https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/19041 2026-04-29T21:43:12Z https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/19988 Approaching Rio + 20 Bär, Holger; Jacob, Klaus; Werland, Stefan This report presents findings from an online survey and a number of expert interviews on the perspectives of European civil society on Sustainable Development and the Green Economy in the run-up to the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The survey was sent out to civil society organisations in six selected European countries to gain a bet-ter understanding of their views on specific aspects of the Green Economy concept. In ad-dition to this, the data analysis allows us to compare respondents’ answers across different groups of civil society as well as between countries. The survey questions range from the definitional aspects of what the Green Economy is and what its elements are to the conflict dimensions identified in the first part of the study as well as the risks and opportunities seen in the Green Economy. Finally, it includes the questions what role governments should take and what policy and financing instruments should be used more widely in the transition to the Green Economy. The Green Economy concept is still an open concept and civil society groups are eager to weigh-in and help define its boundaries and key aspects. With this lack of clarity come many concerns, both internationally as well as on the European level, that the Green Economy could be ‘just a greened capitalism’ that allows for ‘greenwashing’ and ‘social greenwashing’. A large majority of respondents say that the concept should be based on a three-pillar ap-proach, while questions remain concerning the extent of the social dimension of the Green Economy. Trade unions emphasize the need for better working conditions and international standards, for example by implementing social protection floors. This question in particu-lar is connected to the European debate and the relationship between the Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiative on resource efficiency, and the European Sustainable Development Strategy (EUSDS). Unions and environmental groups fear that the EUSDS might be replaced by the ‘narrower’ Europe 2020 strategy that, in their view, lacks a strong social dimension. The social partners agree that the greening of the economy should be a consensus- based approach that includes all sectors and rejects a view that distinguishes between ‘brown’ and ‘green’ sectors of the economy. There are more diverse views on the questions of what role governments should play and what instruments they should use. Respondents agree that national governments should provide framework conditions and economic incen-tives to businesses and support research and development for green technologies. Beyond that, there is still disagreement within civil society sectors along with significant differ- ences in the member states over what instruments should or should not be used. Similarly, there are differences regarding the question of how much the government should get in-volved in the development of the economy and if there should be an active de-growth of certain polluting sectors. What respondents generally seem to agree on is that the European Economic and Social Committee can and should play a significant role in providing a forum to bring European civil society together and build consensus, to help civil society’s views be heard in EU poli-cymaking and to work to ensure the EU acts as a role model in the transition to a Green Economy. This report aims to make a contribution to this endeavour. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/22519 Old powers, old paths, emerging participation? Irrigation Management in post- Soviet Azerbaijan Fox, Svenja The objective of this study is to identify factors determining the performance of natural resource management by local users in a post-Soviet context, using the case of irrigation in Azerbaijan. By examining the activity of six water user associations and assessing the role played by the local environment in their success or failure, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of constraints on modern irrigation management in a post-Soviet context. The study explores external variables for WUA performance in post- Soviet Azerbaijan. The research draws on theoretical insight from both collective action theory and historical institutionalism. In a first step, I ask the question of “How do water user associations in Azerbaijan perform? Are we looking at a 'story of success' or at a 'story of failure?” In a second step, the main research question - “How do external factors influence the performance of water user associations in Azerbaijan?” - is answered by applying a methodological framework to qualitative interview data generated in expert interviews. The results confirm the findings of previous studies that the post-Soviet context presents particular challenges to participatory irrigation management. Whereas the broader legal and policy environment seems to be favorable for WUA establishment, both formal and informal Soviet legacies can be identified as impeding factors. Old powers still prove to be in place, old paths still seem to play a role, and the emergence of farmer participation is slow and challenged by a number of constraints. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/20095 Synopse aktuell diskutierter Wohlfahrtsansätze und grüner Wachstumskonzepte Meyer, Bernd; Diefenbacher, Hans; Zieschank, Roland; Ahlert, Gerd 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/20075 The National Welfare Index as a contribution to the debate on a more sustainable economy Zieschank, Roland; Diefenbacher, Hans The task of reaching a more sustainable kind of economic process is narrowly related with a double problem: up to date most societies have pursued an explicit strategy of economic growth, although its successes are now disappearing and, at a closer look, its negative ecological and social side effects appear to be even growing. The first part of this article contrasts the ambiguity of the growth concept with a concept of social welfare, which aims at a more qualitative kind of growth, considering the available natural and social capital as well. It will become clear that even GDP as a traditional and politically crucial indicator for the success or failure of a country’s economic development necessarily gives ambiguous signals if one looks at this parameter of the national accounts by the light of a sustainable development. More recent calculations of the national welfare index for Germany (NWI) result in some interesting discussion lines: the aggregated progress of 19 variables shows an significant difference in its development: between 2000 and 2007, the NWI tends to fall in comparison with GDP/GNI (gross national income). This discrepancy is to be seen as evidence of the fact that there might be an increasing economic growth even without any improvement in welfare. Quite on the contrary, in the years 2008 – 2009 the NWI does not seem to follow the drastic collapse of GDP/GNI at the same pace. This article aims at providing an overview both of the social context in which NWI was created as a complementary reporting system integrating GDP/GNI and of its construction principles as well as of some results. From all this, some conclusions will be drawn about how the index can be helpful in the development of a more sustainable concept of welfare. For example, it will become understandable that improvements in welfare can be achieved even without economic growth. This process could go hand in hand with reflections on economic transformation and cultural change. It is all about future strategies allowing a reduction in the physical material and energy flux as well as in the negative impacts on ecosystems and nature due to economic activities, so that societies will profit from such change. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z