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Environment, justice and the capability approach

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  • Ballet, Jérôme
  • Koffi, Jean-Marcel
  • Pelenc, Jérôme

Abstract

In recent years, several studies have attempted to combine the capabilities approach with sustainable development. However, critics have pointed out that although the capability approach takes the environment into account, it has its shortcomings for not being a complete ethical theory. Our article attempts to go beyond these criticisms, and show that the capabilities approach provides a good analytical framework for an environmental justice approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Ballet, Jérôme & Koffi, Jean-Marcel & Pelenc, Jérôme, 2013. "Environment, justice and the capability approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 28-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:85:y:2013:i:c:p:28-34
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.10.010
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    Cited by:

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    2. Marco Setti & Matteo Garuti, 2018. "Identity, Commons and Sustainability: An Economic Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-12, February.
    3. Yosuke Shigetomi & Keisuke Nansai & Shigemi Kagawa & Susumu Tohno, 2016. "Influence of income difference on carbon and material footprints for critical metals: the case of Japanese households," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 5(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Sylvie Ferrari & Damien Bazin & Richard B. Howarth, 2021. "Introducing Environmental Ethics into Economic Analysis: Some insights from Hans Jonas’ Imperative of Responsibility," Working Papers hal-03187462, HAL.
    5. Child, Matthew F., 2021. "Wildness, infinity and freedom," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    6. Pelenc, Jérôme & Bazile, Didier & Ceruti, Cristian, 2015. "Collective capability and collective agency for sustainability: A case study," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 226-239.
    7. Sergio Belda-Miquel & Victoria Pellicer-Sifres & Alejandra Boni, 2020. "Exploring the Contribution of Grassroots Innovations to Justice: Using the Capability Approach to Normatively Address Bottom-Up Sustainable Transitions Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, April.
    8. Nicola Walshe & Zoe Moula & Elsa Lee, 2022. "Eco-Capabilities as a Pathway to Wellbeing and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-24, March.
    9. Kolinjivadi, Vijay & Gamboa, Gonzalo & Adamowski, Jan & Kosoy, Nicolás, 2015. "Capabilities as justice: Analysing the acceptability of payments for ecosystem services (PES) through ‘social multi-criteria evaluation’," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 99-113.
    10. Mishra, Paresh & Schmidt, Gordon B., 2018. "How can leaders of multinational organizations be ethical by contributing to corporate social responsibility initiatives? Guidelines and pitfalls for leaders trying to do good," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(6), pages 833-843.
    11. Pelenc, Jérôme & Ballet, Jérôme, 2015. "Strong sustainability, critical natural capital and the capability approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 36-44.
    12. Liedtke, Stephan, 2017. "Chinese energy investments in Europe: An analysis of policy drivers and approaches," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 659-669.
    13. Pelenc, Jérôme, 2014. "Développement humain responsable et aménagement du territoire. Réflexions à partir de deux réserves de biosphère périurbaines en France et au Chili [Responsible Human Development and Land-Use Plann," MPRA Paper 56094, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    15. Blyth, William & McCarthy, Rory & Gross, Robert, 2015. "Financing the UK power sector: Is the money available?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 607-622.
    16. Yoann Verger, 2018. "First steps for a Sraffian ecological economics. An answer to Martins' “The Classical Circular Economy, Sraffian Ecological Economics and the Capabilities Approach”," Working Papers hal-01700228, HAL.
    17. Farrell, Katharine N. & Silva-Macher, Jose Carlos, 2017. "Exploring Futures for Amazonia's Sierra del Divisor: An Environmental Valuation Triadics Approach to Analyzing Ecological Economic Decision Choices in the Context of Major Shifts in Boundary Condition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 166-179.
    18. Demals, Thierry & Hyard, Alexandra, 2014. "Is Amartya Sen's sustainable freedom a broader vision of sustainability?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 33-38.
    19. Martins, Nuno Ornelas, 2016. "Ecosystems, strong sustainability and the classical circular economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 32-39.
    20. Rauschmayer, Felix & Bauler, Tom & Schäpke, Niko, 2015. "Towards a thick understanding of sustainability transitions — Linking transition management, capabilities and social practices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 211-221.
    21. Aura María Echeverría Rodríguez, 2013. "Construcción social y política de los derechos a la justicia y la paz en el marco de la justicia transicional en Colombia, a partir del análisis de la experiencia de otros países," Revista Saber, Ciencia y Libertad, Universidad Libre - Sede Cartagena, vol. 8(1), pages 33-44, January.
    22. Beling, Adrián E. & Vanhulst, Julien & Demaria, Federico & Rabi, Violeta & Carballo, Ana E. & Pelenc, Jérôme, 2018. "Discursive Synergies for a ‘Great Transformation’ Towards Sustainability: Pragmatic Contributions to a Necessary Dialogue Between Human Development, Degrowth, and Buen Vivir," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 304-313.
    23. Wang, Haichao & Duanmu, Lin & Lahdelma, Risto & Li, Xiangli, 2017. "Developing a multicriteria decision support framework for CHP based combined district heating systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 345-368.
    24. Millar, Graeme J. & Couperthwaite, Sara J. & Moodliar, Cameron D., 2016. "Strategies for the management and treatment of coal seam gas associated water," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 669-691.
    25. Griewald, Yuliana & Rauschmayer, Felix, 2014. "Exploring an environmental conflict from a capability perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 30-39.

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