Special Tracks

1. Sustainability Transition Dialogue “Re-imagining markets for critical minerals in  Energy Transitions”

Track Sessions 1

Date and time: Thursday, 26 October 2023;  11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Place: Neguaje Lado A

Chair:

• Harro von Blottnitz, Academic Coordinator, TRAJECTS Centre, South Africa.

Speakers:

• Jennifer Broadhurst, Associate Professor, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
• Paola Yanguas Parra, Academic Coordinator, TRAJECTS Centre, Colombia
• Álvaro Pardo, Director, National Mining Agency, Colombia
• Carmenza Castiblanco, Professor, Universidad Nacional, Colombia

Abstract:

Transition discourses emerge from multiple geographies and sites.  Increasingly, discourses on sustainability transitions are coming from social movements, NGOs, and individuals with significant connections to environmental and cultural struggles. In the Global South, sustainability transitions discourses include post-development, Buen Vivir, Ubuntu, transitions to post-extractivims, and the rights of nature, among others.  Post-growth, post-materialist, post-economic, post-capitalist, and post-human discourses are also emerging. While transition discourses from the Global South and North originate in different intellectual traditions and operate through different interest groups and political practices and, therefore, have points of tension, these discourses also have points of convergence and share goals and predicaments. They radically question some of the core assumptions of development discourses, i.e., economic growth and spatial and technological fixes. This lecture brings into dialogue two renowned thinkers from Colombia and South Africa to highlight the commonalities and points of tension between discourses on sustainability transitions and present visions of societal transformation based on ecological integrity and social justice, as well as the practices through which these visions can materialise at national and local levels.

2. Sustainability Transition Dialogue “Fundamental Controversies in Nature-Based Solutions”

Tracks Sessions 3

Date and time: Friday, 27 October 2023;  9:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Place: Neguaje Lado A

Chairs:

• Michelle Pressend, Academic Coordinator, TRAJECTS Centre, South Africa.

Speaker:

• Andrés Osorio, Corporación Centro de Excelencia en Ciencias del Mar (CEMARIN), Colombia
• Michela Izzo, Executive Director, Guakía Ambiente, Dominican Republic
• Anulisa Claire Adhiambo, The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Kenya
• Glynis Humphrey, African Climate Development Institute (ACDI), South Africa

Abstract:

Renewable energy technologies have become prominent in energy transitions. For countries to meet their climate mitigation goals, the demand for these technologies will rise significantly over at least the next two decades. The rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable energy will significantly increase the minerals demand needed to produce technologies. According to the World Bank Group, over 3 billion tons of minerals and metals will be needed to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage, required for achieving a below 2°C future. In particular, minerals such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, and copper are expected to face relative and absolute increases in their demand. The largest reserves of these minerals -mainly in the Global South. According to some accounts, Chile, Peru, and Mexico have an estimated 40% of the world’s copper reserves, with additional reserves found in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. Approximately two-thirds of the world’s lithium reserves are found in Bolivia. Also, Brazil hosts 17% of the world’s nickel reserves, with additional reserves in Colombia. Several social-ecological problems face mineral-rich countries. They run the risk of reproducing extractivist dynamics observed in sectors like coal and copper mining or the risks of developing illegal and informal markets with high environmental impacts like gold and cobalt mining.   This session brings different perspectives from the Global ‘South’ in dialogue to shed light on the implications for local sustainability and communities of the boom of critical minerals and to discuss the different policies to assert control over critical mineral supply chains and the geopolitical implications of those actions.

Introduction:
Water is a vital resource for a wide range of human activities, from irrigation and food supply to climatic regulation, energy production, and human health and hygiene. As a result of these uses, water exploitation has increased notably across the world over the last 250 years since the onset of industrialisation. As the demand for water continues to grow, the relationships between economic processes and water use become increasingly complex, involving a range of drivers including technological change, dietary choices, climate change, demographic trends, labour vulnerability, and policy reforms.

Objectives:
This special track aims to bring together experts from a variety of fields to explore the latest developments and best practices related to sustainable water use. With a focus on the interplay between water, labour, and policy, the track aims to:
– Discuss the latest research findings and methodologies related to the relationship between water, labour, and policy.
– Identify and analyse the key challenges and opportunities in this area, including the impact of climate change, globalization, and technological innovations.
– Foster cross-disciplinary collaborations and partnerships to address the most pressing issues related to water, labour, and policy, including water scarcity, water management, labour rights, and sustainable development.
– Provide a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share experiences, and present their research findings, best practices, and policy recommendations.

Proposed Topics:
– Understanding the relationships between water, labour, and policy at various levels of analysis, from local to global.
– Exploring the impact of globalization, technological change, and demographic trends on water use, labour, and policy.
– Examining the challenges and opportunities of sustainable water management, including the impact of climate change and the water-food-energy nexus.
– Assessing the interplay between labour rights, water use, and sustainable development.
– Discussing different dimensions of water scarcity, including both local and global dynamics, and the role of virtual water.

