Green Governance: New Perspective from Open Innovation

Abstract

Environmental problems caused by human behaviors have become increasingly serious in recent decades, thereby driving global green governance issue to become an important research agenda. The proper governance structure design and governance mechanism arrangement can effectively coordinate the relationship between human and nature. Literatures have provided mixed evidence of harmonious development of economy, society and environment. However, few studies have examined the balance of interests between human appeal and natural environment from the perspective of governance. Open innovation activities can effectively deal with the externalities of resources and environment and then relatively balance the economic value and green value of organizations, which is an effective green governance mode, reflecting the characteristics of the main subject composition and mechanism operation of green governance. This paper attempts to build a green governance framework for the cooperation based on sustainable development among enterprises, governments, social organizations, the public and the nature. This paper examines the synergy between human and nature by presenting a framework, including related theories of green governance, innovation subjects, innovation mechanisms and innovation mode. Each country and region could use the suggested framework to develop green governance guidelines that are suitable for the environmental carrying capacity of their own countries or regions. Enterprises could use the suggested framework to develop green development strategies to coordinate the economic values and green values.