1. Éloi LAURENT (OFCE/Sciences-po, Stanford University)
eloi.laurent@sciencespo.fr
New Approaches to Economic Challenges
OECD, Paris, March 27 2014.
Social-ecology:
Exploring the missing link in
sustainable development

2. Outline
What is the social-ecological approach?
How inequality matters in un-
sustainability;
How ecological crises aggravate
inequality;
What can we do about it?

3. The social-ecological
approach
 Social-ecology: environmental challenges are truly social
problems that arise largely because of income and power
inequality and can find their true resolution by putting forward
justice principles and building good institutions;
 Three lines of work in the last 5 years:
 Social-ecology framework (2008, 2011 books + articles);
 “Social-ecological state” (new book -> 2014);
 New indicators of well-being and sustainability (Stiglitz-Sen-
Fitoussi Commission and Report, 2009 + classes at Sciences Po
and Stanford + research center project in Sciences Po);

4. Two general insights from
Social-Ecological approach
 First insight, analytical: Social sciences (and humanities) hold
the key to the solution of environmental problems that
“hard” sciences have revealed over the last three decades;
 We should thus invest in social-ecological knowledge =
learning how to reform our social systems (framing human
attitudes and behaviors) in order to preserve our natural life-
support system (climate, ecosystems, biodiversity);
 Second insight, empirical: strong and reciprocal relation
linking social justice and ecology;

5. The scientific context
 “Missing link” in sustainable development, but seminal work
by Boyce and Ostrom;
 New approach gaining momentum: UN Report in 2011 linking
inequality and sustainability + National Socio-Environmental
Synthesis Center (Motesharrei, Rivas and Kalnay, 2014):
"Collapse can be avoided and population can reach
equilibrium if the per capita rate of depletion of nature is
reduced to a sustainable level, and if resources are
distributed in a reasonably equitable fashion."

6. Source: Laurent, 2014.
The missing link
in sustainable development

7. The political context
 Paradox of environmental emergency: Environmental degradations
gradually become unbearable and increasingly visible (2013, 2014) but
environmental concern seems to become intolerable in public debate;
 Two reasons: environmentalist movement has not managed enough to
embed ecological challenges in tangible social realities + “great
recession” shortens collective horizons;
 Need to connect the inequality crisis to ecological crises, show how
social capital and natural capital are complementary;
 Progress at the Policy level: SDG process in UN, French National
Strategy for ecological transition (2014-2020);

8. How inequality
pollutes the planet
 Micro-ecological: Veblen, Gandhi;
 Macro-ecological: five channels;
 1) Inequality increases the need for environmentally
harmful and socially unnecessary economic growth
(PIketty-Saez data on US);
 2) Inequality increases the ecological irresponsibility
of the richest, within each country and among nations
(Niger Delta, EJ in US);

9. How inequality
pollutes the planet
 3) Inequality, which affects the health of individuals and groups,
diminishes the social-ecological resilience of communities and
societies and weakens their collective ability to adapt to
accelerating environmental change (Wilkinson, Pickett, Farmer);
 4) Inequality hinders collective action aimed at preserving natural
resources (e.g. political polarization in US and environmental
policy);
 5) Inequality reduces the political acceptability of environmental
preoccupations and the ability to offset the potential socially
regressive effects of environmental policies (carbon tax in France);

10. Source: Bonica, McCarty and Rosenthal, JEL 2013.
Polarization, inequality and
environmental retreat in the US
Golden Age of
environmental policy
US environmental
recession

11. Injustice in cycle: linking
environmental and social inequalities
 The other side of the social-ecological nexus;
 The rise of “environmental inequalities” (Laurent, 2011);
 Nurturing injustice: from environmental inequalities to
social inequalities via institutions (school, labor market
Currie );
 “Social-ecological”, not natural disasters: the revenge
of Rousseau (Lisbon, 1755); 2013: flooding in Europe,
Hayian, Oklaoma;

12. Fuel poverty
in the UK
Source: UK Government and Laurent (2011).
All households Year
Number of
households
(000's)
Proportion of
households fuel
poor (%)
Fuel poor 2003 1 222 5,9
2004 1 236 5,9
2005 1 529 7,2
2006 2 432 11,5
2007 2 819 13,2
2008 3 335 15,6
2009 3 964 18,4
2010 3 536 16,4
2011 3 202 14,6

13. Source: Equit’Area.
Pollution and poverty
Social disadvantage NO2 Concentration

14. The heat wave of 2003
in France: 15 000 dead
Latest
estimate for
the death toll
in EU: 70 000
dead from the
heatwave of
2003.
Latest
research:
directly caused
by climate
change
The highest risk of
dying faced by
poor and socially
isolated people.
14 729 dead
< 35 67
35-65 1254
> 65 13 407 (90%)

15. What we are faced with:
social-ecological trade-offs
Source: Laurent 2014.

16. What we can do:
social-ecological policies
Source: Laurent 2014.

17. The territorial level, key battleground
for social-ecological policy
Territorial social-ecology;
“Synergetic indicators” to overcome well-
being dilemmas and trilemmas (How’s Life in
your Region, 2014);
Need for multi-level governance policy;

18. What we are faced with:
territorial social-ecological trade-offs
Source: Laurent 2014.

19. What we can do:
multi-level social-ecological policies
Source: Laurent 2014.