Event Description

ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADING IN GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS

Global Value Chains (GVC) and Global Production Networks (GPN) have become key frameworks for understanding the global fragmentation of production as a key process of globalization. A key focus of this body of research has been understanding to what extent and under what circumstances participation in GVCs may allow firms and territories to gain market access and learning opportunities. The GVC/GPN framework has delved into the concept of upgrading, which accounts for processes of moving into high value added and more diversified activities, which promotes growth and development trajectories for firms.  A dominant focus within upgrading has been unpacking its economic and social dimensions, while frequently viewing the environment as an externality.

In this workshop, we aim at extending the discussion of upgrading (and downgrading) beyond its economic and social aspects to unpack its environmental dimensions, and explore the interconnectedness of the three. By bringing together academics across disciplines, the workshops aims to nuance, re-conceptualize and provide new empirics on environmental upgrading, in terms of GVC and international business literature – while also linking it to broader debates on sustainable development and green growth and addressing emerging trends.

Paper presentations will be followed by discussant interventions and structured discussion in view of identifying the most promising venues for future research and collaboration, the challenges and opportunities of environmental upgrading and their implications for broader discussions on the current restructuring of the global economy.

Key themes explored in the papers include:

• What impact does environmental upgrading have on governance structure of GVCs and is there a causal relationship?
• What are the determinants of environmental upgrading?
• What practices support the transmission of environmental practices along GVCs?
• Do improved environmental processes in GVCs lead to better outcomes?
• Can environmental upgrading be used as a tool to promote sustainable development strategies in firms/countries?

Preliminary programme

Introduction: 13:30-13:45 

• Stefano Ponte (Copenhagen Business School)

Session 1: 13:45-15:30

• Aarti Krishnan* (University of Manchester), Valentina de Marchi and Stefano Ponte: Reconceptualizing environmental upgrading in global, regional and local value chains.
• Discussant: Søren Jeppesen (Copenhagen Business School)

• Valentina de Marchi* (University of Padova): Industry 4.0 and environmental upgrading in global value chains.
• Discussant: Stefano Ponte (Copenhagen Business School)

• Open discussion

Coffee break: 15:30-15:45

Session 2: 15:45-17:00

• Peter Lund Thomsen* (Copenhagen Business School): Compliance and cooperation in global value chains: Effects of the Better Cotton Initiative on social and environmental upgrading in South Asia.
• Discussant: Valentina de Marchi (University of Padova)

• René Taudal Poulsen* (Copenhagen Business School), Judith van Leeuwen, Nishatabbas Rehmatulla and Stefano Ponte: Transparency regulation on greenhouse gas emissions and environmental upgrading: Lessons from the tanker shipping value chain
• Discussant: Andreas Wieland (Copenhagen Business School)

• Open discussion

Session 3: 17:00-17:30

• Open discussion on a future research agenda

Wine reception: 17:30- 

* Presenters

About the organizers:



Aarti Khrisnan (University of Manchester)

Aarti Krishnan is a developmental economist, working at the nexus of environment, trade and development. Her areas of expertise include trade and value chain analysis, green growth, agricultural transformation, innovation and knowledge systems. She began her career working as a commodity derivative market analyst at in Mumbai working on developing structured financial products for edible oils and oilseeds futures and carbon markets. Following this, she was a research associate at the University of Manchester, evaluating the role of sustainability standards, environmental innovations and corporate social responsibility in agricultural and light manufacturing sectors. She has worked  as a senior research officer at the Overseas Development Institute, researching a range of topics to support governments from designing skill development finance funds, the intrinsic linkages between migration, technology and the SDGs and promoting the inclusion of micro and small enterprises into value chains and special economic zones in East Africa. She has received a grant from Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, and works as a research fellow at the University of Manchester, researching the effects the on the future of agriculture/food production and consumption, and its implications on value chains and the environment. Aarti holds a PhD in Development policy from the University of Manchester, and BBA (finance) from Delhi University.

Valentina De Marchi (University of Padova & GRB research fellow) 

Valentina De Marchi is Assistant Professor at the University of Padova, Italy, Department of Economics and Management and GRB research fellow at CBS. She is interested in environmental innovations and circular economy in the context of global value chains. She has published in journals such as Research Policy, Business Strategy & the Environment, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Knowledge Management, International Journal of Production Economics. She is the Italian representative at the European International Business Academy (EIBA), and member of the organizing committee of Network O (Global Value Chains) within the SASE conference and part of the executive committee of Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN). For more information: www.valentinademarchi.it

Stefano Ponte (CBS)

Stefano Ponte is Professor of International Political Economy and Director of the Centre for Business and Development Studies at Copenhagen Business School. He is interested in transnational economic and environmental governance, and in overlaps and tensions between private authority and public regulation. Stefano analyzes business-government-civil society interactions, and governance and upgrading trajectories in global value chains. He is currently working on sustainability issues and how they shape power relations in global value chains, and on how different forms of partnerships affect sustainability outcomes.