Title: On the sustainability of global development
1On the sustainability of global development
- Alessandro Vercelli
- Department of Economic Policy, Finance and
Development - University of Siena
- vercelli_at_unisi.it
2Basic References
- -Borghesi, S. and A. Vercelli, 2008, Sustainable
Globalization. Social and Environmental
conditions, Palgrave Macmillan - (Alessandro Vercelli e Simone Borghesi, 2005, La
sostenibilità dello sviluppo globale, Carocci
editore, Roma.) - -Stiglitz, J.E., 2006, Making Globalization work,
Norton, New York - (Stiglitz, J.E., 2006, La globalizzazione che
funziona, Einaudi, Torino)
3FIRST PART
- BASIC CONCEPTS
- AND THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
4Approach
- On globalisation we cannot say anything in
general - ? different phases characterised by different
features and effects - ? any appraisal is relative to a particular point
of view. My own
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
PHASES OF GLOBALISATION
- I want to clarify whether
- the recent phase of globalisation is consistent
with the requirement of sustainable development - the current phase of globalisation is
sustainable or requires substantial modifications - ? policy implications
5Definition of economic globalisation
- Process of progressive integration of world
markets based on the free movement across borders
of goods, services, and production factors
THREE PERIODS 1820-1915 FIRST
GLOBALISATION 1915-1945 DE-GLOBALISATION
1945-2007? SECOND GLOBALISATION
6The three phases of economic globalisation the
world exports
Source Maddison (2001) updated using WTO (2001)
7The three phases of globalisation the stock of
Foreign Direct Investment
Source Obstfeld and Taylor (2004)
8Sustainable development definitions
- Development
- process of expansion of individual
economic freedom (Sen, 1999) -
- Sustainable development
- Development is sustainable if it satisfies
present-day needs without compromising the
capacity of future generations to satisfy their
needs (Brundtland Report, 1987) -
9Sustainable development
DISTRIBUTIVE EQUITY
CHOICE FREEDOM
2 CONDITIONS
INTER-GENERATIONAL
INTRA-GENERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERION
SOCIAL CRITERION
10Ethical and economic foundations the social
condition
- equal access to the basic economic opportunities
ethical foundations - this is also a fundamental condition of economic
efficiency - -prerequisite for a well-functioning competitive
market guarantees that the winners of the
economic competition are actually the best
participants as each of them plays on a level
playing field - -poverty (malnutrition) implies a restriction of
the option set reducing the potential
contribution of poor people to economic
efficiency and wealth - among poor people who cannot afford a good
education there are potentially good scientists,
engineers, physicians, managers and so on - -social and political tensions that have negative
effects on income growth - (Alesina and Perotti, 1996 Benhabib and
Rustichini, 1996)
11Ethical and economic foundations the
environmental condition
- similarly environmental degradation has adverse
economic effects - ? health of people ? ? productivity
- ? land productivity
- poverty-environment trap the poor rely heavily
on the direct exploitation of natural resources - ? environmental degradation ?? poverty ??
environmental degradation
12The influence of globalisation on the conditions
of sustainability
- The main influence is through the impact of
globalisation on income - ? positive correlation for sound theoretical
reasons - ? extension of markets ? ? division of labour ? ?
productivity - ? scale and scope economies ?? efficiency
- ? across borders and domestic competition
- ? diffusion of information and technology across
borders - Globalisation offers opportunities of development
provided that the country adopting an outward
trade orientation complies with conditions rule
of law, institutions to monitor, control and
regulate markets - Notwithstanding this proviso, the empirical
evidence generally finds a positive correlation
e.g. Bhagwati (2004), Wolf (2004)
13Orientation of trade and growth rate of GDP
1963-1992
Average rates of growth of per capita GDP In developing countries Average rates of growth of per capita GDP In developing countries Average rates of growth of per capita GDP In developing countries
Orientation of trade 1963-1973 1973-1985 1980-1992
Open to trade 6.9 5.9 6.4
Moderately open 4.9 1.6 2.3
Moderately protectionist 4 1.7 -0.2
Protectionist 1.6 -0.1 -0.4
Fig. 2
Source World Bank
14Evolution of per capita GDP
Per capita GDP United States
Per capita GDP United Kingdom
Per capita GDP (thousands of )
Per capita GDP (thousands of )
Fig. 3
Source Lomborg (2001)
15Impact of globalisation on the social conditions
of sustainability
- 1a) BETWEEN
- 1) INEQUALITY COUNTRIES
- 1b) WITHIN
16Inequality indexes of individual incomes 1820-1992
Theil inequality coefficients
global inequality ()
Inequality between countries
Inequality within countries
() Global inequality is the sum of the other two
curves
Fig. 1
Source Bourguignon and Morisson (2002)
17Correlation between globalisation and inequality?
