Linking Sustainability and the Capability Approach

1. Linking Sustainability and the Capability Approach MOC-AWC seminar in Brussels 26th January 2012 Dr. Ortrud Leßmann I.P.A. Institute for Human Resourcesand International Management Folie 1 Leßmann: Möglichkeiten erfassen MOC-AWC seminaire: L‘approache de capabilités, 26-27 janvier 2012

2. Sustainability of what? environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability, political sustainability, educational sustainability …. Sustaining something is not intrinsically valuable, but carries the value attached to what is sustained Sustainability is a normative concept! What should be sustained?

3. Brundtland-definition :"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" “SD requires meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all the opportunity to satisfy their aspirations for a better life.” (WCED 1987) Well-being of present and future generations is to be sustained

4. Linking sustainability to the capability approach • What is well-being? • Brundtland commission: fulfilling needs • What are needs? • Are they directed towards material resources? • Capability approach: being and doing well • achieving functionings and • having the capability to achieve functionings

5. Well-being as being and doing well: objective account of well-being opposed to subjective well-being and utilitarianism opposed to focus on resources since resources are means to achieve well-being, but not constituents of well-being

6. Conversion factors Achieved functionings Capability set Choice Resources • Ex. 2 (bike): • bike • cycling • Option 2: • … by bike • Ex.1 (gobybus): • ticket • sense ofdirection, publictransport • Option 1: • goingbybus • Resources: • income, access to health care, etc. • Conversion factors: • personal, social and environmental • Capability set: • set of feasible ways of life

7. Which beings and doings? • Amartya Sen: • no definite list • public deliberation about dimensions • context dependent • Martha Nussbaum: • list of ten central functional capabilities • multiple realizability (specification is context dependent)

8. Sustaining well-being in the sense of the CA means sustaining the freedom to achieve well-being • How to do that? • sustaining resources and conversion factors is a prerequisite • social embeddedness of the individual • social responsibility for individual well-being

9. system individual Natural 2 Political Conversion factors Achieved functionings Capability set Systems Choice Resources Economic 1 Social

10. system individual a 2 Conversion factors Achieved functionings Capability set Choice SD (CA) Resources Natural Natural Political Political 3 now futuret Systems Systems Economic Economic 1 4 Social Social Conversion factors Achieved functionings Capability set Choice Resources system individual b Leßmann: Möglichkeiten erfassen

11. Heavy burden for the individual:huge responsibility, marginal influence • How to alleviate the burden? • concentrate on the natural system • collective efforts

12. 2‘ Natural System Conversion factors Political Achieved functionings Capability set Systems Choice Resources Economic 1 Social

13. 2 Natural Conversion factors Achieved functionings Capability set Political Choice 3 SD (CA) now futuret Systems Resources Economic 1 Social System Collective institutions Capability set

14. Sustainability and the capability approach are both normative conceptions • Both aim at achieving/sustaining well-being • Inclusion of freedom in discussions on SD by CA • Useful tool to analyze • what contributes to human freedom, • what individuals can do and • what social order is supportive of it • More clarity on the difficulties of sustainability transitions • More clarity on the reasons for current shortcuts

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