Title: The human side of social technology for climate change mitigation and human development: the case of 'efficient stoves' in Brazil

Authors: Andréa Cardoso Ventura; Luz Fernandez; José Célio Silveira Andrade; Julio Lumbreras Martín

Addresses: Núcleo de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon, s/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 40.110-903, Brazil. ' Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, n. 2, CP 28006, Madrid, Spain. ' Núcleo de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Av. Reitor Miguel Calmon, s/n, Vale do Canela, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 40.110-903, Brazil. ' Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, n. 2, CP 28006, Madrid, Spain

Abstract: Carbon management has gradually gained attention within the overall environmental management and corporate social responsibility agendas. The clean development mechanism, from Kyoto Protocol, was envisioned as connecting carbon market and sustainable development objectives in developing countries. Previous research has shown that this potential is rarely being achieved. The paper explores how the incorporation of the human side into carbon management reinforces its contribution to generate human development in local communities and to improve the company's image. A case study of a Brazilian company is presented, with the results of the application of an analytical model that incorporates the human side and human development. The selected project is an 'efficient stoves' programme. 'Efficient stoves' are recognised in Brazil as social technologies. Results suggest that the fact that social technologies value the human side of the technology plays a key role when it comes to analysing the co-benefits of the project implementation.

Keywords: social technologies; climate change; human development; carbon market; Brazil; environmental management; corporate social responsibility; CSR; carbon management; analytical models; modelling; efficient stoves; human factors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2012.050829

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.11 No.4, pp.375 - 393

Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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