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This chapter discusses the climate change mitigation potentials of carbon labels in the aviation industry. As this study shows, there are significant differences in the environmental performance of individual flights, even when operated on the same route or by the same airline. Selecting one flight over another can significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of a single air passenger. Nevertheless, the currently available measures, such as carbon calculators, are not capable of presenting these differences, leaving air passengers with no means of comparing individual flights. Therefore, the use of carbon labels could be highly beneficial because it would give air passengers the opportunity to easily compare the carbon dioxide emissions of individual flights at the time of booking. By making better informed choices, air passengers could not only reduce their own individual carbon dioxide emissions but could also send a strong signal to the airlines. This could motivate airlines to improve their environmental performance, which could be made more visible through carbon labels.
Even though air travel often provides the fastest transport option, it also has the highest climate impact. Especially on long-haul trips, an aircraft usually represents the only feasible option. Nevertheless, aircraft are more often used on short-haul routes as well. It is the short-haul flights that produce the highest emissions per passenger. These are also the ones that could be replaced the most easily by land-based transportation modes. This study investigates the greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of replacing short-haul flights with train, coach and car travel within Finland while also taking into account real travel times from door to door. Our results showed that replacing short-haul flights could significantly reduce a country’s climate impact. Furthermore, we found that existing land-based transportation modes can keep up with the travel times of aircrafts on routes up to 400 km.
Air travel is considered the biggest individual climate sin. Avoiding flying, however, seems impossible. In this paper we argue that the flight a passenger chooses can be significant. For this purpose we compared the carbon emissions of selected flights in three geographical markets. We found tremendous differences in the environmental performance of individual flights. Furthermore, we also found that flying with the most modern aircraft or flying non-stop represents, in many cases, the least polluting option. Nevertheless, we were able to show that there are exceptions to this rule. Based on our results, we provide recommendations to the industry and for further research.
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the environmental impacts of aviation, and some airlines have begun to address this issue more seriously. At the same time, competition in the aviation industry has become much tougher. This study focuses on the question of whether showing proactive environmental behavior could work as a differentiation strategy for airlines that are acting more responsibly, and thus help them to improve their competitiveness. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire conducted among 148 air travelers on their opinions and attitudes towards environmental aspects of flying, such as a modern and fuel-efficient fleet, direct flights, and carbon offset. The results showed that indeed there are air passengers who consider the environment when booking a flight, although they were not in the majority. The study also found that the participants saw additional value in a modern fleet, direct flights, and carbon offset, however, not all of them showed a willingness to pay a premium for those aspects.
This study focuses on the customer experiences of air passengers travelling on the latest-technology aircraft currently available on the market, the Airbus A350. A questionnaire was conducted in cooperation with Europe’s first A350 operator, Finnair, to study the customer experience of flying on this new aircraft. Altogether 1,404 responses were recorded. The questionnaire focused on the A350 as a service innovation as well as on 10 aspects that had been used by Finnair to communicate the enhanced customer experience of flying on this new aircraft. These innovations were: larger windows, better cabin air, new interior design, 20% increased fuel efficiency, lower cabin pressure, less noise in the cabin, ambient mood lighting, improved food services, better seats as well as improved entertainment systems. In addition to that we also used contingent valuation to test customer’s willingness to pay a premium for flying on the A350. Our results showed that there is a significant amount of passengers that showed a willingness to pay a premium for flying on the A350 again. Further, we also detected that certain service innovations had enhanced the willingness to pay such as the improved entertainment system, better seats and less noise in the cabin. In addition to that, we also detected that the 20% increased fuel efficiency had played a significant role for the willingness to pay and that introducing such a new aircraft type can also have a positive effect on the brand image of an airline.
This is a report on the 2018 Ceres Conference that took place from April 24 to 26 at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, MA. The conference theme was “Scale Up!” while the discussion centered mainly around the “We Are Still In!” movement that has emerged after the pull-out of the Paris Climate Agreement by the Trump administration. The conference was mainly attended by institutional investors, company executives and capital market leaders as well as NGOs and academics. The conference consisted of four plenary and four panel sessions as well as various networking events.
