenging if the preferred framework is a normative one (evaluating and ranking outcomes). Integration of ecology and economy remains the cornerstone for both the frameworks, although the normative framework may raise issues like why people value Nature, the reliability of valuation criteria and so on. During 2001-2005, a comprehensive assessment of the world's ecosystems – the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) – was made by more than 1,300 natural and social scientists from 95 countries. The MA provided clear information on the state and condition of ecosystems and found it to be on declining trend.
In this backdrop, in the meeting of the G8+5 Environment Ministers in Potsdam, Germany in March 2007, it was proposed that a global study on 'the economic significance of the global loss of biological diversity' should be undertaken as part of a ‘Potsdam Initiative’ for biodiversity. One of the major objectives of this global study, which was entitled, 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity' (TEEB), was to assess current approaches for using ecological sciences and economics for informed choices and decision making. On the one hand, TEEB intends to better inform conventional economic policy about its impacts on ecosystem health and biodiversity, on the other, it suggests ways to mainstream the valuation of ecosystem services into national and local planning and policies as well as business assessments of their economic impacts and dependencies on biodiversity.

The study into The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) was conducted in two phases. Preliminary findings from the first phase were presented at the High-Level Segment of the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP-9) in Bonn, Germany, in May 2008, in the form of an interim report.

The second, more substantial phase of the study runs through until end of March 2011. TEEB Phase 2 focuses on improving the understanding of the economic costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and communicating this understanding to key stakeholders.

TEEB Phase 2 has produced a suite of five Deliverables ("Ds", D0-D4):

  1. TEEB Ecological and Economic Foundations. A report on the concepts and methodologies for the economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services (D0). This report provides the scientific and economic foundation for the other reports;
  2. TEEB for National and International Policy Makers. A report providing analysis and guidance for international and national policy makers (D1);
  3. TEEB for Local and Regional Policy. A report providing analysis and guidance for regional and local administrators (D2);
  4. TEEB for Business. A report providing analysis and guidance for business and industry (D3);
  5. TEEB4Me.com. A website providing information and guidance for citizens and consumers and building a dynamic online community (D4).

These deliverables are complemented by the TEEB Climate Issues Update, which was published ahead of the Climate Change process negotiations in Copenhagen; the TEEB Synthesis Report focusing on the approach, conclusions and recommendations. All TEEB reports are here available.

These various deliverables have also been supported by a comprehensive communications and outreach programme including media liaison, press conferences, TEEB workshops, speaking engagements at external events and collaboration with a number of other organizations in order to extend the reach of the TEEB study. Like any other assessments, TEEB has numerous messages and findings which can broadly be summarized as follows:

  1. MAKE NATURE'S VALUES VISIBLE: The contribution of natural capital and ecosystems through its various services although critical for societal well being remains outside the domain of mainstream thinking and decisions and it needs to be made explicit and visible.
  2. PRICING THE PRICELESS: Pricing every element of nature is neither feasible nor desirable but if priced suitable, ecosystem services and biodiversity change the options available to society and individuals in an efficient and sustainable way.
  3. ACCOUNTING FOR RISK AND UNCERTAINTY: In every economic approach to ecosystems and biodiversity, risks and uncertainty are inevitable. How do we handle it is key to their efficient management.
  4. VALUING THE FUTURE: Intertemporal choice over ecosystem services entails how do we value the future benefits and costs. Discounting the future is human nature but how much do we discount will have implications for the goal of sustainable development and especially the use pattern of natural capital.
  5. MEASURING BETTER TO MANAGE BETTER: If natural capital is not measured properly, there is likelihood that they will not get managed well. Accounting of natural capital e.g. ecosystem accounting based on consistent methodology and analytical approach would be helpful.
  6. NATURAL CAPITAL AND POVERTY REDUCTION: Ecosystems and biodiversity have a direct and indirect relationship with the incidence of poverty especially where people depend on the services of ecosystems. How the linkages of ecosystems and poverty are identified and interventions are designed are key to the success of poverty alleviation strategies.
  7. BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE – DISCLOSURE AND COMPENSATION: Business and industry are the major stakeholders in the management of natural capital. Their daily operations including reporting, labeling, disclosure, compensation and accounting will determine the use and misuse of natural capital.
  8. CHANGING THE INCENTIVES: Design of incentives or disincentives is the integral part of effective response policies for ecosystems and biodiversity management. A judicious mix of the two would yield promising results for the management of ecosystems.
  9. PROTECTED AREAS OFFER VALUE FOR MONEY: Economic analysis suggests that protected areas (terrestrial and marine) provide a strong rationale for its existence.
  10. ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE: Ecosystem restoration based activities not only enhance ecosystem services and create employment critical to the harmonious society but they have also proved to be cost effective adaptation measures to combat the adverse impact of climate change.
  11. MAINSTREAMING THE ECONOMICS OF NATURE: Incorporation of ecosystem services into conventional developmental planning including the fiscal and monetary measures help in bringing the economy to the sustainable path.