- The global index suggests a positive answer
- however, as soon as we decompose it in its two
determinants, and consider different phases, the
outlook becomes more complex and articulated - Between-country inequality
- Correlation in the 19th century
- In the 20th century the positive correlation
breaks down - globalisation has two opposite effects on the
inequality - between globalising and non-globalising
countries ?? inequality - and within globalising countries ? ?inequality
- ? the weight of the second effect progressively
increased during the second globalisation as a
consequence of the spreading of globalisation - negative correlation? Question not yet settled
(Branko Milanovic, 2002) -
18Correlation between globalisation and inequality?
- Within-country inequality mild positive
correlation - the aggregate index conceals the empirical
pattern of groups of countries - new globalising countries India, China, Russia
? inequality - most OECD countries ? U pattern since 1915
- 1915-1971 ? inequality (solidarity from wars,
depression, welfare state) - 1975-2005 ? inequality (neoliberal policies)
- ? I will focus on the second empirical trend that
has important policy implications
19Variation in within-country income inequality
1975-1985 1985-1995
1975-1985 1985-1995
AUSTRIA 0
BELGIUM
CANADA 0
CHECK REP. --
DANMARCK
FINLAND -
FRANCE -
GERMANY -
UNGHERIA
ITALY --
JAPAN 0
COREA
HOLLAND 0
NEW ZELAND
NORWAY -
POLAND 0
SWEDEN -
HIGH INCREASE gt 15
INCREASE 7-15
MODERATE INCREASE 2-7
0 NO VARIATION -2 - 2
- MODERATE REDUCTION 2-7
-- REDUCTION 7-15
--- STRONG REDUCTION gt 15
Fig. 4
Source OECD
20Inequality in the U.K., 1939-1996 ()
56
52
48
44
40
36
Gini index
32
28
24
20
16
1975
1985
1945
1955
1965
1995
1935
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Fig. 5
Source Brandolini (2002)
21Inequality in the USA, 1929-1996
56
52
48
44
40
Gini index
36
32
28
24
20
16
1975
1985
1915
1925
1935
1945
1955
1965
1995
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
1920
2000
Fig. 6
Source Brandolini (2002)
22Share of income (quintiles 1985-1995)
MIN. INCOMES AVER. INCOMES MAX. INCOMES
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
BELGIUM ---
CANADA
DENMARK -
FINLAND ---
FRANCE -
GERMANY -
HUNGARY
ITALY --- -
JAPAN -
MEXICO ---
HOLLAND -
NORWAY - -
SWEDEN -
TURKEY - ---
U. K. - -
U.S.A. -
INCREASE gt 1.5
INCREASE between 0.5 E 1.5
VARIATION between -0.5 and 0.5
- DECREASE between 0.5 E 1.5
--- DECREASE gt 1.5
Fig. 7
Source OECD
23The impact of globalisation on the social
condition of sustainability
- The indirect effect on inequality
- the environmental Kuznets Curve
24Indirect correlation between globalisation and
within-country inequality
- Extensive empirical literature on within-country
inequality studying its correlation with per
capita income - Since there is a strong correlation between
globalisation and per capita income - we can interpret the above as an indirect
correlation between within-country inequality and
globalisation - Literature initiated by the Nobel-laureate Simon
Kuznets who suggested in 1955 the conjecture that
within-country inequality increases in the first
phase of industrial development but decreases in
a second phase
25KUZNETS CURVE (1955)
Inequality
Social carrying capacity
Per capita income
Fig. 9
26KUZNETS CURVE (1955)
- Plausibility ? take-off (triggered by the
adoption of outward-oriented policies) - -diffusion takes time
- -urbanisation
- -growing pressure in favour of redistribution
- (progressive taxation, transfers, welfare
state) - Optimist message the problem tends to disappear
spontaneously - Kuznets conjecture corroborated by econometric
studies up to the 1970s - since the early 1980s new econometric studies
have progressively weakened the empirical support
(emergence of the U-pattern in OECD countries) - historical explanation the KC described a
specific historical process and not general
tendencies intrinsic in the process of
globalisation? policy is needed
27The impact of globalisation on the social
condition of sustainability
28Impact of globalisation on the social conditions
of sustainability 2) poverty
- we have to reject the optimist message of the
Kuznets curve - however, according to many economists, in order
to study the social effects of globalisation we
should focus not on inequality but on poverty - Conviction based on the Bhagwati hypothesis
and prescription - Countries have similar distribution of income ?
