Introduction

Globalised consumption and production patterns contribute to environmental change and damage, most noticeably in the form of anthropogenic climate change, resource depletion and the pollution of water and air. In addition to environmental degradation, societies worldwide are facing deep challenges including political unrest, instability or even crises, a widening gap in income and security between wealthier and poorer population segments and the erosion of social cohesion in the face of mass migration. It has been argued (Lundvall forthcoming) that these are not isolated phenomena but consequences of a global, capitalist system which emphasises the pursuit of economic growth based on market competition as measured by indicators such as GDP. Despite global, national and local efforts to protect the environment and citizens from the hazardous effects of an – in terms of spread and volume – ever-expanding global market for capital, services and goods, ‘bad news’ appears to outweigh ‘good news’, whereas a relatively small number of people make enormous financial gains. In a number of countries, the political establishment struggles between hardening frontlines dividing those who support national(istic) approaches and those who promote international cooperation to face the crises and challenges of the twenty-first century.