Industry and community alliances as bases for environmental sustainability and local peace

Abstract

Strategic alliances between local communities and transnational companies are key dimensions of environmental sustainability, which now includes social and environmental justice rather than just environmental protection. We report selected results from a long-term study of industry/community relationships in the cement sector comparing European and Australian companies. The results indicate how strategic partnerships between companies and local communities can influence the selection and management of large-scale technologies and thereby help to balance economic objectives with social and environmental justice.