Environmental Economic Geography

Abstract

This article advocates evolutionary institutionalism as a conceptual platform to launch a systematic approach to environmental economic geography. Evolutionary institutionalism interprets industrial transitions through the lens of innovative behaviour that is shaped by reciprocal economic and non‐economic processes and periodically restructures economies in the form of new techno‐economic paradigms (TEP). In this approach, environment–economy relations need not be zero‐sum games, as is often assumed. Rather, as a result of innovation and choice, these relations have been recalibrated historically and can be redefined again towards developing a green TEP in which development and sustainability are co‐imperatives. It is argued that the mandate of environmental economic geography is to assess and prescribe how place makes and should make a difference to a green TEP and the article sketches a research agenda to promote this goal. This research agenda focuses on the themes of regions as institutions, remapping resource use and sustainable value chains.

Places and Spaces of Sustainability Transitions: Geographical Contributions to an Emerging Research and Policy Field

“…This coincides with the more general tendency in economic geography in which the environment has been largely marginalized (Truffer, 2008). Recent contributions to establish an "environmental economic geography" (Bridge, 2008;Gibbs, 2006;Soyez & Schulz, 2008) are therefore laudable but are mainly populated by disparate studies that lack a coherent and influential epistemic project (Hayter, 2008). Sustainability transitions in particular have only recently found attention as a potentially interesting topic of research (Lawhon & Murphy, 2011;Truffer & Coenen, forthcoming).…”

The green economy and post‐growth regimes: opportunities and challenges for economic geography

“…It is somewhat puzzling, therefore -particularly when one considers the vibrant debates on growth taking place in other branches of the social sciences (including other parts of geography) -that the majority of contemporary concepts and models in mainstream economic geography either remain within a traditional growth paradigm or, at least, do not critically assess its implications, even where research engages explicitly with concepts such as the green economy. Even though much research in environmental economic geography focuses on aspects of growth (Braun et al 2003;Gibbs 2006;Bridge 2008;Hayter 2008;Soyez and Schulz 2008), it generally fails to address more fundamental issues related to the future of growth as a primary locus of economic activity.…”

Resource management regimes and innovation in peripheral nature-based tourism: The case of North Cape tourism and sea-fishing tourism

“…21 ( -2007). These factors work as an underlying mechanism that influences the structure of a region's industry (Mehlum et al 2006;Hayter 2008), including the degree of local self-determination and the region's position in the global economic system (Hayter & Patchell 2011). Despite this importance, we are not aware of any theoretical approach that specifically includes the resource management regime and its mechanism of resource rent in analysing innovation capacity in a peripheral context.…”