Following a new political Constitution enacted in the early nineties (part of a region-wide movement known as ‘Constitutional Multiculturalism’ whereby the rights of ethnic minorities were formally incorporated into Constitutional reforms), Law 70 of 1993 granted rural Afro-Colombian communities in the Pacific region of Colombia collective property over their historically inhabited territories. Community Councils, a special type of local administrative polities, were created to collectively manage those territories. One of the most important land reforms in Colombia’s recent history, this institutional change significantly improved the lives of Afro-Colombians while contributing to halt deforestation. Despite those achievements, balancing conservation and economic development by turning natural wealth into sustained economic opportunities is still an elusive goal for most communities in the region. Efforts from the Colombian state are few and the impact of development aid is limited in a context where formal institutions are still very weak.

The promotion of commons-based community enterprises, one of the strategies advanced by Afro-Colombian communities to improve their economic conditions, is yet to be effectively translated into structural change. Little is known about the conditions that facilitate the development of these enterprises and the possibilities they may offer to achieve long-lasting economic opportunities aligned with cultural practices and environmental conservation imperatives. The purpose of this panel is to discuss five papers that study the challenges and opportunities to develop those enterprises in the Afro-Colombian collective territories. Specifically, the papers are focused on three topics: (i) the role of community organisation in the development and formalisation of collective enterprises, (ii) the role of women empowerment in turning management of the commons into viable income opportunities, and (iii) the relationship between natural resource-based enterprises and peace building in the collective territories.

This panel explores the extent to which collective property regimes to manage the commons facilitate (or hinder) the development of viable economic opportunities for communities, a much needed field of inquiry within the vast literature (and practice) of the commons. While focused on the Colombian experience, the panel sheds light on similar issues faced by communities in other Latin American countries.

This special track focuses on various aspects of green economy, resource use efficiency, and environmental pollutant emission efficiency in China. Some of the presentations explore the relationship between ecosystem services and green innovation, and the impact of environmental regulatory instruments on technological innovation in agribusinesses. These studies suggest that China is making significant strides towards incorporating environmental considerations into its economic development strategy. Other presentations examine specific regions and industries, such as the research on carbon emission efficiency and industrial structure upgrading in Jiangxi Province, and the synergy of fertilizer and pesticide reduction in China. These studies suggest that there are still challenges to overcome in terms of achieving sustainable development in certain regions and industries.

Furthermore, the use of technology and digital tools to promote environmental sustainability is a topic of interest in this track, with presentations on the spatial impact of Fintech on carbon emission efficiency and its mechanism of action, as well as the influences of CSR information disclosure on firm financial performance in Chinese listed companies. In addition, some presentations focus on the circular economy and carbon neutrality, with the use of sociometabolic analytics to understand the relationship between economic activities and resource use efficiency. Other studies use economy-wide material flows analysis to assess resource efficiency and identify potential areas for improvement. The dynamic steel cycle analysis explores the relationship between material use and economic growth in multinational contexts, while the structural path analysis investigates the relationship between economic growth and pollution emissions in China.

Overall, the presentations in this special track highlight the importance of sustainable development in China and the progress being made towards achieving this goal. They also illustrate the challenges that still need to be addressed in terms of achieving resource use efficiency and reducing environmental pollutant emissions, as well as the potential for technology and digital tools to facilitate this transition.

Overall, the presentations in this theme highlight the importance of green economy in China and the progress in academic areas recently. They illustrate the challenges that still need to be addressed in achieving resource efficiency and reducing environmental pollutant emissions. The potential for technology and digital tools to facilitate this transformation is also noted.

Motivated by the dual carbon targets, China has made significant progress in promoting low-carbon development. In this context, this special track brings together research related to climate change and carbon mitigation in China.

One set of presentations focuses on the supply chain of different industries and their impact on carbon emissions. Topics covered include carbon emission reduction in the food system, global value chain and its impacts on carbon emissions, the role of circular economy in reshaping the international rare earth supply chain. These presentations aim to identify opportunities for reducing emissions by optimizing production and supply chain management.

Another set of presentations are concerned about energy transition in China, specifically promoting the low-carbon renewable alternatives for fossil fuels. Topics include the cost-benefit analysis of intermittent renewable energy, promoting sustainable development goals by optimizing city-level solar photovoltaic deployment, and industrial CO2 emission reduction under carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.

Overall, this track showcases the diverse research efforts to mitigate carbon emissions and promote sustainable development in China, highlighting the largest developing country’s commitment to addressing climate change

Ecological Economics aims to provide sustainable well-being for all human beings. The three major macro goals of this discipline are “sustainable scale,” “just distribution,” and “efficient allocation”. In particular, “sustainable scale” is an important development of existing theories.

The issue of sustainable development has long evolved from local environmental problems to global ecological problems. The focus has shifted from industrial pollution and resource depletion to the unsustainable practices of all individuals within the ecological limitations. As a result, new theoretical approaches are necessary to address these emerging challenges.

China, recognizing the challenges of the new era, has set forth the ambitious goal of transitioning to an ecological civilization. Leveraging its agricultural economic foundation and traditional ecological culture of “the harmony between man and nature” that have been cultivated over five thousand years, as well as its pioneering efforts in building an ecological civilization, China has amassed a wealth of historical materials and practical experiences that serve as a foundation for theoretical innovation and practical exploration in this field.

This special track will discuss the theoretical and practical progress in the field of Ecological Economics in China, including reflections on the development direction of Ecological Economics discipline, Chinese ecological civilization ideas and theories (such as the “Two Mountains Theory”), Chinese ecological civilization Institutions (such as the national park), and specific Ecological Economics practices.