[ecrea] call for chapters: the future of sustainability: policy and industry responses and public discourses

*THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY: POLICY AND INDUSTRY RESPONSES AND PUBLIC 
DISCOURSES *

**

*CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS *

**

Consumer recycling behaviour and the tendency for this complex issue to 
be simplified in some media channels, presents a communication challenge 
for businesses who all believe that they have a positive message to 
convey. Criticisms of plastic packaging by the public and media have 
arguably led to an unbalanced debate on which are the most effective 
packaging solutions for the environment as a whole. The waste management 
infrastructure, food waste (from poor quality packaging), the sourcing 
of raw materials for packaging and price and transportation implications 
are all relatively under-reported. This can lead to a lack of 
understanding of why decisions are made or not made as stakeholders from 
different perspectives may be unaware of the technical, economic or 
social barriers to pro-environmental innovation.

Previous research has shown a lack of awareness among consumers and a 
tendency to favour the convenience attributes of packaging over others, 
including sustainability (e.g. Lindh et al, 2016). The Retail 
Institute’s previous work on packaging attributes can feed into further 
insight into the way consumers respond to packaging design. This 
knowledge will then be enhanced through this research with a greater 
understanding of specific environmentally friendly features and the 
presentation of pro-environmental information on packs through labels 
and logos.

The book will also build on ideas relating to sustainability and CSR 
communication to investigate public perceptions of packaging and the 
activities of the retail packaging supply chain. Growing media and 
government interest along with strengthening public opinion on the 
environmental impact of packaging has increased the pressure on 
retailers, brand owners and packaging suppliers to improve the 
sustainability of their product offer. Moreover, they need to 
communicate the benefits of their products and other pro-environmental 
activities within a context of the multiple, conflicting and evolving 
perspectives of diverse stakeholders. Businesses may struggle because of 
a lack of trust in their CSR communication due to a perception of them 
being inauthentic and focused on profits only (e.g. Pompper, 2015). 
Therefore, they need to communicate in such a way that overcomes that 
lack of trust.

The study will use models taken from literature on CSR communication 
(e.g. Tench, Sun and Jones, 2014; Ihlen, May and Bartlett, 2014) as a 
guide for investigating strategies and developing a theoretical 
understanding of the processes involved. For example, Ihlen et al 
highlight the importance of recognising the complexity generated by 
organisations, dialogue with stakeholders, the social construction of 
ethics and the task of maintaining transparency while selecting the 
appropriate information to share. Further conceptualisations of 
complexity could also be used, such as Wicked Problems (Rittel and 
Webber, 1973; Conklin, 2006) and a realist complexity checklist (Pawson, 
2013).

Such concepts and models can inform the analysis of industry case 
studies and a survey of consumer experiences of retail in relation to 
the environment. By bringing together these perspectives, along with 
analysis of policy documents and media coverage, an overall picture can 
be presented of views and communication strategies that exist within the 
area of environmentally conscious consumerism, framed within models of 
CSR communication and complexity.

We already have several authors who agreed to provide chapters on 
sustainability policies. However, to complete the book we are looking 
for additional chapters (both from the UK and international) from 
following fields,

Policy and Political context

Retail policy and practice (non-UK case studies)

Packaging and the media (UK and international)

Public perceptions and attitudes – generational differences (non-UK case 
studies)

Communications and Public Relations (non-UK perspectives)

Media coverage of sustainability and retail sustainability policies. 
These can be the role of the national press or TV in pushing for 
sustainability (UK and international)

Analysis of BBC’s awarded show Planet Earth II

Social media and consumer driven sustainability activities

Activism from environmental charities and pressure groups

Abstracts should be sent to Dr Martina Topic at 
(M.Topic /at/ leedsbeckett.ac.uk) <mailto:(M.Topic /at/ leedsbeckett.ac.uk)>and Ben 
Mitchell at (B.Mitchell /at/ leedsbeckett.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(B.Mitchell /at/ leedsbeckett.ac.uk)>by 15 April 2018. Decisions will 
be sent by 15 May 2018 and full papers are due by 15 September 2018. 
Papers should not be longer than 7000 words excluding references and 
footnotes and authors should use British spelling in writing their 
chapters. The required citation style is APA.


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