Sustainability and Responsibility In The 'Asian Century'

Research Cluster

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The received wisdom is that economic power and cultural influence is shifting towards 'The Asian Century'. But 'The Asian Century' may be so last century as the Asian tigers have peaked and are now flat-lining, albeit quite affluently. This century is either 'The Chinese Century' or 'The BRIICS Century' but it also has to be a century of transition to a new model of economics and development that respects planetary limits. The necessary transition to a sustainable enterprise economy is a global challenge, and, one where the real innovations and new models of governance may be found in the street and in the ether. This talk looks at some of the paradoxes, challenges and opportunities for the twenty-first century as meltdown is accompanied by the shape of the new which may be encapsulated in the High Level Panel to UN Secretary General report on Global Sustainability in January 2012 entitled 'Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing'. This report says: "For too long, economists, social activists and environmental scientists have simply talked past each other . . . the time has come to unify the disciplines . . . the international community needs 'a new political economy' for sustainable development.". The question is, how shall we choose?

Malcolm McIntosh is Professor and Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. He has worked in the areas of global governance, sustainability and corporate responsibility for many decades and been an adviser to the UN, governments and global business. He has authored and contributed to many books, articles and films and his latest books are 'SEE Change' (2011) with Sandra Waddock and 'Perspectives on Human Security' (2010) with Alan Hunter. Most recently he contributed to the PRME Inspirational Guide and the 50+20 Management education for The World reports. Prior to this talk he will have just traveled from the Rio+20 conferences where he participated and spoke at UN Global Compact events on climate change and human rights, and at PRME and 50+20 events on management education. He has two forthcoming books, the first an edited collection of papers on 'The Necessary Transition' (2013) and the second a single authored text with the working title: 'On Being Human At The Beginning and End of Times'. He is an Professor Extraordinaire at the Sustainability Institute at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and has been a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Bath, Nottingham and Coventry.