From Brown to Green?

Abstract

Is one of the advantages of late industrialization the ability to incorporate advanced environmental technology in manufacturing? Under what conditions will this take place? This article examines the case of Thailand's pulp and paper industry, which became among the most technologically advanced in the world in the mid-1990s. It documents the social, political, economic, and environmental conditions of this technological greening, noting its accomplishments and limitations. It analyzes the structure of Thailand's pulp industry, examines an eco-catastrophe involving one firm, and addresses the influence of political turmoil, resource conflicts, and business dynamics on that process. Data were collected through site visits, interviews, correspondence, and archival research in Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and the United States, from 1993 to 1997.