Are Increasing Environmental Concerns Signs of a Sustainable Future?
Presenter: Desmond Chung
University of Bristol
UK
Theme: A Sustainable Future for our Planet
Abstract
This paper aims to address the question of whether increasing environmental concerns are genuinely conducive to environmental sustainability. “Sustainable development” has become the buzzword in recent years, alongside with green developments in governance and corporate sectors alike. However, this paper contends that environmental concerns are not necessarily positive to the environment; in fact, within themselves there are political dynamics which could be explained from various International Political Economy (IPE) perspectives. From a historical materialist and a neo-Gramscianism perspective, this paper argues that instead of their benign nature, increasing environmental concerns pose a threat to environmental sustainability.