we can only reduce poverty by increasing the rate
of growth of income (Bhagwati, 2004, p.66)
29Impact of globalisation on the social conditions
of sustainability 2) poverty
- misleading hypothesis Bourguignon and Morisson
(p.733) calculated that - had the world distribution of income remained
unchanged since 1820, the number of poor people
would be less than 1/4th than it is today and the
number of extremely poor people would be less
than 1/8th of what is today - ? we should try hard to realize a more
egalitarian growth
30The long-run trend of poverty(lt 2 a day)
Source Bourguignon and Morisson (2002)
31The long-run trend of extreme poverty (lt 1
a day)
Source Bourguignon and Morisson (2002)
32Poverty in the world from 1987 to 1998
Extreme poverty (headcount)
100 75 50 25 0 -25 -50 -75 -100 -125 -15
0
Variations
East Asia and Pacific Area
Europe and central Asia
Latin America and Caraibi
Middle East and North Africa
South Asia
Sub-saharian Africa
Fig. 10
Source World Bank
33Variation rates of poverty (1985-1995)
Pre-tax transferts
Post-tax transfers
Poverty is defined as the number of persons who
detain less than 50 of average income of total
popolation. Taxes include all direct taxes on
incomes, included social security contributions.
The transfers include all the benefits deriving
from money transfers.
Fig. 8
Source OECD
34The impact of globalisation on the environmental
condition of sustainability
- The indirect effect
- the environmental Kuznets Curve
35Environmental KUZNETS curve (Panayotou, 1993)
- No historical series of comprehensive indexes of
environmental deterioration - ? correlation with specific indexes of
environmental deterioration - Some of them behave as in the KC ? environmental
Kuznets curve - Plausibility
- -take-off shift of labour from agriculture to
heavy industry - then increase of light industry and services
- -growing pressure of final users and electorate
- Econometric studies seemed to corroborate the
hypothesis but then it was falsified in many
cases - - it works only when the environmental effects
are local - - recently N-shaped curves
36Environmental KUZNETS curve
Environmental deterioration
Environmental carrying capacity
Per capita income
Fig. 11
37Environmental KUZNETS curve (sulfur dioxide)
1972
Sulfur Dioxide ?g/m3
1986
Per capita income (PPP)
DEVELOPMENT
Fig. 12
Source Shafik (1994)
38Environmental KUZNETS curve (particulate matter)
1972
1986
Per capita income (PPP)
DEVELOPMENT
Fig. 13
Source Shafik (1994)
39Environmental KUZNETS curve (coliform bacteria)
Thousands coliforms per 100ml
1986
1979
Per capita income (PPP)
DEVELOPMENT
Fig. 14
Source Shafik (1994)
40Generalisation of the environmental Kuznets curve
- Environmental sustainability relation
- ED growth pc income growth intensity of ED
growth population growth - where ED is a global index of environmental
degradation pc is per capita - Condition of long-term global environmental
sustainability (ED growth 0 ) - pc income growth - (intensity of ED growth
population growth) - ? positive growth of pc income may be sustainable
only if -
- negative growth of ED intensity gt population
growth
41Crucial requisite of sustainabilty
Development is sustainable only if
Reduction rate of ED intensity
Rate of growth of population
gt
More likely in developed countries
Calls for
- Technologic change
- Consumption
Increasingly eco-compatible
42The environmental sustainability relation and the
energy problem
- The condition for longterm energy sustainability