A large number of countries and initiatives have welcomed the TEEB findings and they plan to follow some of the recommendations emerging from TEEB. Brazil announced that it would initiate a TEEB for Brazil on 20 October 2010 at CBD COP10 in Nagoya. On the same occasion, India announced that it would initiate a TEEB for India. Germany has commissioned a comprehensive two-year study to systematically asses and valuate ecosystem services, to develop approaches to better reflect ecosystem service accounting in national accounts and to develop recommendations on the implementation of specific national economic instruments for protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Singapore has asked for TEEB input into an own "country" study. Tanzania and South Africa are planning to commission scoping TEEB studies. Complemented by a number of additional initiatives by NGOs, businesses and city networks, just to mention a few examples, mainstreaming the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services into everyday decision making has made a substantial step forward through the TEEB initiative.

1 Does not necessarily reflect Organisation's view, the author represents.

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4. Events:

2nd International conference on Landscape Economics (Call for Papers)

The CEEP (European consortium on landscape economics) would like to announce the 2nd International conference on Landscape Economics. It will take place in Padua (Italy) on July 4-6, 2011. Deadline for paper submission is March 7, 2011.

The call for papers can be downloaded here.


NatureTM Inc? Questioning the Market Panacea in Environmental Policy and Conservation (2nd Call for papers)

Nature is dead. Long live NatureTM Inc.! This adagio inspires many environmental policies today. In order to respond to the many environmental problems the world is facing, new and innovative methods are necessary, or so it is argued, and markets are posited as the ideal vehicle to supply these. Indeed, market forces have been finding their way into environmental policy and conservation to a degree that seemed unimaginable only a decade ago. Payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity derivatives and new conservation finance mechanisms, species banking, carbon trade and conservation 2.0 are just some of the market mechanisms that have taken a massive flight in popularity in recent years, despite, or perhaps because of the recent "Great Financial Crisis".

The conference is organized by the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, Erasmus University Rotterdam, together with the University of Manchester and the University of Queensland. It will be held from June 30 till July 2, 2011 at the ISS.

The 2nd Call for papers can be downloaded here.


14th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis "Governing Global Challenges"

The 14th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis will be held from the 16th to the 18th of June 2011 in Venice, Italy, at the School of Economics and Business of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.

The Conference will be organised by the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei www.feem.it (FEEM), the Ca' Foscari University of Venice www.unive.it and the Centre for Global Trade Analysis of Purdue University www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/about/project.asp, in cooperation with the International Center for Climate Governance www.iccgov.org (ICCG), the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change www.cmcc.it (CMCC) and Climate Policy Initiative - Venice www.climatepolicyinitiative.org (CPI).

The goal of the Conference is to promote the exchange of ideas among economists conducting quantitative analysis of global economic issues. Particular emphasis will be placed on applied general equilibrium methods, data, and application. Related theoretical and applied work is also welcome.

For further information about this Conference, please visit the Conference homepage on the GTAP website www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/events/conferences/2011/.


Summer Academy 2011 - Call for Applications

UNU-EHS and the Munich Re Foundation are happy to announce the sixth annual Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability with the topic "Climate Change and Fragile States: Rethinking Adaptation".

