Leonel Matar-Environmental Challenges and Precariat A Global Concern.ppt
1. Saint-Joseph University of Beirut
Beirut-Lebanon
Environmental Challenges
and Precariat :
A Global Concern
Pr. Leonel Matar
leonel.matar@usj.edu.lb
2. • It is undeniable today that the problems that
threaten our society are becoming global.
• Globalization puts more pressure on our planet
and our welfare.
3. • All countries, rich and poor, face environmental
challenges, sustainable development concerns
and the emergence of a precariat, calling for
socially responsible practices from businesses
and States.
4. • Can Globalization rise to the challenge and
stand up to the economic, human, social,
environmental and ethical threats in today’s
world ?
5. • Environmental and social variables are
considered today as important elements for a
peaceful society all over the world.
6. • The rampant consumerism
• The excessive industrialization
• The westernized economic model
7. • All these elements, which are applied by
developed and emerging countries today and
which will be embraced by developing countries
tomorrow, are likely to shake the fate of the
world and endanger an already fragile social
peace.
8. The environnemental issue
• The deterioration of the environment and the
depletion of natural resources constitute today
global issues.
• The world population has more than tripled
since 1950 and is set to increase by 40% by
2050.
10. • History has shown that as people become richer:
- they use more energy
- they consume more products
- they waste more
▼
More pressure on the environment
13. • Three Hard Truths
1- Surging Energy Demand
2- Struggle for more supplies
3- Increasing stress on our environment
14. Population World Estimation 2018
Countries
Total
population
(thousands)
Life
expectancy
Infant
mortality
rate
Number
of
children
per
woman
Growth
rate
Population
aged 65 and
more
(thousands)
AFRICA 1,277,292 61.6 51.6 4.39 24.3 45,703
ASIA 4,519,451 72.9 26.3 2.14 9 375,369
EUROPE 739,495 77.9 4.5 1.63 0.3 137,381
LATIN
AMERICA &
THE
CARRIBBEAN
653,991 75.8 16.4 2.04 9.7 54,320
NORTHERN
AMERICA
365,918 80 5.2 1.86 7.4 58,705
OCEANIA 41,028 78.4 18.6 2.34 13.6 5,156
WORLD 7,597,175 71.8 31.3 2.47 10.7 676,634
15. What will happen to our World ?
▼
Catastrophic scenario or pragmatic and realistic
solutions?
16. • People and groups, fearing loss of their
lifestyles and prosperity, come together to
press governments and businesses to give
sustainable development a higher priority.
17. • Technology combined with innovation will be a
good opportunity for our world to deal with this
issue.
18. • Governments alone are not able to overcome
these problems.
▼
The participation of the private sector is highly
needed.
19. • Multinationals, corporations and SMEs are
spread all over the world:
- Big consumers of natural resources
- International outsourcing
- Always hungry for raw materials
- Detain economic and social power
- Leading technology
20. The cost of a 50 % reduction in global
emissions by 2050 is estimated at $ 45 trillions
▼
The challenge of financing ?
21. Sustainable Development will be a development
taking into consideration many criteria other
than the environmental problems
22. • Satisfy more customers needs
• Increase profits
• Create values
• Foster competitive advantage
• Solve and avoid environmental problems
• Focus on long term success
23. • It is obvious today that companies and
multinationals will be brought to take more
responsibility at different levels and in areas that
were once monopolized by the states.
24. • Multinationals are the true creators of wealth.
• The growing power of companies allowed them
to take into account the concerns of the
societies and communities in which they
operate.
25. Sustainable Development, today and
tomorrow
• It is obvious today that the world in general and
the economy in particular can no longer
function according to a logic that has not
changed since the industrial revolution, namely,
unrestrained use of energy resources.
• The unhealthy addiction of the South and the
North to economic growth as a dogma is a
serious matter.
26. • Human Development Index : Since 1990,
UNDP publishes HDI which is becoming
increasingly known and publicized; it takes into
account the economic, social, educational and
environmental aspects of development.
27. • Index of Economic Well-being
• The index of economic well-being is constructed
by taking the average of 4 synthetic indicators:
- Effective per capita consumption flows
- The income distribution
- The net accumulation of productive resources
- The degree of security or economic insecurity
29. • Precariat is not a homogeneous condition across
the world
• The main groups which compose the precariat
class
30. • Temporary jobs with a weak and fragile
situation, low incomes.
• In most counrties, the number of workers in
temporary jobs and unstable statuses is rising.
• This situation cannot promote social stability
31. • Part-time employment becomes a feature of the
world tertiary economy, unlike industrial
societies.
• Part-time jobs conceal the extent of
employment and unemployment.
32. • The growing army in call centres, a sinister
symbol of globalisation.
• All over the world, recent graduates, current
students and pre-students work for little pay.
33. • Internships are considered as a potential path to
precariat.
• Intern programmes launched by many
governments is a phenomenon to conceal the
growing youth unemployment rate
34. • There is a "high-end" precariousness which
reaches the middle class and the graduates
35. The Consequences of Precariousness
• Precariat is not just a matter of insecure, or part-
time or fixed-term jobs.
• It is a status that offers no sense of career, no
sense of secure identity and future.
• Many of us fear falling into the precariat or fear
for our friends and family.
36. • Precariat can easily lead to social tensions in
poor and rich countries.
• Precarity may lead to populism and extremism
37. Why precariousness is growing ?
• Our global market economy, based on
competition and individualism, is the main
reason.
• Competition (and flexibility) is good for us as
consumers
38. • Competition in all areas and at all levels
• But, competition asks for more sacrifice from
workers and employees.
• More stress, more insecurity and psychological
problems.
39. Technology and the precariousness
• Technology threatens millions of jobs across the
world
• Technology today is “blind to the color of your
collar.” It doesn’t matter whether you’re a factory worker,
a financial advisor or a professional flute-player:
automation is coming for you. Jerry Kaplan
40. • The big challenge is how to manage the
transition.
• Flexibility of course but the best strategy is to
diversify our portofolio of competencies, thus
our careers.
41. The Precariat
• Precariat is a condition that could happen to
most of us
• Precariat does not include only victims, many
reasons are behind entering in a pecarious
situation.
• Different varieties of precariat.
42. And the future ?
• Capitalism remains the only economic system
capable of creating wealth and boosting
innovation
BUT
▼
• Capitalism needs to be softened, humanized and
moralized
43. The role of the State with Globalization ?
• The more global a State becomes, the more it
loses power.
• The more global a company becomes, the more
it gains power
44. • The State is more necessary than ever
• Globalization complicates and redefines the role
of the State
• The reinvention of the role of the State and that
of the businesses
45. • The reinvention is a political act.
• The solutions to environmental, social and
economic issues depend on the will of the States
and private firms to include human and moral
dimensions in their policies.
46. • At a time of globalization, our dependence on
growth for happiness should only trigger the
implementation of a new approach to design our
future.
• Many economists dispute the fact that economic
growth alone is the source of improving the
destiny of human beings.
47. • In the XXI century, the introduction of social
and environmental indicators in the economic
analysis becomes a necessity and a moral
obligation.
