Outsourcing Emissions: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as Ecological Modernisation - Implementing Environmental and Resource Management - page 268

21.2 Clean Development Mechanism and Ecological
Modernisation
Proceeding from the previous section, this part of the article seeks to comprehend
how the CDM can be understood in terms of EM. First, it considers the viewpoints
of Huber (2008) regarding Kyoto mechanisms and then proceed to explicate that
CDM can be seen as a prescriptive illustration of EM by showing how the central
notions of CDM are keeping abreast with the key propositions of EM.
21.2.1 Huber on Kyoto Mechanisms
Joseph Huber, who is considered to be the founder of EM perspective, in a recent
article (Huber 2008) dealing with the theory and policies of EM, puts forth the
role of 'pioneer countries' in the global diffusion of environmental innovations.
He presents six theses in this direction:
• Advanced technology as the pivotal component of EM;
• Stringent regulation as the most important precondition for eco-innovation;
• The significant role of the lead markets of pioneer countries in environmental
innovation;
• The notable preponderance of pioneering countries over the global environ-
mental regimes;
• The central role of internationally active companies in the creation and global
diffusion of eco-innovations, and;
• The difficulties involved in trickling down the environmental innovations (in-
cluding leapfrogging and tunnelling-through) to 'the hierarchy of world-
system'.
While Huber's article focuses specifically on the role of pioneer countries in
global diffusion of environmental innovations, it is significant beyond its immedi-
ate purview on at least two grounds. First, it clearly throws light on the direction
of scientific exploration within EM and the emerging convictions (like the role of
pioneering countries, regulation, international companies etc) within the perspec-
tive. Second, and important with regard to this article, it highlights the specific
ways in which disciplinary boundaries are negotiated and constructed. The basic
argument against Huber here is that, though the idea of CDM is in accordance
with the underlying arguments of EM, it is put aside (perhaps) on the basis of this
rather recent thesis of preferring 'pioneer' countries to global regimes. This does
not, however, mean to argue that the role of the nation-state or the national cul-
tures in ecological sensitivity were insignificant in EM. Nevertheless, here the
emphasis is on the depiction of contrasting postures of national and transnational
regulatory mechanisms. While this could be an issue of emphasis when addressing
theoretical understanding and specific sociopolitical processes between the first
and second-generation literature within the EM perspective (Mol and Sonnenfeld
2000), it is necessary to deal with this translation process more clearly. It should