We invite qualified Ph.D, LLM and SJD students who have an interdisciplinary focus and are working on research or dissertations related to humanitarian and human rights law, migration studies, economics and labor migration, environmental studies, natural disasters, human security and political sciences to apply for the 2011 Summer Academy.

Applications are required to be submitted to summeracademy@ehs.unu.edu no later than 15 January 2011.

More info and application form: www.ehs.unu.edu/article/read/call-for-applications-summer-academy-2011

ARALIG PhD Course

This is the first call for papers to the 5th Action Research Action Learning PhD course hosted in Denmark in collaboration with Roskilde University; Forest and Landscape – LIFE, Copenhagen University; and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (SLU). The course will be held from 6th to 9th of June 2011.

Venue
Søminestationen, Holbaek, Denmark www.soeminestationen.dk

Course Purpose
The PhD-course presents advanced theories and methods in working with sustainable transition – mainly at local level, but with a permanent consideration to global aspects of sustainable transition – reflecting climate crises and global inequality. The lectures will present different approaches to the relationship between democracy and sustainable transition – and especially how action research can contribute to a research connecting sustainable transition and strengthening deliberative democracy.

Can action research open up for a search for new forms of commons – challenging ecological modernisation and governance structures which today dominate the relationship between democracy and sustainable transition?

We also address an understanding of social conflicts related to environmental regulation all over the world. New theories about irrationalities and crises in public regulation also have relevance for environmental regulation. An increasing need of reconstructing relationship between civil society and public sector could be seen in the light of a reconnection between social sustainability and ecological sustainability.

Preliminary programme and invited key-note speakers
The programme will integrate different types of learning agoras aimed at creating good discussions of both theoretical and methodological character, linking course learning with individual research projects. The course will blend discussion groups, workshops, lectures and fieldtrips.

Key-note speakers to be invited (we expect 2-3 of the following will eventually confirm):
Vandana Shiva, India
Miguel Altieri, USA
Elinor Ostrom, USA
Rob Hopkins, USA
Bo Elling, Denmark
John Dryzek, Australia

Discussion groups with supervisors:
Student papers are presented and discussed in relation to the theme.

Action research in action
Fieldtrip to Nyord/Møn. A visit where we can tell the story about the non-successful approach to becoming a National Park, and the good story about sustainable transition at Nyord in spite of not being part of a National Park. Discussion of the related research projects, and the local and common learning experiences.

Supervisors:
Kurt Aagaard Nielsen (Roskilde University), Professor
Birger Steen Nielsen (Roskilde University), Professor
Jens Emborg (Forest and landscape, LIFE, Copenhagen University), Associate Professor
Nadarajah Sriskandarajah (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala), Professor
Hans Peter Hansen (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala), Associate Professor

Danish Organising Committee:
Laura Tolnov Clausen, Jonas Egmose, Helle Nielsen, Kirsten Ramskov Gambala, Mette Bladt.

Practicals:
Participants are required to present a paper related to the theme app. 6000 words.
ECTS: 5
Course fee incl. housing and board max. 150 euro.

Deadlines:
Course application w/ abstract 250 words: 25th of March
Notification of Approval: 8th of April
Final paper submission: 20th of May

Communication coordinator:
Application, papers and questions should be sent to Mikaela Vasstrøm (Forest and Landscape, LIFE, University of Copenhagen, Denmark), PhD Student miksen@life.ku.dk


Synthesizing Different Perspectives on the Value of Urban Ecosystem Services

This international seminar will be hosted in Lodz, Poland, by University of Lodz, in partnership with the Sendzimir Foundation and the European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology under the auspices of UNESCO, July 15-16, 2011.

Information on the seminar themes, abstract and full paper submission, and more can be found by visiting the seminar website at www.sendzimir.org.pl/seminar2011. Please email kronenbe@uni.lodz.pl with any questions.


USSEE 2011 Conference

The United States Society for Ecological Economics (USSEE) will hold its 2011 conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan from June 26 to June 29, 2011. The conference will be held at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, which is located on the campus of MSU.

More informations can be found on the conference page.


