“All the lessons of our educational history suggest we are only capable of increasing specialisation, not decreasing it.”¹

Specialization, in which companies arise to fill highly specific niches, leads to diversity in the corporate sector as a whole, something which is commonly seen as beneficial for stability of an economic and social system. But specialization may also lead to vulnerability: if the need for the product vanishes because of changes in technology or the marketplace, the producer is likely to go out of business. As Ludwig von Bertalanffy long ago pointed out,² there are interesting analogies between the dynamics of human organizations and those of natural ecosystems: diversity of species or organizations favours stability for the system as a whole, but results in individual failures (extinctions) if the habitat or market demand changes. How then does one work to achieve sustainability in a region if the primary dynamic forces promote the creation of separate, specialized entities when external factors (e.g. global climate, environmental awareness and policies, and market forces) are undergoing rapid change? In a competitive environment, how can the successful strategies of the most resilient organizations (the leaders) be transferred to those who follow (i.e. the peloton)? These are some of the questions addressed in a regional conference of the Greening of Industry Network,³ hosted by the Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment⁴ at Acadia University from October 20-22, 2005. This international conference, entitled Global Shifts and Regional Development: Innovating for Sustainable Energy, Agriculture, and Finance, examined the roles of the energy, agriculture and finance sectors in helping regions move toward a sustainable future in the context of a globalized society. These sectors are often considered in isolation: for example, as sustainable energy, or as sustainable agriculture. Less often do we take the time to consider: 1) how these sectors have synergistic or conflicting effects on each other; and, 2) as energy, agriculture and finance operate on increasingly global scales, what the implications are for sustainability on a regional basis.

A second specific design element of this conference was a deliberate emphasis upon diversity among the participants. This is unusual. As we know, conferences commonly involve people talking to like-minded people, often drilling down into one specific area of concern, rather than looking at issues holistically. Involving the private sector, governments, academics, and NGOs to discuss broad aspects of sustainability can be difficult to do, but it is essential. The conference planners believe that, while specialization is necessary, it is through fostering diversity within organizations that the most interesting and creative answers to our problems will be found. Out of 60 conference participants, 34 were from academia (students, researchers and professors), 13 were from the private sector (including several presidents, vice presidents and CEOs), 11 were from governments, and the remainder from three NGOs. The conference was designed to facilitate discussion of topics among participants and encourage respectful challenges to current frameworks and ways of thinking. Implicit in the discussions was a fundamental interest in environmental issues, and the manner in which corporations are addressing environmental effects, resource management and conservation concerns. In some sessions, the Chatham House Rule prevailed. During the conference, plenary panel discussions addressed specific issues; between plenaries, conference participants were divided into mixed working groups to discuss presented papers and assigned questions related to plenary presentations.

¹  C.P. Snow 1953. The Two Cultures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

²  L.von Bertalanffy. 1968. General Systems Theory. New York: George Braziller Inc.

³  The Greening of Industry Network is an international association of researchers, business leaders, policy makers and activists dedicated to building a sustainable future. Through linked conferences, publications and communications, the Network creates new relationships, visions and practices for sustainability. The GIN conferences, 23 events in 12 countries around the world since 1991, comprise a unique experience and record of bringing people and the issues together for a big perspective on sustainable development, forging productive connections among research, policy and practice. GIN members receive priority in registration, reduced conference registration fee, and a subscription to Business and the Natural Environment published by Wiley, UK.

⁴  The Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment was established in 2004 to develop a diverse, trans-disciplinary program of scholarly activity, education and community activities, focused on environmental issues of local, national and international scope.