Philipp Aerni – författare

This book examines the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on local economies, and presents selected case studies of MNEs operating in low income countries. By balancing external social and environmental costs against its corresponding benefits, the book demonstrates that MNEs can have a positive net-impact on local development if they build up social capital by embedding themselves in local economies and engaging responsibly with local stakeholders. By doing so MNEs contribute to inclusive growth, a central pillar of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the book challenges popular narratives in civil society and academia that frame foreign direct investment (FDI) merely as a threat to human rights and sustainable development. Moreover, it offers practical guidance for globally operating businesses seeking to establish progressive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies of their own.

This book examines the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on local economies, and presents selected case studies of MNEs operating in low income countries. By balancing external social and environmental costs against its corresponding benefits, the book demonstrates that MNEs can have a positive net-impact on local development if they build up social capital by embedding themselves in local economies and engaging responsibly with local stakeholders. By doing so MNEs contribute to inclusive growth, a central pillar of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the book challenges popular narratives in civil society and academia that frame foreign direct investment (FDI) merely as a threat to human rights and sustainable development. Moreover, it offers practical guidance for globally operating businesses seeking to establish progressive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies of their own.

This book offers an interdisciplinary, historically grounded analysis of competing visions of the bioeconomy and argues for their reconciliation through the concept of oikos: responsible yet adaptive economic stewardship under conditions of ecological constraint and uncertainty. Drawing on political economy, economic history, and anthropology, it proposes a holistic policy perspective that moves beyond the antagonistic imperatives often implicit in the terms “bio” and “economy.” By reframing the bioeconomy as a socio‑ecological project rather than a narrowly technocratic one, the book highlights the need to align economic activity with long‑term ecological sustainability and social responsibility.Placing biotechnology at the centre of this discussion, the volume shows how biotechnological practices have long contributed to the sustainable use of biological resources, well before the molecular biology revolution of the 1970s. It examines contemporary strategies that integrate New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) and AI into national and supranational bioeconomy agendas addressing climate change, resource scarcity, and food insecurity. Increased confidence in the precautionary use of NGTs is linked to their continuity with classical mutagenesis and to growing biosafety knowledge and practical experience. Engaging debates on precaution, innovation, and sustainability, the book surveys enabling policy frameworks that support the safe use of biotechnology in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It will be a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, regulators, and professionals working at the interface of science, technology, and sustainability governance.

This book addresses the ability of market-based instruments to improve the sustainable provision of environmental services. The author combines field research and insights from the multi-stakeholder dialogue at the FAO to analyze the gap between the predictions provided by theory and the corresponding outcomes in practice. In particular, the author challenges the theory behind Payments for Environmental Services (PES), a concept derived from neoclassical welfare economics, by demonstrating that PES projects often lack financial sustainability unless local entrepreneurs make use of the resulting new networks to create innovative markets for environmental goods. The author calls for a shift of focus from regulation to innovation in projects and policies designed to improve the provision of environmental services. Its spotlight on the positive social impacts of companies that engage in hybrid PES schemes will make the book appealing to practitioners and policymakers alike.

This book addresses the ability of market-based instruments to improve the sustainable provision of environmental services. The author combines field research and insights from the multi-stakeholder dialogue at the FAO to analyze the gap between the predictions provided by theory and the corresponding outcomes in practice. In particular, the author challenges the theory behind Payments for Environmental Services (PES), a concept derived from neoclassical welfare economics, by demonstrating that PES projects often lack financial sustainability unless local entrepreneurs make use of the resulting new networks to create innovative markets for environmental goods. The author calls for a shift of focus from regulation to innovation in projects and policies designed to improve the provision of environmental services. Its spotlight on the positive social impacts of companies that engage in hybrid PES schemes will make the book appealing to practitioners and policymakers alike.

Unser moralisches Empfinden ist von den Emotionen Glück und Angst geprägt. Sie gelten gar als Motor moralischen Handelns. Doch in unserer Gesellschaft herrscht nach wie vor eine strikte Trennung von Eigeninteresse und Moral. Während Freiheit und Autonomie gepriesen werden, sollen wir in erster Linie Gefühle vertreten, die nicht unsere eigenen sind. Das vergrößert die Kluft zwischen Sein und Schein.Experimentelle Forschung im Grenzbereich von Moralpsychologie, Neurowissenschaften und Verhaltensökonomie wie auch neuere Erkenntnisse aus den interdisziplinären Geistes- und insbesondere Religionswissenschaften lassen ein neues Bild des Menschen entstehen. Es hat wenig mit dem eines rationalen und an Idealvorstellungen orientierten Entscheidungsfinders zu tun, wie es bisher in Ökonomie und Ethik dominiert hat. Demnach gibt es weder den Menschen, der ausschließlich an kurzfristiger und rein materieller Nutzenmaximierung interessiert ist, noch gibt es den komplett uneigennützigen Typus, der immer nur an das Wohl der Allgemeinheit denkt.Mit einem Interview mit dem israelischen Historiker Shlomo Sand (»Die Erfindung des jüdischen Volkes«).

Welche Rolle spielt die Moral für unser wirtschaftliches Handeln und überhaupt in der Wirtschaft? Steht sie uns vielleicht sogar im Weg? Durch Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrisen ist das Misstrauen zwischen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft weiter gestiegen. In Anbetracht dessen stellen die Herausgeber dieses Bandes die Frage, ob wir eine neue Wirtschaftsethik brauchen: eine Wirtschaftsethik, die den in der Wirtschaft tätigen Menschen eine wirkliche Orientierung gibt, statt sie dem Dilemma von leerem Moralismus und praktischen Zwängen der ökonomischen Welt zu überlassen; eine Wirtschaftsethik, die dem Anspruch, einen realistischen ethischen Rahmen für das wirtschaftliche Handeln zu bieten, tatsächlich gerecht wird. Die Beiträge dieses Buches behandeln interdisziplinär und aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven die Schwierigkeiten mit der Moral und münden in der provokanten These, dass sich Wirtschaftsethik auch ausgezeichnet als Warnung vor der Moral eignet.