Aviation plays a crucial role for economic development and social welfare, but at the same time it also significantly contributes to climate change. Therefore, if the industry wants to follow the same growth path as it has in the past, it will need to mitigate its environmental impacts more seriously or it may otherwise face regulatory restrictions. The current literature has discussed five mitigation strategies. These are technological changes, market-based changes, operational changes, regulatory changes and behavioural changes. While several authors have regarded behavioural changes as the measure with the greatest mitigation potential, it is also the measure that has received far less attention in the literature. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the potential of behavioural change as an instrument to mitigate the environmental impacts of aviation. The study is conducted in the form of a literature review. We first discuss issues related to the consumer’s environmentally responsible self-concept that often conflicts with the environmental impacts of flying, the so-called flying dilemma. We then provide an overview of aviation’s environmental impacts and present the five mitigation strategies in greater detail. After that we have a closer look at the concept of behavioural change. We then discuss separately measures of behavioural change from the perspective of the aviation industry and the air passengers. While the literature on the aviation industry presents many opportunities in which airlines can engage in behavioural change, the literature on air passengers is rather limited and focuses mainly on carbon offset. We instead have chosen another stream of literature that focuses on the novel idea of air passengers engaging in behavioural change by actively selecting airlines which are more environmentally friendly. We conclude this literature review with a discussion of how to bring green offer and demand together by drawing the conclusion that, in order to be able to mitigate the climate change impacts of aviation through behavioural change, an instrument to connect both ends would be needed.
Air transportation plays a vital role in many aspects of our every day life. Due to strong growth and the increasing amount of green house gases released, the aviation industry cannot be considered as operating sustainable. To change this all stakeholders of the aviation industry have to act. A special role hereby play the airlines as they can most directly influence the amount of green houses gases released e.g. by operating modern and fuel efficient aircraft. Offering flights that are producing less emissions has its price as e.g. acquiring modern aircraft can be very costly. At the same time competition between airlines is getting continually tougher forcing also established airlines to cut back their costs. The idea of this research is therefore to study how an airline could turn these additional investments into a competitive advantage factor instead of just seeing the costs and risks. One airline which has shown strong commitment to cut back green house gas emissions in the recent years is Finland’s largest airline Finnair. The purpose of this study was to find out how Finnair could gain competitive advantage through its environmental performance. Therefore Finnair’s customer’s opinions and attitudes towards environmental aspects of flying have been studied and analysed with the help of a web-based questionnaire. The results showed that there are air passengers who consider the environment when booking a flight although this was not the majority. The study also found that Finnair’s customers value the fact that Finnair is operating a modern fleet and is offering them the shortest routes but not all of them were ready to pay more for that. The research also detected that many Finnair customers are not aware of Finnair’s outstanding environmental performance. It can therefore be concluded that Finnair should more actively communicate its environmental work to attract new customers and to gain competitive advantage.
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the environmental impacts of aviation, and some airlines have begun to address this issue more seriously. At the same time competition in the aviation industry has become much tougher. This study focuses on the question whether showing pro-active environmental behaviour could work as a differentiation strategy for airlines which are acting more responsibly, thus helping them to improve their competitiveness. For this purpose one airline showing strong pro-environmental behaviour in recent years was chosen as an example: Finland’s flag carrier, Finnair. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire conducted among 148 Finnair customers on their opinions and attitudes towards environmental aspects of flying, such as a modern and fuel-efficient fleet, direct flights, carbon offset, and emissions calculators. The results showed that indeed there are air passengers who consider the environment when booking a flight, although this was not the majority. The study also found that the participants saw additional value in a modern fleet and direct flights, but not all of them were ready to pay any extra for that.
Air transport plays a vital role in tourism because it makes long-haul destinations accessible and more frequent vacations possible. Despite its benefits, air travel extensively contributes to climate change. Behavioural change is seen as a key driver in mitigating the environmental impacts of air transport. One way to encourage behavioural change is the use of eco-labels. This paper presents the idea of introducing an air transport eco-label. It explores the idea’s potential and realization through the thematic analysis of 12 interviews with airline industry experts. The results indicated a need for an air transport eco-label. It could help build awareness among air travellers by providing them with environmental information during booking, thereby making flights environmentally comparable. This would also stimulate more competition between airlines, motivating them to improve their environmental performance and creating competitive advantage for those performing better. Finally, the study found that there should be only one eco-label, which should be compulsory for all commercial flights. It should be introduced by an independent authority in order to ensure credibility and trustworthiness. This study could be a first step towards the introduction of an air transport eco-label, making the industry more sustainable.
