Proceedings

There is an observable prevalence of quantitative reporting, while qualitative aspects
such as the direct influence of the individual human factor or behavioral issues are
summarily reported. However, these issues are studied by economic sciences and
allow the use of other reporting practices, present in quantitative approaches, even if
they reflect qualitative processes.
Sustainable development encompasses a wide range of social, environmental and
cultural dimensions complementary to economic issues. Issues are multidisciplinary
in nature, and complexity and uncertainty are the norm. Sustainable development is
also an ideologically laden concept. The conflicts of interests dissipate from the usual
business approach to adapting to the current system and making radical changes. The
conventional cost-benefit considerations solve many of the sustainability problems.
Sustainability assessment models are used to demonstrate the features and potential of
participative environmental protection alternatives.
Discussions on global warming have led to the emergence of the carbon market,
where the negotiation of the trading price for atmospheric carbon is essential. In the
carbon market, the benefits of pollution remediation generated by abandoning
polluting industries are translated into degrowth programs, according to the economic
vision for financial benefits. This pseudo-technique to reduce the effects of global
warming emphasizes the possibility to increase carbon emissions in one country,
caused by industrial pollution in another country. Therefore, there is still a tendency to
provide a reductionist approach to a complex problem, with catastrophic-type
behavior. The measures taken to reduce energy and materials consumption, decrease
industrial pollution, and enforce taxes on polluters, do not address the issue of
restoring biodiversity, which would be the only guarantee that nature can eliminate
pollution through its own means and reinstate the natural balance. These types of
studies and measures require complex approaches to biodiversity and systemic
equilibriums, as well as complex analysis instruments.
The recognition and measurement of global climate change effects is a new challenge.
The biggest issue is the shift from a model with a small number of quantitative and
measurable variables to more complex models, qualitative and/or correlative in
nature. However, the current models allow estimations for short-term or long-term
financial effects on companies. These companies are permitted a certain allowance of
carbon dioxide emissions annually, but those which exceed the established levels of
pollution are fined. From this point of view, the ecological solution would be to
discontinue the emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants creating a
greenhouse effect and, implicitly, global warming. In the current technological
conditions, this solution means discontinuing the activity of all oil and coalconsuming
organizations and generating social and economic crises associated with
this decision. The carbon problem is still approached in a business to business manner
and without sufficient consideration for the possibility to support nature in
remediating pollution, or to create non-invasive technologies using the reporting and
analysis methodologies based on complexity sciences. Changes in seasons affect the
life-cycle of all living organisms, with direct effects on the survival of species.
Among others, destroying the species cooperation chains by their extinction occur a
reduced capacity to produce food and, profound economic crises that directly affect
the social and environmental environments. An incomplete understanding of these
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