ABSTRACT
On the basis of the proposed agential capabilities required for taking sustainable action, and the institutional policies that are meant to support agents, the situation of an agent in an institutional set-up in which changes are needed is elaborated. The example used is that of an agent in the banking industry who faces the problem of severe inaction or stalemate because of stakeholder interests drifting apart. What are the ethical margins of manoeuvre for bankers, when implementing a sustainable policy, given that stakeholders heavily influence them? The case description shows how agents can become caught in a web of ethical and legal stakeholder relationships, requiring them to make a second-order commitment in order to prevent the “on-the-spot burden” of severe inaction. On the one hand, once the second-order commitment is made and the agent receives initial support from the stakeholders, the case study shows the potential for implementing sustainable policies in the banking sector. On the other hand, it shows that the motivational problem can only be taken away in part and that, despite sustainable policies, our ambition may be too modest to contribute significantly to meeting Humanity’s Challenge.
