An Inquiry into the Green Disciplining of Capital

Abstract

‘Following the money’ has become a popular strategy for many NGOs trying to change corporate and institutional practice. Individual shareholders, pension funds, banks, and other investors capitalize projects that cause ecological degradation or social injustice. Pressuring shareholders to divest, invest responsibly, or encourage executives to alter undesirable practices has become de rigueur for civil-society groups working for social change. Such strategies produce value or norm change, greater accountability, activist networks across national boundaries, and improvements in environmental management. Disinvestment helped bring down apartheid in South Africa. But how far can these ‘disciplining’ strategies go in terms of significantly ameliorating ecological destruction and violations of human rights? I explore this question using the case study of the campaign by Friends of the Earth against the operations of Freeport – McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. in Irian Jaya (West Papua).