Several attempts have been made to make the aviation industry more sustainable with the help of environmental standards. This paper presents the idea of a new standard: the introducing an eco-label into the aviation industry. For this purpose 12 interviews with industry experts were conducted and thematically analyzed. It was discussed how environmental labels could be realized in the aviation industry. Eco-labels were seen as a useful tool for making environmentally informed choices. However, finding industry wide common agreement on eco-labels was seen as difficult and it would require an independent authority to set the right standards and rules.
Fridays for Future is a movement initiated by Greta Thunberg designed to alert millions around the globe that we are amid a climate crisis by organising Friday protests. Led by Greta Thunberg, Fridays for Future has generated a lot of press in recent years: Greta has been listed among the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women as well as being twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. Greta was also named Time Magazine Person of the Year 2019. While her cause may be noble, many criticise the Fridays for Future movement—others simply do not believe in its global warming message. Twitter is a powerful electronic word of mouth (eWOM) platform, which, as a form of peer-to-peer communication, has the power to influence human behaviour from product adoption to voting behaviours. Twitter offers a convenient and efficient global platform for sharing opinions or referring to news items. Using hashtags, users can reach vast audiences who are already interested in specific topics regardless of spatial and temporal considerations. Twitter also provides a historical record of eWOM communication where the popularity of any topic can be gauged from the numbers of likes and retweets. Greta is an avid Twitter user who uses the platform to promote the Fridays for Future protests for climate change. Therefore, to investigate the global attitudes towards Greta’s cause, we utilised sentiment analysis of Twitter content to gauge how users worldwide feel about Greta and her movement. Sentiment analysis (also called opinion mining) simply involves analysing data contained in natural language such as those featuring in Tweets. Sentiment analysis refers to performing natural language processing (NLP) via the use of computational linguistics software to extract and identify quantitative data about positive and negative sentiments towards a particular issue.
Replacing short-haul flights with high-speed rail (HSR) has been widely discussed as one solution to mitigate the climate change impacts of aviation. However, although HSR can provide travel times similar to those provided by short-haul flights, and at lower emission levels, it also requires considerable investments in time and infrastructure to build. Instead, this study considers the feasibility of replacing short-haul flights with existing non-high-speed rail (NHSR). Our study is based in Finland, a country that has an extensive route network of short-haul flights but does not possess any HSR. We compared all 16 city pairs for which short-haul flights are offered with existing NHSR based on the total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2-eq) and real travel times from door-to-door. Two scenarios were developed based on the results, which suggest replacing all short-haul flights with NHSR in Finland. This would result in a 95% emissions reduction. In terms of travel times, NHSR could remain competitive against air travel on distances up to 400 km.
Air travel plays a vital role in today's life because it makes remote destinations accessible and short getaways possible. Despite its benefits, air transportation contributes heavily to climate change. Behavioral change is seen as a key driver in mitigating the environmental impacts of air travel. One way to encourage behavioral change is to use eco-labels. This study explores how an eco-label could be developed for the airline industry to function as a potential driver for behavioral change. 12 interviews with airline industry experts were conducted and thematically analyzed. Empirical results were then combined with prior research and the following five criteria essential for the development of an airline eco-label were identified: credibility, comparability, clarity, transparency and participation. Out of these five criteria, participation seemed to be the most challenging to realize. Based on these criteria, this paper could be understood as a first step towards the introduction of an industry-wide eco-labelling scheme for the airline industry that could help reduce the environmental impacts of aviation through behavioral change.