is given by - pc income growth - (population growthenergy
intensity growthCO2 energy intensity
growth) - or
- income growth (energy intensity growth ED
growth) - We may define max sustainable growth of income
- Max sustainable income growth (energy
intensity growth ED energy intensity
growth) - Sustainability Gap actual income growth max
sustainable income growth
43The sustainability gap in the current model of
energy production and consumption
Average observed values for each decade
(projection 2001-2005) Source Energy Information
Administration
44SECOND PART
- An Attempt at Causal Interpretation
45Prevailing empirical correlations
SUSTAINABILITY OF DEVELOPMENT
-
-
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERIORATION
INEQUALITY AND POVERTY
/- (Kuznets) /-
PER CAPITA INCOME
GLOBALISATION
46Tentative answer to the first question
Postwar globalisation two phases
WITHIN-COUNTRY INEQUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL DETERIORATION
1945-1971 MODERATE IMPROVEMENT WORSENING
1980-2002 WORSENING PARTIAL IMPROVEMENT
NEITHER OF THE PHASES OF POSTWAR
GLOBALISATION MAY BE CONSIDERED AS FULLY
SUSTAINABLE ALTHOUGH FOR DIFFERENT REASONS
47Towards a causal analysis
STATISTICAL CORRELATION DOES NOT IMPLY
CAUSALITY
CAUSAL ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC RATIONALE OF GLOBALISATION
THE INTEGRATION OF LOCAL MARKETS IN A UNIFIED
GLOBAL COMPETITIVE MARKET IN ORDER TO REALISE THE
OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF WORLD RESOURCES AND TO
MAXIMISE THE WELFARE OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY
48Towards a causal analysis
The validity of the argument depends on a series
of conditions. In particular
- Goods and services
- Production factors
- Technology and information
Effective mobility across countries
- A) barriers against imports from developing
countries (agriculture, textiles) - B) Strong restrictions to the international
mobility of labour - C) Free movement of capital without distinction
between FDI and speculative flows
Anomalies
49ANOMALIES
- A) according to estimates of the UN (1994) these
protectionist measures produce a transfer of
wealth equal to the overall flow of foreign aid - B) these restrictions are much more severe now
than at the time of the first globalisation - ? last resort equalizing instrument
- precondition of a competitive market (laissez
faire, laissez passer, Smith)
50ANOMALIES
- C) -FDI factor of development SF (speculative
flows) source of instability dramatic change in
their proportion - Early 1980s FDI 90
- Now much less than 10 while daily SFs exceed the
sum of reserves in foreign currency of G7
countries - Lucas paradox
- according to the standard neoclassical theory
capital should flow from rich to the poor
countries until the return to investment is
equalized in all countries -
- in reality the opposite happens (notwithstanding
the higher marginal product of capital in
emerging countries) - role of perceived risk and institutions
51Short-termism
- the recent process of globalisation strengthened
short-termism - a) Growing importance of finance
- b) Greater flexibility of labour markets and
industrial relations - c) Incentives to top managers and directors
52Short-termism
- Growing importance of finance
- Goldsmith FIR from about 1 in the early 1980s
(G5) to 2/3 2000s -
- Liberalisation of capital flows almost complete
without distinction between FDI and speculative
flows ? change of proportion -
- Stock exchange markets unified by Internet ??
