Institutional arrangements for sustainable developmentCases from the Navarra Province (Spain).

Resumen

After more than 20 years of the Earth Summit, Sustainable development is still recognized as one of the main challenges of the XXIst century. World leaders are putting new emphasis on the need to resolve urgent environmental challenges underlining their link with the wellbeing of humankind and the very conditions that made life possible on the planet. We are immersed in complex socio-ecological systems where sectoral or simplified responses are not adequate. A more systemic vision is imperative to effectively address the challenges faced. New approaches are being developed to integrate social, environmental and economic concerns in all human activities. Particular attention is given to decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development. In this regard, innovation is essential but it has to mainstream the ecosystem approach to favour a recoupling of the relationship between economy and ecology. It should imply a real transformation involving also the social dimension. One of the key aspects is the eradication of inequalities and discrimination, the acknowledgement of the important contribution of the work carried out in households to the whole economy, and to embrace the ethic of care in order to adequately address the multidymensional crisis humanity faces. In this regard, the role of institutions is essential. National, regional and local administrations have the possibility of influencing the space of coexistence where all those problems originate. Meeting the challenge requires political will to lead the process, creating the conditions for changing the perspective. This implies fostering technological and social innovation, as well as a new entrepreneurial culture focused on creating shared value. It is also crucial to enhance citizens´ capacities to actively participate not only with their opinions regarding their needs, but also enabling them to assume their responsibility and contribute with their talents, skills and creativity to transform the current conditions. Many change agents are required. With this integrative perspective, a qualitative research has been carried out in the autonomous community of Navarra, (Spain). Two strategies combining sustainability and gender issues have been identified in the public and the private sectors, which will be exposed as case studies. One relates to a gender and sustainability mainstreaming initiative at a municipality, and the other to the implementation of a Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, at the firm level, promoted by the provincial government. A third case has also been included: the Enterprise-Environment Program. Its recent evolution represents a step forward in the transformation of patterns of production and consumption with potentiality to introduce the ethic of care beyond the natural environment. The aim of the research is to better understand how those initiatives have been forged and which lessons could be learn from them. The findings confirm the relevance of flexible and adaptive institutional arrangements as main drivers of sustainable development, which should take into account the need to keep the balance among the dimensions of sustainability as well as the diversity of the contexts. On the other hand, it also shows the technological defies, the difficulties to integrate gender and sustainability at the enterprise level and the challenges ahead to really advance on the transformations required from an integrative perspective to sustainable development.