IIASA YSSP 2011: Summer Fellowship Opportunity for Graduate Students

Each summer, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), located in Schloss Laxenburg near Vienna, Austria, hosts a selected group of graduate students, primarily doctoral, from around the world in its Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). These students work closely with an IIASA senior scientist mentor on a project proposed by the student, related to his or her graduate research. Application deadline is the 17th January 2011.

More details can be found here.


XIVth World Water Congress

Brazil will proudly host the XIV World Water Congress for the first time in over three decades that IWRA has held this global meeting for water resources decision-makers, researchers and practitioners.

For more informations visit www.worldwatercongress.com.


Resilient Cities 2011

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the World Mayors Council on Climate Change and the City of Bonn are pleased to announce that the Resilient Cities 2011 congress will be held on 3-5 June 2011 in Bonn, Germany!

Resilient Cities, the annual world congress on cities and adaptation to climate change, was launched in 2010 with the objective of becoming the definitive global platform for exchange, learning, networking, debating and policy making on approaches and solutions to climate change and resilience-building in the urban environment.

Resilient Cities 2011 will continue to cast light on the challenges posed by climate change and support the rising momentum of local adaptation and resilience strategies worldwide.

Adaptation and resilience experts who would like to share their knowledge during Resilient Cities 2011 are warmly invited to submit contributions using the online submission system available on the congress website www.iclei.org/bonn2011.


6th ECPR General Conference

Section: Challenges of Radical Policy Change: A Dialogue between Theory and Evidence
Panel: Evaluating governance and policy in the face of complexity: insights from heterodox economics

This panel focuses on how research at the interface between politics and economics can contribute to exploration of the questions of this conference section about the relationship between complexity, radical policy change and democracy. The proposition is that research straddling the politics-economics interface can not only enrich our understanding of governance and policy but also offer insights into their effectiveness.

Since values define what constitutes ‘effectiveness,’ this concept is inevitably contestable. Whereas procedural measures are important for considering the quality of governance and policy, assessment of effectiveness entails explicit focus not only on processes but also on outcomes. The presence of complex, long term, yet also urgent, political issues, such as climate change and habitat destruction, seems to demand a policy analysis that can provide both procedural and outcome assessments. Political science tends to focus on the former, often without detailed consideration of how procedures relate to the substantive content of subsequent policy outcomes (Farrell 2004, Greenwood 2011). Mainstream, neoclassical economics tends to focus on the latter, providing tools for predicting policy outcomes, while purporting to be value-neutral with regard to the desirability of these outcomes and the effectiveness of governing institutions. Yet, alternative, 'heterodox' traditions in economics, such as Ecological, Austrian and Institutional Economics tend to focus more explicitly on normative questions of political economy. Contributions aligned with these traditions address the outcomes and the effectiveness of different forms of governance and policy and their implications for democracy.

Particularly with respect to complex geo-political issues such as climate change, a détente between politics and economics seems to be required (Farrell, 2006). This panel invites papers that consider the insights into policy effectiveness offered by these heterodox traditions, perhaps also incorporating knowledge from other social and natural sciences. The panel welcomes both empirical and theoretical papers.

References Farrell, Katharine Nora. 2004. "Recapturing Fugitive Power: epistemology, complexity and democracy." Local Environment 9(5):469-479. Farrell, Katharine N. 2006. "Reflections on International Political Economy and Global Environmental Governance." Organization and Environment 19(2):270-274. Greenwood, Dan. 2010. "Facing Complexity: Democracy, Expertise and the Discovery Process." Political Studies.

Please see the ECPR conference website for details on how to submit a paper proposal: www.ecprnet.eu/conferences/general_conference/reykjavik/sections.asp


Summer School in Environmental Governance

A summer school series - the Thor Heyerdahl Summer School in Environmental Governance - is established at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. The series aims at giving PhDs and young researchers the opportunity to develop high level skills in analyzing environmental governance issues. It offers the opportunity to critically reflect on the present status of both theory and practice in the field, and to discuss alternatives to present developments and solutions.

The first course is on Environmental governance: Institutions for sustainable development. It will run from June 20 till July 1, 2011. The main focus will be on the institutional foundation of environmental governance and how issues at global, national and local scales are linked. Specific challenges related to creating sustainable development will be emphasized. Various policy areas will be explored like climate change, biodiversity preservation, pollution and land use.