herd behaviour - ? huge gains and losses from short-term
speculative transactions
53Short-termism
- managers frequent revisions
- b) deregulation labour markets
workers short-term horizon - short-term indexes (stock options)
- c) incentives to top managers
- ? short-term objective function
- Short-termism jeopardises sustainability
- ? liberalisation of capital
account - globalisation contributed to these trends
- ? deregulation
54Regulation of international markets
- the effects of globalisation depend
crucially on the regulation rules of - the international markets
- Bretton Woods period (1945 - 1971)
- two phases
- Washington consensus (1980 - 2000)
- Different philosophies of market regulation
55Regulation of international markets
The Bretton Woods System
- FIXED EXCHANGE RATES IN ORDER TO STABILIZE THE
EXPECTATIONS - LIBERALIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES BASED
ON THE GATT AGREEMENTS - COUNTERCYCLICAL INTERVENTIONS OF IMF IN ORDER TO
AVOID EFFECTIVE DOMAND DEFICIENCIES - STRUCTURAL INTERVENTIONS
- OF THE WORLD BANK MAINLY TO FIGHT POVERTY
ACTIVE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETS IN
ORDER TO AVOID MARKET FAILURES
56Regulation of international markets
The Washington consensus
- FLEXIBLE CURRENCY EXCHANGES
- INSTITUTION OF OMC TO COMPLETE THE LIBERALISATION
OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE - NEW PRESCRIPTIONS OF IMF DEREGULATION,
PRIVATISATION AND AUSTERITY - SUBORDINATION OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE WB TO
THE COMPLIANCE TO IMF CONDITIONS
PRIVATISATION AND DEREGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL
MARKETS TO AVOID STATE FAILURES
57Regulation of international markets
The Washington consensus
- A. THE WTO URGED THE REPEAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND
SOCIAL CONSTRAINTS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE
INTERPRETED AS - NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
- B. THE IMF URGED STRICT BUDGETARY POLICIES EVEN
TO THE COST OF INTERRUPTING - SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT AND TRANSFERS
THE NEW POLICY PHILOSOPHY MAY JEOPARDISE
SUSTAINABILITY
58Microeconomic aspects
SUSTAINABLE FIRM HAS UN A LONG-PERIOD TIME
HORIZON AND TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERESTS OF
ALL STAKEHOLDERS MAX LIFE EXPECTATION AND
AVERAGE PROFITABILITY
DEVELOPMENT IS SUSTAINIBILE ONLY IF IT IS BASED
ON A FABRIC OF SUSTAINABLE FIRMS
59 Dow Jones indexes
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
Dec-93 Sept-94 june-95 Mar-96 Dec-96 Sep
t-97 June-98 Mar-99 Dec-99 Sept-00 June-
01 Mar-02
DJSI World SUSTAINABILITY INDEX
Index
DJ World GENERAL INDEX
Fig. 15
Sourcewww.sustainability-index.com
Total returns normalized to 100
60The Influence of Globalisation
- The growing spatial fragmentation of productive
activity made increasingly difficult the active
control of stakeholders - Progressive shortening of the time horizon of
economic decisions - The new regulation rules of International markets
contributed to weaken the sustainability of
development - The case of banking shadow finance
61Concluding remarks
- The Implications for Economic, Environmental and
Social Policies
62Tentative answer to the second question
- The confrontation pro or con globalisation is
misleading - The problems depend on
- Incompleteness of globalisation
- Anomalies of globalisation
- Inadequate regulation of markets
The recent process of globalisation is not fully
sustainable it can and should be made
sustainable with apt interventions of economic,
environmental and institutional policy
63General policy interventions that descend from
the analysis
- Strengthen the sustainability of world
development - more egalitarian growth rapidly reducing poverty
- vigorous reduction in the intensity of
environmental deterioration - Defence and corroboration of genuine
environmental and social constraints in
cross-country trade - Elimination of unjustified constraints to labour
mobility - Control of speculative flows and/or of their
effects - Incentives to CSR and enforcement of minimal
standards - Incentives to the financial system to channel
saving towards sustainable investment
64The basic policy dilemma
- Interventions such as those mentioned above may
be implemented by - national policy authorities
- but in the short period they could damage the
national interests - or powerful particular interests
- this problem extends to the global economy the
dilemma - should the markets be regulated by some sort of
public authority?
