Green Outcomes in the Real World: Global Forces, Local Circumstances, and Sustainable Solutions

Over the last three decades the world economy has grown strongly on the back of 'globalization' supported by the policies of free-trade, open markets and privatisation. Support has also grown for the concept of 'sustainability', meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But as the Earth's systems come under increasing strain, the inherent conflict between sustainability and globalization has been exposed. Green Outcomes in a Real World examines the shift in thinking required to reconcile these two important areas of policy. In this ground breaking book, Peter McManners has coined the term 'Proximization' to define a new policy framework. The principles of Proximization are: 'sustainability', 'subsidiarity', 'primacy of the state' and 'market economics' and the application of these familiar concepts towards a sustainable globalised world is novel and different. The author argues that adherence to the principles of proximization will return world society to a stable natural order, and will mean changes. Global commodity flows will reduce and barriers to migration will increase. National governments will demand more control over their finances leading to restrictions on capital flows. Indeed, Peter believes that an element of 'selfish determination' is needed. The new world order will be sustainable by design. Global organisations such as the UN, national governments and global corporations will have to understand and apply a different paradigm. The arguments in this book do not reflect the idealism or even naivety of some of the green movement. This book is about hard-edged reality presented by an author with huge experience and a deep understanding of the business perspective. It will appeal to a wide range of professionals involved in setting policy and future direction for businesses, governments, and non-governmental bodies, as well as to those with an academic interest in business, economics, social and environmental issues, and public policy.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword; Preface; Part 1 The Principles of a Green Future: Sustainability in a globalized world; Sustainability; Subsidiarity; The primacy of the state; Green economics. Part 2 Changing Society and the Economy: Return to a natural world order; Global commodity flows; Population dynamics; Finance and capital flows; The global knowledge economy. Part 3 A Changing World: Global cooperation and coordination; The key role of government; Global corporations; Human-scale communities; Sustainable by design; Epilogue; References; Index.

About the Author :
Peter McManners works as a consultant and author and he is a Visiting Executive Fellow at Henley Business School and is undertaking doctoral research in economic geography at the University of Reading. His first degree was in engineering from Durham University. He has an MSc. from Edinburgh University, where he studied global databases and environmental monitoring, and he is a Henley MBA. Peter's career as a military engineer, surveyor and mapping expert took him to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He has been Chief Operating Officer of the Oxford Trust, where his focus was on spinning technology out of academia. He has taught all over Northern Europe under the auspices of Henley Business School, Reading University. He has written a number of papers, articles and books, winning a prize in the Oxford Science Writing Competition for one of his articles. He currently writes a monthly column in Sustainable Business magazine and is the author of the acclaimed book 'Fly and Be Damned'. Peter is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Member of the Institute of Directors. He is also a member of the Green Economics Institute and was a speaker at the Institute's Oxford Conferences in 2008 and 2009.

Review :
'This excellent book provides a unique perspective on sustainability and globalisation, two subjects which are usually viewed as inherently contradictory. The author argues convincingly that the two can be reconciled if we are willing to introduce some fundamental changes in the way we run our economy and society. He provides some powerful and bold insights into how to achieve this.' Professor Emilio Herbolzheimer, Henley Business School 'In this ground-breaking book, Peter McManners shines a spotlight on some of the most intractable and important issues of the current age. He exposes the 'dark underbelly' of globalization and the problems that arise from the narrow pursuit of economic objectives. He is not alone in recognising the problems, but the strength of this book is the policy framework proposed to solve them...Green Outcomes in the Real World is published at a time when the world needs new ideas and a new direction. It defines that new direction and should be compulsory reading for policy makers and students of international affairs. It sets the framework that could support the greening of the economy and society.' Paul Taylor, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics 'Peter McManners rightly identifies the failure to question the orthodoxy of economic globalisation as a roadblock along humanity's journey towards sustainability. Committed free-traders will be uncomfortable with his conclusions, but they should read this book. They will find he is no enemy of competition and free markets. The essence of his valuable proposal is that by encouraging a greater diversity of economic models and allowing more room for nations individually, and in self-selecting groups, to find their own paths to sustainability, competition will encourage creativity, innovation and a more resilient global economy. McManners outlines a new global economic structure, built on the foundations of his four principles of proximization, which not only sits more easily within its surrounding eco-systems, but is also a more comfortable and pleasing place for us to live.' Stewart Wallis, Executive Director, the New Economics Foundation 'In this valuable and incisive book, McManners provides a coherent overview of thinking about the critical issue of sustainability in the real world. He underlines the need to adapt economics to serve society better and to reorient the paths of globalisation and growth so as to decouple our notion of progress from environmental degradation. To achieve such deep changes, he makes challenging proposals for a new balance of responsibility and partnership in world affairs. These are indeed critical issues which will determine the future of humanity in the twenty-first century.' Martin Lees, Secretary General, Club of Rome