Several internationally renowned researchers will participate as lecturers. Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom will participate as keynote lecturer at the 2011 event. Professor Ostrom is especially known for her studies on the role of self governance and the capacities of local communities to craft their own rules to manage environmental resources. Over the years Ostrom has increasingly focused also on issues related to global environmental policy. Other keynote speakers include Kate Farrell and Clive Spash.

The Summer School is open to PhD students and young researchers who have completed their PhD degree within the last 4 years of the application deadline (February 15, 2011). Priority will be given to applicants from social science oriented programs or interdisciplinary (combined social and natural science) programs. Priority will moreover be given to PhDs, but we wish to include a few young researchers as well.

The summer school series is organized by the Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB). Professor Arild Vatn is responsible for convening the series.

More information will be available at www.umb.no/thor-heyerdahl-summer-school from January 4, 2011.


Call for ASA papers: Energy Controversies and Conflicts

This is a call for paper submissions for the 2011 meetings of the American Sociological Association in Chicago, August 13-16. The ASA section on Science, Knowledge, and Technology is organizing a session on "Energy Controversies and Conflicts." Please consider submitting a paper, and forward this announcement to others working on sociological approaches to energy issues.

Session description: Energy is a central feature of social life-from cooking and driving to shipping and manufacturing-yet questions about the technologies, policies, and practices that shape the production and consumption of fuel have been marginal in sociology. Inspired by controversies over climate change mitigation, geoengineering, the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, and the debate about the planned offshore wind farm near Cape Cod, this session endeavors to develop a better understanding of the relationship between energy research and technology and its social and political context. Submissions are invited that examine questions related to past and present energy policy, science, and technological change (particularly in the context of the politics of climate change), environmental problems and community impacts of energy production, the politics of renewable and "low-carbon footprint" energy sources, and the growing attention to geoengineering.

Session Organizers: Abby Kinchy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Shobita Parthasarathy, University of Michigan

To submit a paper, go to the ASA website: www.asanet.org/meetings/Call_for_Papers.cfm
Submissions will be accepted from December 1, 2010 to January 13, 2011, 3pm EST


Conference on 'Water Governance: Meeting the Challenges of Global Change'

The European Science Foundation (ESF) – in partnership with LFUI – is organising a conference on 'Water Governance: Meeting the Challenges of Global Change' which will be held 5-10 June 2011, at the Universitätszentrum Obergurgl (Ötz Valley, near Innsbruck), Austria.

This conference will be chaired by Prof. Claudia Pahl-Wostl - University of Osnabrück, DE; Prof. Joyeeta Gupta - IVM FU Amsterdam, NL and Prof. Theo Toonen - TU Delft, NL.

It is part of the 2011 ESF Research Conferences Programme and is accessible online from
www.esf.org/conferences/11364.

Download the conference flyer here.
Download the call for papers here.

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5. Job openings:

Gund Professor of Ecological Economics, and Director of the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics

The position description can be found here.


Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Central Romania - 4 New PhD Positions

Expressions of interest are being sought for four new PhD positions, for commencement in 2011 (details to be negotiated). Please register your interest and send your CV to Joern Fischer (Joern.Fischer@uni.leuphana.de), also see sites.google.com/site/joernfischerspage). Do not send complete applications at this stage.

For more informations click here.


Researcher position at FEEM

The Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), an Italian research institute that carries out research on sustainable development, encourages to submit applications for a research position. The successful candidate will join the team that is engaged in developing an integrated approach between economic modelling, water demand, supply and climate issues. Duties will be carried out at the FEEM offices in Venice, Italy.

The candidate is expected to have a background in environmental or ecological economics, with at least 2 years of previous research experience in the field of water economics and climate adaptation. Holding a Ph.D. degree or being near its acquisition is a strong asset.

The selected candidate will interact with researchers of different nationalities, and will write and present scientific papers. Part of the activities are realized in the context of European research projects. An excellent command of written and spoken English is essential for this position. Knowledge of Italian language is an asset but not mandatory requirement.

