Environmental risk, sustainability discourses, and public relations

As modern societies become increasingly aware of the social and environmental costs of industrialization we are seeing significant shifts in the ways in which businesses, governments and societies think about a viable future. Traditional discourses of economic growth are meeting ascendant discourses of sustainability. This article explores the resulting struggle through analysis of discursive influences in the development of environmental policy in New Zealand at potential critical turning points over a 10-year period. The role of public relations professionals in such discursive struggles, and the implications for organizations and public relations in the long term are discussed.