Tourism is growing at a fast rate and so is its carbon footprint. Alongside conventional tourism, a new form of tourism, so-called voluntourism, has emerged. The discussion on voluntourism in the existing literature has hereby mainly centred around its positive impacts on the health and education of communities and the local environment in developing countries. Nevertheless, little attention has been drawn to its climate impacts. This study set out to investigate the carbon footprint of voluntourism. The data were collected at a local NGO in India working with voluntourists. Both the carbon footprint of the stay in India and from the round trip by air were taken into consideration. The results showed that while the carbon footprint of voluntourists during their stay is comparable with that of locals, the flight significantly contributes to the carbon footprint of voluntourism. Depending on the distance flown and the length of the stay, the average share of the carbon footprint stemming from the flight can be between 83% and 96%. The paper concludes that faraway destinations and short stays should be avoided; otherwise voluntourism might cause more harm than good. Based on the findings this paper provides recommendations for policymakers and further research.
Ruuhkaa Jyväskylän asemalla. Asema on avattu vuonna 1897, kun Jyväskylä liitettiin Suomen rataverkkoon ja rautatie Haapamäeltä valmistui. Rautatie Jyväskylästä Suolahteen valmistui 1898. Rautatieasemarakennus on ajalleen tyypillisesti toteutettu Rautatiehallituksen arkkitehti Bruno Granholmin suunnittelemien tyyppipiirustusten pohjalta. Asema otettiin pois käytöstä vuonna 2002, kun uusi matkakeskus valmistui. Nykyään vanhassa asemarakennuksessa toimii ravintola.
Juna T 3492 Äänekoskelta Vuosaareen. Jyväskylässä tapahtuu aina kuljettajanvaihto, mistä syystä juna tavallisesti pysähtyy lyhyesti raiteella 1. Uusi kuljettaja on jo päässyt ohjaamoon, kun vanha kuski lähtee tauolle. Jyväskylän rautatieasema on avattu vuonna 1897, kun Jyväskylä liitettiin Suomen rataverkkoon ja rautatie Haapamäeltä valmistui.
Jyväskylän vanha rautatieasema viistosti edestä kuvattuna. Asema on avattu vuonna 1897, kun Jyväskylä liitettiin Suomen rataverkkoon ja rautatie Haapamäeltä valmistui. Rautatie Jyväskylästä Suolahteen valmistui 1898. Rautatieasemarakennus on ajalleen tyypillisesti toteutettu Rautatiehallituksen arkkitehti Bruno Granholmin suunnittelemien tyyppipiirustusten pohjalta. Asemarakennus edustaa kansallisromanttista puuarkkitehtuuria. Asemaa on laajennettu vuosina 1923 ja 1968–1969. Asema otettiin pois käytöstä vuonna 2002, kun uusi matkakeskus valmistui. Nykyään vanhassa asemarakennuksessa toimii ravintola.
COVID-19 hit the global economy hard in early 2020, and airline industry was among the biggest commercial victims. Governments closed borders, the virus scared off travelers and the aircraft stayed on the ground to a large extent. The forecasted record year turned out to be the worst in the history of aviation. This study focused on the concerns of airline customers and analyzed the differences between the customer behavior in two focus markets, Finland and Sweden. The article is based on a questionnaire and the answers of 2004 airline customers. The results show that even though the overall COVID-19 strategy was very different between the focus markets, the same concerns still arose. The main concerns were related to quarantines and convenience of traveling, but health was also a major worry. The impact on climate change and public opinion were among the least concerning factors for most. The Swedes were less concerned about the quarantine upon returning, which may not be surprising due to their more liberal COVID-19 strategy at the time. Other attributes that were analyzed (gender, airline loyalty tier, age) suggest that females are categorically more concerned than males, the travel-related annoyances affect all travelers regardless of the tier and that travelers from different age groups are concerned about different aspects of traveling during a pandemic. The data gathering for this research was carried out in collaboration with Finnair, Finland’s national carrier.
In the last few years there has been an increasing attempt to find solutions on how to mitigate the environmental impacts of air travel. Behavioral change has hereby been identified as the measure with the most significant impact. One way to encourage behavioral change is the use of eco-labels. Eco-labels have, to date, received scant attention in the aviation industry, and their effect on air travel behavior is still largely unknown. This study explores the effect of an eco-label on the booking decisions of passengers. We conduct a stated choice experiment with 553 air passengers. Our findings show that providing passengers with an eco-label leads to behavioral change, as the label makes them avoid the most polluting flights while it also increases their willingness to pay for less polluting flights. We find, however, that it is environmentally minded passengers who are more likely to select green-labeled flights. In addition, our results show that providing additional information on the purpose and goals of the eco-label is crucial for its adoption, because this added information increases the preference for more environmentally friendly flights significantly. Based on our results, we provide recommendations to the industry and for further research.