FEEM offers a truly international and interdisciplinary workplace. The strong ties with a world-wide network of research institutions engaged in environmental research and in particular on the analysis of climate change issues allows a continuous fruitful exchange of experiences. A full range of the activities of FEEM is available at www.feem.it.

The successful candidate is expected to begin his/her assignment in early 2011. The appointment period will be initially for one year, with the possibility for extension. Gross salary will be based on qualification and working experience (indicatively from 25,000 to 30,000 Euro/yearly).

Applicants should send a detailed curriculum vitae with a full list of publications and at least one letter of recommendation to: Monica Eberle (monica.eberle@feem.it).

Deadline for applications: FEEM will begin considering candidates in November 2010 and will continue until the position is filled.


Fellowship on EU Water Framework Directive / Participation

The socio-ecological research group GETIDOS is offering a three-months fellowship in Greifswald, Germany, for collaboration on a case study on civil society participation and campaigning on European rivers protection and the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Applicants should have a degree in political science, environmental sciences or nature conservation, and be proficient in French and German or English. The fellow should be familiar with the European and, preferably, French environmental NGO community and provide experiences in campaigning either from a practical or research perspective. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2011. More infomation at www.getidos.net.

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6. Publications:

Sustainable Development: Capabilities, Needs and Well-being

In October 2010 the book "Sustainable Development: Capabilities, Needs and Well-being" co-edited by Felix Raushmayer, Ines Omann and Johannes Frühmann has been published by Routledge. Contributors besides the editors are Paul-Marie Boulanger, Ivonne Cruz, Ortrud Lessmann, Manfred Max-Neef, Tell Muenzing, John O'Neill, Luc Van Ootegem, Sophie Spillemaeckers, and Gerben J. Westerhof.

Sustainable Development (SD) is most prominently defined with respect to the needs of current and future generations. Political and scientific discussion, though, refrains from this concept, even though much can be gained by referring to needs. This book brings together chapters that clarify the concept of needs directly or relate it to other scientific approaches. On the one hand, there is the capability approach which is widely used by human development studies and politics and can thus be utilized for bringing the Brundtland definition of SD into practice. On the other hand, meeting needs is intrinsically linked to well-being which is the main driver for human action.

"This groundbreaking new work establishes links between sustainable development, needs, well-being, and the capabilities approach that is central to human development and the United Nations Development Programme. This exciting new book incites a whole new way of looking at sustainable development."

The book can be ordered at the Routledge website.

For further questions please contact Felix Rauschmayer (felix.rauschmayer@ufz.de) or Ines Omann (ines.omann@seri.at).


Enough is Enough: Ideas for a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources
edited by Dan O'Neill, Rob Dietz, and Nigel Jones
published by CASSE and Economic Justice for All

imageThis report brings together the inspirational ideas generated at the Steady State Economy Conference, held in Leeds, UK earlier this year. It provides a detailed description of the structures and policies that would be needed in an economy where the goal is "enough" instead of "more". The report has three main parts. Part One explains why economic growth is no longer an appropriate goal for wealthy countries like the UK and describes the desirable alternative: a steady state economy. Part Two discusses policy proposals in ten key areas needed to achieve a steady state economy. Proposals include policies to limit resource use, reduce income inequality, reform the monetary system, improve the way we measure progress, secure full employment, and change consumer behaviour. And finally Part Three provides a blueprint for moving boldly from ideas to action.

To download a free copy of the report, or view videos from the conference, please visit: steadystate.org/enough-is-enough.


Environmental Policy and Governance

Find below the content of the current issue of the journal Environmental Policy and Governance, with which ESEE has a partnership.
Special Issue: Governance Innovation for Sustainability: Exploring the Tensions & Dilemmas, November/December 2010, Volume 20, Issue 6, Pages 365–421

  • Governance innovation for sustainability: exploring the tensions and dilemmas
  • Exploring the regional politics of ‘sustainability’: making up sustainable communities in the South-East of England
  • Governing the balance between sustainability and competitiveness in urban planning: the case of the Orestad model
  • Sustainability transitions in transition countries: forest policy reforms in South-eastern Europe
  • Accountable governance, accountable sustainability? a case study of accountability in the governance for sustainability

For more information on the society visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eet.v20:6/issuetoc

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