65Paradigm pro-regulation
- Dominant paradigm in the Bretton Woods period
-
- standard objection
- -omniscient
- state ? state failures
- -benevolent
-
-
- defence democratic control
-
-
-
STATE
government
regulation
interventions
reaction
market failures
economic power
Invisible hand
MARKET
66Paradigm pro-deregulation
- Dominant paradigm in the Washington consensus
era -
- standard objection
-
- the real market is not the
- ? market failures
- perfect competitive market
-
-
- defence reduction of the gap
-
-
STATE
government
deregulation
privatisation
economic power
state failures
reaction
Invisible hand
MARKET
67The gap between real markets and the ideal
model of a perfectly competitive market
- distribution
- a) perfect competition market limits
- incompleteness ? externalities
- ideal perfectly competitive market
- b) wide gap between
- real markets strong uncertainty, bounded
rationality, transaction costs,
irreversibility of time... -
- c) the gap may be reduced but not fully
eliminated (e.g. incompleteness) - ? markets, even global markets, have to be
regulated -
68Traditional paradigms
- Alternation at least since Adam Smith
- Both paradigms are simplistic, unilateral and
misleading - mistaken foundations of the sources of economic
power and failures - State hierarchical and centralised
(government) - trad. sources
- Market impersonal - decentralised
(invisible hand) - third source ? Firms hierarchical and
centralised (governance) - -different from the state control of
stakeholders - -different from the market Coase (1937)
- ? corporate failures (short-termism and CS
Irresponsibility)
69the three sources of economic power and failures
70Concluding remarks on the policy dilemma
- Very often deregulation and privatisation
translated not in more power to the market -
- more power to firms (mainly to the big ones,
often transnational) - this did not mean more competition collusion,
insider trading, conflicts of interests and other
corporate failures undermine competition - neither less power to the state
-
- -the share of public expenditure did not
diminish what has changed is the structure of
taxation and public expenditure in a less
egalitarian way - -collusion between particular corporate and
political interests crony capitalism is by no
means a distinctive trait of developing countries
(Bhagwati, 2004)
71The policy dilemma and globalisation
- What we need both at the national and
international level is - more effective competition on a really level
playing field (?? inequality and poverty) - more democratic control on government from
citizens - more democratic control on corporations from
stakeholders - the problem is not so much the dislocation of
nominal power between the three sources, but the
quality of the management of power at the
national and global level - -genuinely competitive markets
- government
- -accountability and transparency of
- corporate governance
- under these conditions globalisation may offer
crucial opportunities of development guaranteeing
at the same time its sustainability
72Theoretical presuppositions1) assertions on the
market
- -distribution
- a) perfect-competition market intrinsic limits
- -externalities
- ideal of perfect competition (GEM)
- b) wide gap between market
- real incompleteness, strong uncertainty,
limited rationality, externalities,
transaction costs, irreversibility, etc. -
- c) The gap may be narrowed but not fully closed
(e.g. incompleteness) -
732) liberalism vs. neoliberalism
- a) classic
- ß) updated (Keynes, Pigou, etc.)
- Liberalism ? discontinuity
- ?) neoliberalism
- a) e ß) endorse the three assertions
-
- ?) rejects or underscores them
- externalities ? property relations
- a) optimism
- distribution collateral effects of growth
(temporary Kuznets) - b) minimization (e.g. contestable markets)
- c) no limits in principle (e.g. Arrow securities
to complete markets)
743) Policy implications
- a) public interventions inevitable
- Liberalism b) ? gap but further
interventions necessary ? ? well-being - c) abolition of unjustified constraints
- a) avoid public Interventions (state
failures in principle worse) - Neoliberalism b) reducible through
deregulation and privatization - c) completely superable completion of
markets, etc.
754) Postwar globalizations
- i) liberal (Keynesian updated liberalism)
1945/1971 - Globalization
- ii) neoliberalism 1980/2007
- i) ? welfare state
- Social condition
- ii) ? welfare state
- i) ? awareness
- Environmental condition
- ii) ? environmental policies rise and
decline