While the aviation sector has long been referenced as contributing to the causes of climate change, the need for aviation to adapt to the consequences of climate change has not been as well researched or considered. The paper is a systematic quantitative literature review on climate change and aviation, which aims to explicate significant issues affecting aviation in a changing climate and to identify the aviation industry responses on climate change and adaptation. There are 46 references involved in the detailed assessment, selected according to variables such as methodology, paper outcomes and industry stakeholder. This emergent aviation and climate change adaptation literature could be broadened to cover more disciplines and approaches, an increased range of aviation stakeholders and go further beyond the larger airport case studies in developed countries. Further practical and policy developments are needed, particularly surrounding adaptation planning in aviation and the social justice implications of associated policies.
One measure to mitigate the carbon emissions created from air travel is voluntary carbon offsets (VCO). As a voluntary measure, the question of whether there is willingness to pay (WTP) for VCOs and due to what factors is as old as the concept itself. A vast amount of literature has studied the factors influencing WTP for VCOs, producing diverse but also contradictory results. In order to shed new light on the question of which factors influence air passengers’ WTP, a systematic quantitative literature review assessing the existing literature on this topic was conducted. Out of 332 studies, 47 articles published between 2004 and 2020 were selected and analysed. The results showed that the highest WTP can be found among young, high-income and highly educated air travellers that are aware of aviation’s contribution to climate change and feel personally responsible for their own contribution to it. Gender played no role in WPT. In terms of the offsetting programs themselves, they should be built to create trust in their effectiveness, establish a clear link between customers’ paying and the positive outcome for the environment, be transparent, not be priced too high and, most importantly, air passengers should be made aware of their existence.
Under the looming climate crisis, aviation needs to find new solutions to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. One pathway towards zero emissions is the use of electric aircraft. While current battery technology will not allow for medium and long-haul flights at full capacity, on short-haul routes First Generation Electric Aircraft (FGEA) could play a significant role in the near future. Current FGEA under development could carry 9–19 passengers on distances of 400–1046 km by 2025. This study focuses on the emissions reduction potentials of FGEA in Finland. It compares the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq) emissions and real travel times (RTT) from door-to-door of FGEA on 47 routes with existing aircraft, train and car transport modes, as well as with proposed high-speed rail (HSR) and electric vehicle implementation. The study found that replacing all existing aircraft with FGEA can clearly be recommended as it would result in a reduction of CO2-eq emissions and RTT. Existing cars should only be replaced by FGEA on routes beyond 170 km. The replacement of existing trains by FGEA under the current energy mix is not recommended. However, once electricity could be provided from renewable energy sources exclusively, it would become feasible to replace existing trains on distances beyond 170 km and HSR beyond 400 km with FGEA.
The looming climate crisis requires an immediate response, also on an individual level. Consumers are being asked to reduce and replace their carbon-intensive consumption behaviors. One of the consumption behaviors with the largest impact is air travel. The growing awareness among consumers has led to the advent of flight shaming, which could seriously endanger airlines' existing business models. One way for airlines to respond to this threat is by becoming more eco-friendly. We therefore wanted to study whether the environmental responsibility of an airline could be positively associated with customer satisfaction and whether that could translate into more customer loyalty towards an eco-friendly airline. To study customer satisfaction with an environmentally responsible airline, we conducted a survey among 1170 customers of the Finnish flag-carrier Finnair. Finnair was chosen as a case because it is regarded as one of the leading airlines for eco-friendliness. The study found that being environmentally responsible can benefit airlines, because it can generate customer satisfaction alongside more established antecedents of customer loyalty such as brand image and value for money. Furthermore, the study found that satisfied customers were more likely to repurchase airlines' services and engage in positive word-of-mouth (WOM), resulting in customer loyalty. This finding links airline's perceived environmental responsibility to customer loyalty.
