Dr. Charles Arvid Backman

Department of Business and Office Administration, Grande Prairie College, Canada

Biography: Dr. Charles holds a BSF in Forest Resource Management and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). He also holds an MA in International Studies and a PhD in Forest Resource Management from the University of Washington (Seattle). He recently received his second PhD in Management (Strategy and Global Management) from the University of Calgary (Calgary). His current research has been published in Business & Society and Long Range Planning while his dissertation examined corporate strategies for climate change impact mitigation. Earlier academic work was in forest resource management, whereby he focused on the Russian forest sector at a time of change. This research appeared in Post-Soviet Geography and Economics and Polar Geography, and included a peer reviewed book, The Forest Industrial Sector of Russia. Charles’ research interests focus on firm adaptation and strategic intent in the sustainability sphere.

Topic: Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Chance of System Failure Due to Event Characteristics

Abstract: While performance along social, environment and economic dimensions has gained traction in business and society, the focus has been on system continuity. Because of the different interpretations which can be attached to sustainability or sustainable development, consensus on appropriate goals of the system, whatever the system might be, may be more difficult to develop than consensus on what is not wanted – such as a system failure. System failure in this context is meant to convey a system’s inability to adapt to changes in the external or internal environments brought on by an event that disturbs the equilibrium of forces acting on it (the system). A failure then is linked to the interaction between the event and the characteristics which differentiate one event from the next, and the system and the characteristics which differentiate one system from the next. This paper focuses on sustainability and system continuity in terms of understanding conditions that promote system failure from the perspective of the event characteristics. It examines threats to system failure in the context of the characteristics of the event which causes the disturbance threatening system stability.

Dr. Dai-Yeun Jeong, Professor

Asia Climate Change Education Center, South Korea

Department of Environmental Sociology, Jeju National University, South Korea

Biography: Dr. Dai-Yeun Jeong is presently the director of Asia Climate Change Education Center based in South Korea. He received BA and MA degree in sociology from Korea University (South Korea), and Ph.D in environmental sociology from University of Queensland (Australia). He was a professor of sociology at Jeju National University (South Korea) from 1981 to 2012, and served as the president of Asia-Pacific Sociological Association from 2002 to 2004, and as a delegate of South Korean Government to UNFCCC from 2003 to 2004. He published 13 books including Environmental Sociology.

Topic: A Framework for Achieving Carbon-free Society

Abstract: It has been scientifically proved that the emission of human-induced greenhouse gases is the major contributor to climate change. A variety of strategies are being implemented to reduce the emission of human-induced greenhouse gases at a global, national and regional level for achieving low-carbon and carbon-neutral society. However, the ultimate goal of climate change strategy is to achieve carbon-free society which is the state of climate before industrialization has been advanced in the 18th century. Nonetheless, it is quite rare to establish the framework of carbon-free society.
In the context mentioned above, this paper will present a framework for achieving carbon-free society through overcoming the limitations inherent in the existing framework promoting low-carbon and carbon-neutral society. The presentation will be composed of three parts. First: The difference in the concept and implication of low-carbon, carbon-neutral and carbon-free will be examined. Second: The limitations inherent in the low-carbon and carbon-neutral frameworks will be critically examined in terms of their strategies for achieving the state of climate before industrialization has been advanced in the 18th century. Third: A framework for achieving carbon-free society will be presented in a way to overcoming the limitations inherent in the existing low-carbon and carbon-neutral frameworks, focusing on overall direction of nature-based and technology-based approach, major socio-economic sectors and strategies to be included, and methodologies for analyzing the efficiency and effectiveness of the strategies.
No country/region currently has all requirements necessary for promoting carbon-free society. In this context, as a concluding remark, what capacity should be built will be discussed. In a word, the key significance of the presentation is in seeking for the direction and contents of achieving carbon-free society which is the ultimate destination of climate change strategy.