9.

Actors in society
Introduction

The purpose of this mission is to look at how different actors in society work with
environmental and social matters. Often the complexity with solving sustainability issues stems
from the different types of people involved: with diverse perspectives and interests, concerned
with various ideas they would like to see succeed. So, in this mission we take a look at some of
the main groups of actors in society.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this mission you should have an overview of who is doing what on sustainability
issues. Importantly, when people are working in their everyday jobs, as professionals at work,
it is possible to do a lot in order to achieve sustainable development in society. This mission
should not only help you answer the questions on what you can do today as a consumer and
private citizen, but you should also gain an overview of different actors in society and their
perspectives. This will help you think about what you might like to do tomorrow, when you
enter in the work force.

When we talk about the different types of actors in society, we dont mean Hollywood or
Bollywood movie stars. In this context we are referring to the individuals who are employees,
employers, teachers, students, politicians, journalists, etc. who all come together to make
society function. Another name you can use for these actors is stakeholders.

Each actor plays a different role in society and contributes to environmental and social
problems in different ways. So, each actors contribution to the sustainable development of
their society also looks different.

Lets now look at the roles of these actors and some ways in which they can be involved in
sustainable development.

Individuals: Each person in a society is a consumer of goods and services. Also, based on our

age, and other factors, we may be a part of the work force in society (or not). Depending on
their profession and education, individuals that are part of the work force can influence society
and its environmental problems in different ways. For example, engineers can develop
technologies and products that are environmentally positive, such as wind turbines and
efficient water treatment systems. Lawyers can develop policies and laws that steer society
towards sustainability. Teachers can educate students about environmental and social
problems and their solutions. Economists can include environmental costs and benefits in their
calculations. Politicians can lead their nations to make the policy changes that are essential to
achieve sustainable development. IT professionals can develop efficient websites and
programmes that can assist businesses in sustainable development goals. Agriculturalists and
horticulturalists can think of the products that they apply to animals or the land and whether
they are natural or have harmful effects on nature.
The list goes on, but basically, every profession can, in some way, work towards sustainable
development.
But, not only people with a university degree can make a difference to the environment. In
order to solve the environmental and ecological problems of today, everyone, everywhere, no
matter who they are, needs to reach into the resources and knowledge available for them and
apply their own unique capacities and perspective of the world to contribute to solve these
problems.
A good start for every individual is to think about what we do in our daily lives, and even more
importantly, to modify our behaviour or create new habits to make changes in accordance to

what we are learning about sustainable development. Consuming more consciously and finding
ways to communicate our demands for more ecologically and socially friendly products and
services are also good ways to begin with. You will read about more alternatives of what us, as
individuals, can do in further

Government: A society is governed by policies and laws. The government, and in some

countries, also the judiciary (courts and judges) are responsible for the creation of these laws,
which cover issues of common interest for the members of society. These also set the basic
conditions for all other actors.
Governments are often responsible for providing infrastructure and public services (e.g. roads
and schools). In this way, governments act as industry and deliver products and services as
well. They can do a lot to promote sustainable development. For example, use taxes,
subsidies, and other policy measures to stimulate more environmentally sound behaviour in
society by, for instance, emission fees or emissions quotas.
Governments also set the rules for pollution control, and laws requiring the provision of
information to consumers, for example, information related to sustainable purchasing,
labelling, and use.

Governmental authorities: supervise, control, and administrate society according to the

legislation decided by the government and parliament. In this branch of the government, many
nations have a special agency for environmental issues. This agency supervises enforcement of
the environmental legislation and controls the state of the environment. It also seeks to
develop and to use measures to improve problem areas. Often local authorities or
municipalities at the local government level have certain functions and powers in relation to
environmental matters. These include things like issuing environmental permits for certain
activities that will have an effect on the environment or developing some types of voluntary
norms regulating sustainable activities, such as sustainable tourism.
In their work, governmental authorities also consume environmental resources. In many
nations, governmental authorities are one of the largest consumers of goods. It is therefore
important that they consider sustainability issues also in their own work and procurement.
Recently, Green Public Procurement has been introduced, whereby government agencies
commit to purchasing products in an environmentally and socially just manner.
Industries and businesses: provide products and services to satisfy our needs and wants.
Industry includes everyone involved in producing, transporting, and selling our products and
services. While it is the role of industry to meet our needs and wants, industrys main goal in a
market economy is to make a profit. Fortunately, these days, many manufacturers of products
are also committed to being socially and environmentally responsible in their working
conditions and in producing their products. However, there is still a long way to go before the
majority of business operations incorporate all the values and aspects of sustainable
development that you have been learning about in these missions.
One aspect of a products development is its design stage. Manufacturers can design products
that exert less impact during production, use, and afterwards. Service providers can also act in
a sustainably responsible way. For example, restaurants can include organic food in their
menu. You will learn more about design issues during the next missions.