The transportation sector has become the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One solution to mitigate the impacts is a shift towards electric modes. Where previous studies have only focused on the replacement of individual modes, our study presents a more holistic approach by comparing land-based, water-based and airborne transportation modes. We study the GHG emission reduction potentials of electric cars, buses, trains, ferries and aircraft in comparison to existing modes on 34 routes within Finland and across the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Estonia. By comparing the GHG emissions in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) per passenger kilometer for each mode, we also consider the emissions generated from battery production as well as the differences in the energy mix from electricity production of the three studied countries. In addition to CO2-eq emissions per passenger kilometer, we also take real door-to-door travel times into account. Our study found that electric transportation modes possess great potential for emissions reduction. Nevertheless, depending on the energy mix used for electricity production, the emissions of electric transportation modes can exceed those of existing modes significantly. In addition, the emissions generated by battery production can have a significant share of the total emissions and should therefore always be considered. Finally, while also taking into account the door-to-door travel times, our study the great potential of electric aircraft to provide a less carbon intensive transportation option paired with short travel times starting on routes beyond 300 km where no high-speed rail exists as well as on routes across the water.
The looming climate crisis requires an immediate response, in which organizations, as major contributors, should play a central role. However, these organizations need appropriate tools to measure and mitigate their climate impacts. One commonly applied method is carbon footprint analysis. Carbon footprint analyses have been conducted for various types of organizations, but knowledge organizations, such as universities and research institutes, have received far less attention, because their carbon footprint is often less visible and can be easily underestimated. This study is based on the carbon footprint analysis of one multinational knowledge organization. This analysis then helped identify the major sources of climate impacts in other such knowledge organizations. These are mainly indirect emissions (Scope 3) and to a large extent (79%) travel-related emissions. Based on these findings, three scenarios for a post-COVID-19 world were developed and analyzed. The results from the first two scenarios showed that despite a reduction in business travel and employees working from home, Scope 3 and travel-related emissions would remain the largest contributor. Only in the unlikely case of the third, non-recovery scenario did the share of travel-related emissions drop, turning heating into the largest contributor. In addition to measuring the carbon footprint, the study discusses potential mitigation strategies knowledge organizations could apply to reduce their carbon footprint. The focus is on how to avoid and reduce emissions, but new forms of carbon offsetting are also addressed. Based on the findings, a mitigation policy framework and recommendations for further research are proposed.
This chapter considers sustainable marketing and consumption from the perspective of planetary well-being (PW). While marketing is commonly associated with unsustainability, sustainable marketing can create, communicate, and deliver value to consumers in ways that ensure and restore the urgent needs of nature. Sustainable consumption at the acceptable threshold of disturbance on needs satisfaction globally requires critical reflection on the current norms and practices alongside thoughtful solutions for guiding action. The firstpart of the chapter presents the problematization of marketing and consumption against sustainability from the PW angle. It critically discusses the drivers of and barriers to sustainable consumption from the corporate and consumer perspectives. The secondpart presents sustainable-consumption solutions that respect nonhuman needs. We address the question of how marketing and consumption can be transformed so that they can promote PW while providing goods and services to humans. Circular economy, sustainable consumption, consumer information, and digitalized consumption, including the use of artificial intelligence, are cited as intriguing consumption solutions with respect to nonhuman-system needs. The potential of these solutions to influence PW varies as they imply different degrees of change in practices and behaviours. The chapter concludes with an overview of practical solutions to sustainable consumption for PW.
COVID-19 crisis has emphasized how poorly prepared humanity is to cope with global disasters. However, this crisis also offers a unique opportunity to move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Here, we identify the underlying environmental, social, and economic chronic causes of the COVID-19 crisis. We argue in favour of a holistic view to initiate a socio-economic transition to improve the prospects for global sustainability and human well-being. Alternative approaches to “Business-As-Usual” for guiding the transition are already available for implementation. Yet, to ensure a successful and just transition, we need to change our priorities towards environmental integrity and well-being. This necessarily means environmental justice, a different worldview and a closer relationship with nature.
