Environmental governance frameworks and implementation strategies

Environmental Governance

Responsible Leadership is the culmination of Moody-Stuart's forty-five years of work in the oil, gas, metal, and mineral extraction industries. Moody-Stuart draws from his experience and observations to provide an analysis of how business has been, and can become more, responsible champions of social and environmental issues. The book includes two Forewords, one by Sir Robert Wilson, former Executive Chair of Rio Tinto, and another by UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch-Brown. Moody-Stuart offers fifteen chapters, all related in some way to issues of economic development, globalization, free markets, free trade, corporate responsibility, and corporate ethics. The book includes Moody-Stuart's political philosophy, his opinions on nearly every major global conflict extant at the time of publishing, and on issues both relevant and irrelevant to the primary topic of the book, which is the role of business in the current global scenario.

The book begins with an introduction that outlines three of the countries in which Moody-Stuart had worked under the auspices of the Shell company: Oman, Malaysia, and Nigeria. Oman and Malaysia are offered as examples of exemplary and effective governance, in which political leaders simultaneously protected the rights of the people while also welcoming business growth and economic development. Nigeria is set off as a contrasting example, as it is a nation that suffered (and continues to suffer) from extremely bad governance. As a result, Nigeria's people have suffered and its economy has been squandered.

Using Chapter One as a springboard, Moody-Stuart launches into a deep and nuanced discussion of the intersections between business, government, and non-governmental organizations. The author is occasionally critical of NGOs, but seems remarkably sympathetic to government as well as business. In an attempt to discover balance and harmony, Moody-Stuart recognizes that there are multiple sides to each argument. Each chapter of Responsible Leadership focuses on a different element related to business, government, and the difficult relationships that develop between the two. Cultural difference, circumstance, and history all play a role in shaping the unique situations that determine whether business and government will engage in successful or disastrous partnerships.

Much of the first half of the book is devoted to an explanation of how businesses, governments, and NGOs navigate their roles and relationships. In Chapter 7, the author addresses climate change and the responsibilities of business to address climate change in more sensible and productive ways. Both businesses and governments are passing the buck, the author points out. Chapter 8 focuses solely on the problem of corruption, as the root cause of resistance to change. One of the more ambitious chapters of Responsible Leadership is Chapter 9, which is about enterprise solutions to poverty and development. It is quickly followed by a chapter that focuses exclusively on China's policies and theories on poverty eradication. Moody-Stuart wraps up the book with concrete suggestions, which were explained and substantiated throughout the book by his personal observations and experiences working with world leaders as a representative of major natural resources extraction companies.

Ambitious as it is, Responsible Leadership is a compelling and actually enjoyable read. Blending humor with dry discussion, Moody-Stuart offers astute analysis of some of the most important and pressing issues in the world. The author does well to discuss almost every element of the global marketplace, from the peculiar cultural quirks that make business interesting to the frustrating and often nauseating encounters with the "devils" of the world like Syria's Assad. The author's personal experiences are remarkable.

The author is a champion of free markets, but also acknowledges the need for ethical watchdogs and preferably, honest self-monitoring. Throughout Responsible Leadership, Moody-Stuart talks about the problem with corruption. Corruption is a central problem in global business, partly due to the way corruption often temporarily removes constraints on business and may facilitate operations. However, corruption also taints the ultimate goals that are shared in common by both business and its stakeholders. Businesspeople do have a responsibility to the people who live in the countries, and not just to the politicians who shake their hands. Therefore, corporations must start injecting more humanity and humanitarian practices into their operations. It is unavoidable to have business-government partnerships. The free market is also a moot point. Yet in the absence of mutual trust and partnership, business and the free market sometimes yield unwanted consequences. Civil war, poverty, and other examples of gross human rights violations are not the sole responsibility of business; but business has played some role in many of these conflicts.

Some regulation is necessary and inevitable, if quality of life is to be valued. Moody-Stuart uses catalytic converters as an example. The free market does not suffer when small mandates on business are made. Businesses might whine and gripe for a while after the regulations have been put in place, but ultimately, everyone wins. Moody-Stuart explains how unfettered business practices are as detrimental as unfettered autocratic regimes. The author accomplishes what few businesspeople can do: discovers a viable means to balance the interests of corporations with the interests of the general public.

One of the strengths of the book is its clarity and organization. For example, the author provides general overview of each topic area, while also weaving in personal opinion and anecdote. For instance, he outlines the role of individual businesses as well as public-private partnerships in Chapter 9. Listing what specific companies and philanthropic organizations are doing to eradicate poverty allows the author to laud or criticize elements on the basis of their merits. Another strength of Responsible Leadership is that the author never becomes judgmental about other countries, in spite of being English. His respect for what other countries and their leaders have done to promote general well being is palpable throughout the text. Starting with the author's admiration of Oman and Malaysia, continuing through his respect for the way Chinese leaders have developed ingenuous economic development programs, Moody-Stuart can teach readers much about how to learn from other countries. Instead of focusing only on negative aspects of China's growth, for example, the author acknowledges that much of what China has done has been exceptionally admirable considering the extent of its population.

The author never provides vague opinions. Each element is backed up by fact. Some readers might take issue with Moody-Stuart's overreliance on his own anecdotal evidence, or with his lack of footnotes and citations. However, the author's credibility level is high enough that readers can trust the facts presented or use the powers of the Internet to perform personal fact checking if necessary. Moreover, the author never pretended to be a scholar. Responsible Leadership is written by a businessman, and written largely for a businessman's audience. That audience includes, but is not limited to business leaders. It also includes all stakeholders including consumers, consumer advocates, public policy analysts, and NGO employees.