PLANNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE EUROPE? - TU Berlin

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being ‘less politically illuminating’ than nuclear power issues, and 4) the fact that an
alternative, solution-oriented discourse was available.
Finally, there is some disagreement in the literature over whether or not
ecological modernization constitutes a new era within modernity or not. As interpreted in
this study, it is decidedly not a radical concept, but precisely the one that allows for a
continuation of current consumption and production schemes within capitalist
democracies. That is, it is seen in contrast to a radical ecological or otherwise
revolutionary concept aiming at a fundamental restructuring of present economic and
political conditions. This is more in line with the interpretations of Hajer, Dryzek (see
below) and others. 7
4.2.2 Ecological Modernization and Sustainable Development
At this point, it is also necessary to briefly clarify the relationship between the
concepts of “ecological modernization” and “sustainable development”. Several scholars
posit ecological modernization as an alternative to sustainable development, thus
7 However, this is somewhat at odds with the interpretation that Mol and Spaargaren (1993) provide. Mol
and Spaargaren distinguish two aspects of the concept, namely ecological modernization as a theory and as
a political program (also see Seippel 2000:290). In its latter dimension, ecological modernization is seen
as part of a three-part historical process in which environmentalism moves from a “counter-ideology” or
“detraditionalization” towards “ecological modernization”, which is then to be succeeded by reflexive
modernization. In linking perspectives on environmentalism with the concept of reflexive modernity, a
concept most prominently developed by Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens, Mol and Spaargaren assert the
existence of a distinctive change within modernity. It should be noted, however, that this interpretation is to
be seen as distinct from Giddens’ argument regarding reflexive modernity. Giddens interprets reflexivity as
an inherent characteristic of modernity throughout its history, and not as an only recently acquired
additional quality (Giddens 1990). Also see below. To Mol and Spaargaren, the fact that ecological
modernization is becoming institutionalized within the economic sphere is a key factor. In a later attempt
to clarify the central elements of ecological modernization (not so much as a theory but as an historically
distinct, political program), Mol (1995) proposes several, ultimately rather circular criteria: On one hand,
changing roles are assigned to the nation-state, to market actors (both businesses and consumers), to
science and technology, and to environmental NGOs. (The latter also change their overall ideologies).
Finally, this is supposedly complemented by the emergence of a new environmental discourse (which
brings us right back to the need to identify the elements of said new discourse).