COVID-19 crisis has emphasized how poorly prepared humanity is to cope with global disasters. However, this crisis also offers a unique opportunity to move towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Here, we identify the underlying environmental, social, and economic chronic causes of the COVID-19 crisis. We argue in favour of a holistic view to initiate a socio-economic transition to improve the prospects for global sustainability and human well-being. Alternative approaches to “Business-As-Usual” for guiding the transition are already available for implementation. Yet, to ensure a successful and just transition, we need to change our priorities towards environmental integrity and well-being. This necessarily means environmental justice, a different worldview and a closer relationship with nature.
Businesses have a significant impact on global environmental and social sustainability. To address the related issues, the concept of sustainable business has been introduced, which refers to the practices that businesses can adopt to minimize their negative economic, environmental, and social impacts. This chapter presents a critical analysis of selected sustainable business concepts and practices using planetary well-being as a conceptual framework. In terms of conceptual approaches, the chapter discusses circular economy (circulation of resources without creating waste), degrowth (shrinking of production and consumption to respect planetary boundaries), and sustainability transition (radical changes in production and consumption). Regarding practical approaches, this chapter focuses on sustainable business models (how companies are organized to promote sustainability) and on the role of employees as change agents. The findings suggest that these concepts and practices have several shortcomings from the point of view of planetary well-being, as they are based on the logic of economic growth. The conclusion is that sustainable business requires radically different approaches and new ways of thinking to promote planetary well-being. However, this chapter has an optimistic view that the application of a planetary well-being perspective can provide valuable avenues for an environmentally and socially responsible future for sustainable business.
Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature manifest in social protests and political and academic debates over the future of Earth. The increasing consumption of natural resources no longer increases, let alone equalizes, human well-being, but has led to the current ecological crisis and harms both human and nonhuman well-being. While the crisis has been acknowledged, the existing conceptual frameworks are in some respects ill-equipped to address the crisis in a way that would link the resolving of the crisis with the pivotal aim of promoting equal well-being. The shortcomings of the existing concepts in this respect relate to anthropocentric normative orientation, methodological individualism that disregards process dynamics and precludes integrating the considerations of human and nonhuman well-being, and the lack of multiscalar considerations of well-being. This work derives and proposes the concept of planetary well-being to address the aforementioned conceptual issues, to recognize the moral considerability of both human and nonhuman well-being, and to promote transdisciplinary, cross-cultural discourse for addressing the crisis and for promoting societal and cultural transformation. Conceptually, planetary well-being shifts focus on well-being from individuals to processes, Earth system and ecosystem processes, that underlie all well-being. Planetary well-being is a state where the integrity of Earth system and ecosystem processes remains unimpaired to a degree that species and populations can persist to the future and organisms have the opportunity to achieve well-being. After grounding and introducing planetary well-being, this work shortly discusses how the concept can be operationalized and reflects upon its potential as a bridging concept between different worldviews.
Tensions between the well-being of present humans, future humans, and nonhuman nature manifest in social protests and political and academic debates over the future of Earth. The increasing consumption of natural resources no longer increases, let alone equalises, human well-being, but has led to the current ecological crisis and harms both human and nonhuman well-being. While the crisis has been acknowledged, the existing conceptual frameworks are in some respects ill-equipped to address the crisis in a way that would link the resolving of the crisis with the pivotal aim of promoting equal well-being. The shortcomings of the existing concepts in this respect relate to anthropocentric normative orientation, methodological individualism that disregards process dynamics and precludes integrating the considerations of human and nonhuman well-being, and the lack of multiscalar considerations of well-being. This work derives and proposes the concept of planetary well-being to address the aforementioned conceptual issues, to recognise the moral considerability of both human and nonhuman well-being, and to promote transdisciplinary, cross-cultural discourse for addressing the crisis and for promoting societal and cultural transformation. Conceptually, planetary well-being shifts focus on well-being from individuals to processes, Earth system and ecosystem processes, that underlie all well-being. Planetary well-being is a state where the integrity of Earth system and ecosystem processes remains unimpaired to a degree that species and populations can persist to the future and organisms have the opportunity to achieve well-being. After grounding and introducing planetary well-being, this work shortly discusses how the concept can be operationalised and reflects upon its potential as a bridging concept between different worldviews.