Achieving sustainability via industrial sectors: from production to consumers

The reality of sectors of industry

The economic specialisation of actors, sometimes even of companies is an unavoidable fact of life. Many people and companies have a better understanding of the stakes of the branch in which they work than the region in which they live. Furthermore, there are intense negotiations and balance of power which have a considerable impact on the final behaviour of everyone concerned and thus on the social and environmental impacts of the production methods adopted.

Constitution of sustainable “sectors”

This is why industrial branches have constituted a parallel entry to the territorial one, and is considered as of great importance in attaining a more harmonious society from both a social and an environmental point of view. This is what lies behind the fair trade movement. It is also the foundation of reflections on traceability and on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), particularly in the textile branch, where subcontracting is a widespread practice. The movement is having an increasing impact in the field of finance, with the development of solidarity banks and ethical investments are appearing as a healthy alternative to more classical financial approaches

Dissemination of “best practice”

With the international label for sustainable forestry, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), the introduction of minimal agreements on working conditions in the textile sector or the agreement signed by British hypermarkets on bananas, the multiplication of branch logic constitutes an important source of social innovation, at all levels. This involves various actors, how the agreements are reached, negotiation methods, the nature of the agreements, their field, the implementation and control mechanisms. All this opens up a multitude of possibilities for determining the rules of a sustainable economy for the future.

If you are aware of a specific action, whatever the sector, please contribute to this file by describing the mechanisms used, the way they work, their current and potential impact.

Matthieu Calame

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