A trend today is the shift from buying products to hiring them. A great example of this is the
trend in many cities, in different parts of the world, of adopting bike hiring systems. This is
where anyone can pick up a bike at bike-stands, use the bike to ride around for a number of
hours in a day, and then leave the bike back at another bike stand once they are finished. Can
you think of any other examples?

Banks and insurance companies: are called financial institutions. Both banks and insurance

companies need to consider sustainability issues in their work. Depending on the countrys law,
environmental disasters, such as oil spills into the environment or nuclear power plant
accidents, are often very expensive for insurance companies and are of increasing concern for
our society.
Banks can help you, for instance, to put your savings in environmental funds that only invest
in companies with sound environmental operations. They can also demand that companies
they lend money to have a sound sustainable business idea and finance projects that have a
sound sustainable impact.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): consist of people who have a common interest, like

workers rights or environmental issues. These special interest groups often run campaigns to
raise awareness about important or pressing environmental or social issues (locally and
internationally). They also develop social projects and research to promote change. Wellknown international environmental NGOs are Greenpeace and WWF. But there are many local
and regional NGOs around the world. Can you think of some in your country or region?
Depending on your country, another important interest group that should be considered with
regard to sustainable development are the indigenous people and their perspectives on the
issues. In many cases NGOs have acted on behalf of these groups to promote their rights and
to empower them.

The media: communicate information through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and

the Internet. Media often have good knowledge of what is happening in society. By
communicating this information to a large audience, the media can draw attention to particular
issues in order to stimulate change. You will learn more about media in the next mission.

Education institutions: these are important to provide people with the appropriate knowledge,

skills, and attitudes as members of society. Education for sustainable development is

considered to be a life long process. In this regard, educational institutions at all levels, be
they schools and universities, or different types of education centres, have a key role to help
ensure that all of their staff and students understand the meaning of sustainable development
and are involved in helping their societies to implement the changes necessary for achieving it.
NGOs, governments, businesses, and research institutes can also help by educating and
providing information to consumers, as well as producers. For example, they can disseminate
information on sustainability issues related to the choice and use of products and services.
So, lets sum up. You should have learned some more about individuals, governments,
government authorities, businesses and industries, banks and insurance companies, NGOs, the
media, and education institutions. All actors interact in society in different ways and their
perspectives are very much determined by the context. Facing environmental problems, many

of the actors mentioned here tend to be involved, and have different approaches: both toward
the problem and also the solutions.
In some cases, actors roles and ideas will overlap, giving the opportunity to collaborate.
However, often their interests will be conflicting, which makes the pathway to sustainability all
the more challenging!

Learning activity
Group discussion
For you, who are the most important actors/stakeholders in relation to your school? Try to
identify ten of them and also define what their contribution to a more sustainable school could
be. Tip: Dont forget yourself!
Group research and discussion
Find a local environmental or social issue that is currently topical in your city, town, or district.
Have a think about which actors might be interested in that issue. List 4 actors that you
consider to be interested.
Group research and discussion
Choose one of the actors that you have identified in the above group. Try and find a statement
from them that sums up their perspective on this issue. If it is possible, try and speak with a
person or a representative from the particular group and ask them about their perspective on
the issue.

Feedback
1. Effort
The group has put in a lot of work in fulfilling this assignment. Do you agree?

2. Insight
The answers show that the group has a good understanding of the questions asked. Do you
agree?

3. Communication
The answers given by the group were clear, understandable and well presented. Do you
agree?