In policy spaces, this is known as the Brussels Effect; that is, when a regulation adopted in one jurisdiction ends up setting a standard followed by many others.
I am not clear how the Brussels effect applies here, especially since we’re not talking manufacturing a product with high costs of running different production lines. I recognize there may be some argument/step that I’m missing, but I can’t dismiss the possibility that the author doesn’t actually understand what the Brussels Effect really is / normally does, and is throwing it around like a buzzword. Could you please elaborate a bit more?
I used the Brussels Effect in the context of the Plant-Based Universities campaign to demonstrate how a university or universities in a particular region transitioning to a fully plant-based catering system would encourage other universities to follow suit at least partly due to wanting to maintain a forward-looking and innovative image and reputation which makes them appear more attractive. However, I admit that I didn’t fully understand the true nature of the Brussels Effect when I first wrote the post, and now after reading back over my post, particularly the part mentioning the Brussels Effect which you highlighted, and after understanding more about how this effect has less of a reputational factor and more of an economical factor which plays the role in encouraging change, I believe that mentioning it has no real use here. I was a little bit naive in the way in which I used (or perhaps misused) the term, so thank you for pointing this out to me. I take your point into due consideration and I have now edited that sentence out. Nevertheless my point about a university/universities going plant-based indirectly encouraging others to follow them due to factors including wanting to maintain a certain image/attractiveness, as well as the inertia of the movement itself, stands as is.
I am not clear how the Brussels effect applies here, especially since we’re not talking manufacturing a product with high costs of running different production lines. I recognize there may be some argument/step that I’m missing, but I can’t dismiss the possibility that the author doesn’t actually understand what the Brussels Effect really is / normally does, and is throwing it around like a buzzword. Could you please elaborate a bit more?
I used the Brussels Effect in the context of the Plant-Based Universities campaign to demonstrate how a university or universities in a particular region transitioning to a fully plant-based catering system would encourage other universities to follow suit at least partly due to wanting to maintain a forward-looking and innovative image and reputation which makes them appear more attractive. However, I admit that I didn’t fully understand the true nature of the Brussels Effect when I first wrote the post, and now after reading back over my post, particularly the part mentioning the Brussels Effect which you highlighted, and after understanding more about how this effect has less of a reputational factor and more of an economical factor which plays the role in encouraging change, I believe that mentioning it has no real use here. I was a little bit naive in the way in which I used (or perhaps misused) the term, so thank you for pointing this out to me. I take your point into due consideration and I have now edited that sentence out. Nevertheless my point about a university/universities going plant-based indirectly encouraging others to follow them due to factors including wanting to maintain a certain image/attractiveness, as well as the inertia of the movement itself, stands as is.
Hi Oisín, no worries, and thanks for clarifying! I appreciate your coverage of this topic, I just wanted to make sure there aren’t misinterpretations.
Yeah all the better that you did! It can only help.