Eden, Sally E. 1994. "Using Sustainable Development: The Business Case." Global Environmental Change 4(2): 160-167.

Thesis:

"Sustainable Development' as used by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) focuses on neo-classical growth for the North, market and techno-fixes, de-emphasizing important issues of equity and economic restructuring. Thus, "it is not addressing key sources of environmental problems" (p.166). If market and equity issues are not addressed, many countries will not have the resources to live sustainably (ibid).

Summary:

Eden evaluates the use of 'sustainable development' in the business context, in response to the Brundtland Report. The Brundtland Report marked a shift from the pessimistic framing of the environment vs. development debate by making economic growth part of the solution to environmental problems, poverty, and inequality. Eden argues that the business construction of 'sustainable development' has reshaped the framing of issues by taking "sustainability as a secondary aspect of economic growth," to the neglect of international, intergenerational, and intragenerational equity (p.162) and leading to "shallow environmental improvements" (p.167).

Eden utilizes ICC documents to analyze a business response to Brundtland. She identifies areas of divergence from the Brundtland version of sustainable development:

The ICC cites 'growth' as what should be sustainable, rather than the term 'development' which has social and political dimensions.

The ICC has developed 16 principles for sustainable development, which emphasize changes in the firm, streamlining, and benchmarks of progress, and overlook issues of equity, international equality, fair trade, and the needs of future generations.

This, in Eden's view, represents use of the term "to further business efficiency and to prepare business for environmental criticism...but not to deal with the various forms of equity, particularly between North and South" (p.163). Rather, the ICC characterizes 'sustainable development' as dependent upon and justification for 'free enterprise' in the current global economic structure.

Eden cites three main implications of the ICC's use of sustainable development (p.165-167):

First, the ICC has virtually ignored issues of class and North-South equity, but has sometimes utilized equity for "future generations" as an emotional tool and rationale (a) for technical environmental management and (b) for expanding the "green" market to increase profits. (p.165)

Secondly, business has taken an overwhelmingly technical or 'techno-fix' orientation to change, rather than addressing major lifestyle and consumption patterns or fundamental economic and institutional restructuring.

Thirdly, the ICC pushes for self-regulation through economic incentives, rather than evaluation based upon environmental outcomes. This relegates change to "shallow and reformist" levels.

Eden concludes that business' use of sustainable development "becomes problematic where that orientation obscures other issues and demotes environmental action to only shallow and reformist dimensions" (p.167).

Keywords: sustainable development, equity, political-economic restructuring, economic growth