1 Green and Red? Proposing the Existence of a Cooperative Environmental Niche in Wales

This paper proposes the possibility of a link between the commitment to building a sustainable economy and the cooperative model of organisation. The analysis is based in an analysis of guild socialist and utopian socialist ideas that supported the development of cooperatives and their links with current green political economy. The cooperative is a natural form of productive organization as visualized by both these traditions. The research findings reported in the paper relate to an audit of 81 cooperatives in Wales (Arthur et al., 2004), whose sample included 17 cooperatives operating with a clear commitment to the environment. A brief illustration of the practicalities of bringing together these shared ideas and the activity of environmentally-focused cooperatives in Wales is offered. It is suggested that further research into the existence of an environmental niche in Wales and its relationship to guild socialist, utopian socialist and green ideas may be fruitful. Issues of accountability and responsibility are seen as key to the possible sustainability-cooperative link