Towards a sustainable economy? Socio-technical transitions in the green building sector

Making the transition to a green economy is a major policy driver in the UK and other countries. Entrepreneurs are suggested as being at the forefront of this transition and as a driving force for sustainability. These “green entrepreneurs” may represent a new type of entrepreneurial behaviour combining economic, environmental and social aims. In this paper, we present empirical work conducted with green entrepreneurs in the UK green building sector. Buildings have significant impacts on the environment, both in terms of materials and post-construction energy demands. Drawing on sustainability transitions theory, we examine the role of green entrepreneurs in affecting change and suggest that green building niches are less consensual than previously theorised. In theorising green entrepreneurs, we also point to the need to consider them within wider networks of activity rather than as lone actors and the implications this has for policy

The green economy, sustainability transitions and transition regions : a case study of Boston

This paper is focused upon exploring the development of the green economy in particular locations, with the aim of identifying why some cities and regions have been successful in engendering green growth. To date we have little idea where the green economy is developing, nor much insight, beyond anecdotal evidence, into why certain cities and regions appear to be more successful than others in this regard. We position our analysis within the context of research on socio-technical transitions that has theorised the potential shift to a more sustainable economy. We review the literature on sustainability transitions and the development of the multi-level perspective encompassing niches, regimes and landscapes. However, most research into socio-technical transitions has not given adequate consideration to the influence of places and spatial scale in these transition processes, and we therefore critique the socio-technical transitions literature from a geographical perspective. In this paper we are interested in four key questions: what role does the enabling and facilitative state play in these cities and regions? What new institutional forms and governance structures are being developed? How do actors in particular cities and regions construct their green vision, and how do they encourage other actors to buy-in to this vision? How are links across levels and spatial scales developed to connect niches with the regime? We address these through a focus upon the Boston city region in the USA, drawing upon both primary and secondary research material. We utilize this case study example to re-examine and re-theorize work on sustainability transitions from a spatial perspective

Building a green economy? Sustainability transitions in the UK building sector

This paper explores the interest by policy makers to encourage and develop a green economy, with a particular focus on UK government attempts to engender a shift in the mainstream building and construction sector towards adopting green building methods and techniques. The building sector has been the focus of endeavours to engender a shift towards greener ways of working and building, due to its high contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and associated concerns over enhanced global warming and climate change. The paper outlines the recent development of national UK policy on green building as exemplified in legislation for the Code for Sustainable Homes and in Building Regulations. These have given rise to a particular set of responses to green building requirements that favour technological solutions that can readily be accommodated by the existing system. In critiquing these developments we draw upon socio-technical sustainability transitions research, one strand of which has focused on the ways in which niche developments can challenge and disrupt existing regimes of practice. We do this empirically through our research into the green building sector which has involved in-depth interviews with a range of actors from the UK green building sector, including architects, building companies, materials suppliers and policy makers. Respondents from within the green building niche are critical of current UK legislation, and argue that its narrow conceptualisation fails to adequately encourage, or recognise, what they would consider to be green building forms that will contribute to substantial reductions in carbon emissions, nor does it respect locally appropriate building methods

Has the statutory derivative claim fulfilled its objectives? The hypothetical director and CSR

This article follows on from the discussion on establishing a prima facie case and the mandatory bars in derivative claims. First, the second stage of the test will be considered, covering the standard of proof and how the court as a hypothetical director is meant to analyse board decisions: is the test objective or subjective? An analysis will follow on corporate social responsibility and its relationship to derivative claims considering issues such as finance and internal and external responsibilities

Has the statutory derivative claim fulfilled its objectives? A prima facie case and the mandatory bar

Since the introduction of the new derivative claim there have been six derivative proceedings in England. This article looks at the new two-stage derivative claim under these cases on issues relating to the assessment of s.263(3)(b) of the Companies Act 2006, whether there is a need to establish a prima facie case and issues relating to corporate social responsibility in derivative claims

The absolute limits of directors’ fiduciary liability for conflicts of interest: The director’s perspective

The absolute limits of fiduciary loyalty are misunderstood in the context of directors as analyses focus on the interests of the principal alone. This article will demonstrate that such an approach is inconsistent with traditional fiduciary analysis and that it is the specific undertaking to the principal’s interests that determine the limits of loyalty in a fiduciary relationship

United Kingdom: Company Law - Corporate Groups

This comment seeks to acknowledge the reasoning behind the recent Court of Appeal decision in Chandler v Cape Plc. The purpose is to establish why this was not considered a situation where the "corporate veil" was pierced where the court found a duty of care was owed by a parent company to its subsidiary’s employees