Environmental contract
Encyclopedia
An environmental contract
is a way of expressing the rights
and responsibilities
of citizens, businesses
and the state
when it comes to the environment
.
It is not known who invented the term. The British politician David Miliband
used it when he was appointed Secretary of State for the Environment
in May 2006, both in his blog and in an article on the BBC News website. He initiated the launch of a wiki to form an environmental contract. However, the site was edited heavily by Government officials, rendering pointless the exercise to interact with the public.
The term can be seen as an invitation to invite parallels with the idea of a social contract between workers, employers and the state which underpinned the foundation of the welfare state
. Some have argued that, just as the social contract was a way of addressing social dislocation, so the environmental contract can be a way of addressing the environmental impacts which pose a threat to people and the planet in the 21st century.
Environmental citizenship (EC) may shed light on our research into the way
publics
are built in everyday settings, if it is built firmly around the notions of justice,
knowledge and language.
, such as having regard for the needs of future generations (including addressing environmental impacts) is arguably justifiable in its own right. Similarly, if there is the view that action on climate change
, for example, is urgent and imperative, then an 'I will, irrespective of what you do' approach might be argued as more responsible.
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
is a way of expressing the rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
and responsibilities
Social responsibility
Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society at large. Social responsibility is a duty every individual or organization has to perform so as to maintain a balance between the economy and the...
of citizens, businesses
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
and the state
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
when it comes to the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
.
It is not known who invented the term. The British politician David Miliband
David Miliband
David Wright Miliband is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for South Shields since 2001, and was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010. He is the elder son of the late Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband...
used it when he was appointed Secretary of State for the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
in May 2006, both in his blog and in an article on the BBC News website. He initiated the launch of a wiki to form an environmental contract. However, the site was edited heavily by Government officials, rendering pointless the exercise to interact with the public.
The term can be seen as an invitation to invite parallels with the idea of a social contract between workers, employers and the state which underpinned the foundation of the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
. Some have argued that, just as the social contract was a way of addressing social dislocation, so the environmental contract can be a way of addressing the environmental impacts which pose a threat to people and the planet in the 21st century.
Environmental citizenship
Because of its emphasis on rights and responsibilities, there are clear links between the environmental contract and notions of environmental citizenship (EC).Environmental citizenship (EC) may shed light on our research into the way
publics
Publics
Publics are small groups of people who follow one or more particular issue very closely. They are well informed about the issue and also have a very strong opinion on it/them. They tend to know more about politics than the average person, and, therefore, exert more influence, because these people...
are built in everyday settings, if it is built firmly around the notions of justice,
knowledge and language.
Sustainability justifiable in its own right
The idea can seem to boil down to a sort of 'I will if You will' type of idea. But action for sustainabilitySustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
, such as having regard for the needs of future generations (including addressing environmental impacts) is arguably justifiable in its own right. Similarly, if there is the view that action on climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, for example, is urgent and imperative, then an 'I will, irrespective of what you do' approach might be argued as more responsible.