Sorry for relatively short notice, but here is a CFP that may be of interest to followers of this list. The abstract deadline is 17 February (see below).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The co-production of norms in the extractive industries and the governance of 'resource frontiers' Call for Papers: RGS-IBG International Conference, London, August 26-29 2014 Session convenors: James Van Alstine and Jen Dyer (University of Leeds, UK), Gavin Hilson (University of Surrey, UK) Riding the wave of a commodity 'super cycle' over the last decade, the extractive industries are expanding into new 'resource frontiers' in regions characterized by increasing levels of political, social, technical and environmental risk. These resource frontiers are commonly associated with the application of new and emerging technologies (e.g. shale gas fracking and ultra-deep water drilling), resource extraction in extreme environments, 'ungoverned' or marginalised places (e.g. Arctic offshore oil, conflict zones, resource peripheries), and large investment in greenfield projects. The governance of energy and non-energy minerals extraction in these resource frontiers deserves greater scrutiny. Norms and standards, which sit quite comfortably alongside the neoliberal principles of market efficiency and bureaucratic rationality, have evolved at multiple scales to mitigate the increasing investment risks of resource extraction and to maximise the promised development benefits from these industries. Transparency and accountability initiatives, international certifiable standards, best practice guidelines, voluntary agreements, and corporate social responsibility are commonplace in the sector. The World Bank's 'extractive industries value chain' has become the rubric through which these 'good governance' initiatives are implemented. This session invites empirical and conceptual papers that critically evaluate the co-production of norms in the extractive industries, particularly in the context of resource frontiers. We are interested in how industry norms and standards have been contested and constructed by multiple actors at multiple scales. In order to unpack the varied origins, diffusion, implementation and impacts of industry norms and standards, we would like to explore topics such as: * How the interaction between industry norms and host country/community cultural norms and social practices may influence development outcomes; * The interaction and influence of soft law (norms and standards) on hard law (rules and regulations); * The engagement of international NGOs and development partners with host country and community civil society actors to influence agenda-setting, coalition-building, and emerging good governance norms; * How the traditional norms of corporate privacy and state sovereignty have been challenged by the emerging norms of transparency in the extractive sectors; * Host country - industry relations, and how emerging norms may or may not fill governance gaps; * How scalar politics shape the origins, implementation and outcomes of extractive industry norms and standards; * The influence of extra-territorial legislation (e.g. the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act) on host country governance processes; and * How the materiality of resources influences the co-production and diffusion of norms. Please send abstracts of no more than 250 words, plus title and author details to James Van Alstine ([email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>) by 17 February 2014. Dr James Van Alstine Lecturer in Environmental Policy Programme Leader, MSc Sustainability (Environmental Politics and Policy) Deputy Director, Sustainability Research Institute School of Earth and Environment University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK T: +44 (0) 113 3437531 E: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> W: http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.vanalstine Find out more about SRI: http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/research/sri/index.htm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
