El Dieselgate de Volkswagen: Economía, gestión y ecología

Two phenomena have characterised global economic development in recent decades. The first has been the concentration of a significant proportion of productive resources in the hands of large corporations operating in multiple countries and markets. Everything seems to indicate that it has not yet reached its zenith, judging by the string of possible mergers and takeovers that are being announced and the proliferation of large professional law firms specialising in these operations. When this concentration was still in its infancy, its political implications were already denounced by Vernon Smith. The title of his book, Sovereignty at Bay, published in 1971, gives clear indications of the consequences of the emergence of economic leviathans in private hands. The fact is that, today, these large corporations generate a significant fraction of world production and employment and, above all, have in their hands, if not the creation, at least the commercial management of scientific and technological progress. Ensuring that the use of the enormous power they wield respects the interests of citizens is the fundamental challenge facing the political authorities of democratic societies.

The second phenomenon, which chronologically has accompanied the one described in the previous paragraph, has been the continuous deterioration of our planet and its ecosystem. This applies both to the solid part of the planet and to its oceans, seas, lakes and rivers, and also to the atmosphere that surrounds it. Deterioration which, if we continue on the same path, will lead us to a catastrophe of incalculable proportions. Desertification is increasing, prolonged droughts are resulting in highly variable harvests, and fishermen's catches in salt or fresh waters are becoming increasingly scarce.