Environmental Governance Book Review

Environmental Governance

Responsible Leadership is the culmination of Moody-Stuart's forty-five years of work in the oil, gas, metal, and mineral extraction industries. Moody-Stuart draws from his experience and observations to provide an analysis of how business has been, and can become more, responsible champions of social and environmental issues. The book includes two Forewords, one by Sir Robert Wilson, former Executive Chair of Rio Tinto, and another by UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch-Brown. Moody-Stuart offers fifteen chapters, all related in some way to issues of economic development, globalization, free markets, free trade, corporate responsibility, and corporate ethics. The book includes Moody-Stuart's political philosophy, his opinions on nearly every major global conflict extant at the time of publishing, and on issues both relevant and irrelevant to the primary topic of the book, which is the role of business in the current global scenario.

The book begins with an introduction that outlines three of the countries in which Moody-Stuart had worked under the auspices of the Shell company: Oman, Malaysia, and Nigeria. Oman and Malaysia are offered as examples of exemplary and effective governance, in which political leaders simultaneously protected the rights of the people while also welcoming business growth and economic development. Nigeria is set off as a contrasting example, as it is a nation that suffered (and continues to suffer) from extremely bad governance. As a result, Nigeria's people have suffered and its economy has been squandered.

Using Chapter One as a springboard, Moody-Stuart launches into a deep and nuanced discussion of the intersections between business, government, and non-governmental organizations. The author is occasionally critical of NGOs, but seems remarkably sympathetic to government as well as business. In an attempt to discover balance and harmony, Moody-Stuart recognizes that there are multiple sides to each argument. Each chapter of Responsible Leadership focuses on a different element related to business, government, and the difficult relationships that develop between the two. Cultural difference, circumstance, and history all play a role in shaping the unique situations that determine whether business and government will engage in successful or disastrous partnerships.

Much of the first half of the book is devoted to an explanation of how businesses, governments, and NGOs navigate their roles and relationships. In Chapter 7, the author addresses climate change and the responsibilities of business to address climate change in more sensible and productive ways. Both businesses and governments are passing the buck, the author points out. Chapter 8 focuses solely on the problem of corruption, as the root cause of resistance to change. One of the more ambitious chapters of Responsible Leadership is Chapter 9, which is about enterprise solutions to poverty and development. It is quickly followed by a chapter that focuses exclusively on China's policies and theories on poverty eradication. Moody-Stuart wraps up the book with concrete suggestions, which were explained and substantiated throughout the book by his personal observations and experiences working with world leaders as a representative of major natural resources extraction companies.

Ambitious as it is, Responsible Leadership is a compelling and actually enjoyable read. Blending humor with dry discussion, Moody-Stuart offers astute analysis of some of the most important and pressing issues in the world. The author does well to discuss almost every element of the global marketplace, from the peculiar cultural quirks that make business interesting to the frustrating and often nauseating encounters with the "devils" of the world like Syria's Assad. The author's personal experiences are remarkable.

The author is a champion of free markets, but also acknowledges the need for ethical watchdogs and preferably, honest self-monitoring. Throughout Responsible Leadership, Moody-Stuart talks about the problem with corruption. Corruption is a central problem in global business, partly due to the way corruption often temporarily removes constraints on business and may facilitate operations. However, corruption also taints the ultimate goals that are shared in common by both business and its stakeholders. Businesspeople do have a responsibility to the people who live in the countries, and not just to the politicians who shake their hands. Therefore, corporations must start injecting more humanity and humanitarian practices into their operations. It is…