Busch T., Shrivastava P. The Global Carbon Crisis: Emerging Carbon Constraints and Strategic Management Options

New York, USA: Taylor & Francis, 2017. — 209 p. — ISBN: 190609361X.For at least a decade the science of climate change has warned us of the dire need for action - particularly by corporations who are the main engines of economic production and consumption. Yet managerial and corporate understanding of climate change and related energy issues remains fragmented and present actions lack the urgency this critical problem deserves. There is a whole new economy - the low-carbon economy - looming on the horizon. But our consumption and production patterns remain in a carbon-locked position. What we are risking is a global carbon crisis and a case of history repeating.
The Global Carbon Crisis succinctly translates important insights from the natural sciences, economics and equity discussions, for the business reader. It reviews important aspects of these discussions and clarifies misunderstandings with respect to climate change and fossil fuel availability and their implications for business. The book provides simple, direct, pragmatic and effective solutions that policy-makers and corporate managers can implement. The aim is to provoke action - thoughtful action - towards developing a low-carbon future for companies on three levels. At the macro level, the authors discuss the importance of tough industrial policies for climate change and propose the idea of an international carbon-equal fund. At the meso level, they elaborate on the role of inter-firm collaborations for establishing low-carbon industries and production systems. At the micro level, they illustrate the virtue of proactive carbon strategies and suggest a corporate carbon management framework.
The book will be essential reading for all businesses grappling with carbon-related issues and for many in academia, including those in management, strategy, finance, corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, globalisation and innovation studies.A strategic view of carbon constraints
The two sides of the carbon coin
Emerging carbon constraints
Strategic benefits of carbon and climate strategies
The carbon crisis: physical science, economic, and equity perspectives
Evolution of carbon utilization
Climate change challenges ahead
Carbonomics and beyond
The intra- vs. inter-generational equity dimension
Strategic options for a low-carbon economy
Lessons from the financial crisis
Macro level: industrial policies for climate change
Meso level: inter-firm breakthrough steps in a low-carbon future
Micro level: proactive carbon management strategies
Synthesis: the mitigation–adaptation nexus