Part Four Implementing Business Ethics in A Global Economy: Sustainability: Ethical and Social Responsibility Dimensions
Part Four Implementing Business Ethics in A Global Economy: Sustainability: Ethical and Social Responsibility Dimensions
Part Four Implementing Business Ethics in A Global Economy: Sustainability: Ethical and Social Responsibility Dimensions
Implementing
Business Ethics
in a Global
Economy
Chapter 12
Sustainability:
Ethical and Social
Responsibility
Dimensions
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Sustainability, from a strategic business
perspective
Is the potential for the long-term well-being of
the natural environment, including all
biological entities
As well as the mutually beneficial interactions
among nature and individuals, organizations,
and business strategies
Sustainability can have different definitions in
different cultures
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Sustainable
Companies
Company Industry Country
Umicore Materials Belgium
Natura Cosmeticos Consumer Staples Brazil
Statoil Energy Norway
Neste Oil Energy Finland
Novo Nordisk Health care Denmark
Storebrand Financials Norway
Koninklijke Philips Industrials Netherlands
Electronics
Biogen Idec Health care United States
Dassault Systems Information France
Technology
Westpac Banking Financials Australia
Source: Jacquelyn Smith, “The World’s Most Sustainable Companies,” Forbes , January 23, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/01/23/
the-worlds-most-sustainable-companies/ (accessed March 15, 2013).
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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a
corporate issue because:
CSR can create competitive advantages
Stakeholders have more power with increased
access to information, both positive and negative
Companies can use their brand identity to create
social value, quality and customer loyalty
Allows a firm to differentiate themselves and
promote their products
Social responsibility is part of the budget,
sustainability is a tool for ethical decision
making and financial performance
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Ethical Decisions
Affect Sustainability
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Atmospheric
The most far reaching and controversial issues
relate to the air we breathe
Water
All businesses must think about water
conservation, purification and allocation
Land
Businesses have an ethical responsibility to
minimize their harmful impact on the land
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Air pollution – comes from three sources
Stationary (factories and power plants)
Mobile (autos, planes, trains)
Natural (windblown dust and volcanic eruptions)
Acid rain
When certain elements in air pollution mix with
air and water to create a new element, falling from
the sky as corrosive rain
Can corrode paint and deteriorate stone
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Most scientists believe our concentration of
greenhouse gases accelerates global
warming, a natural phenomenon
The Kyoto Protocol was an international
treaty to address greenhouse gas emissions
While it failed, it led to other initiatives, recently
the Doha Gateway Agreement
Some countries have implemented cap-and-
trade programs for coal burning, the dirtiest
form of energy
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Water pollution
Pollutants can come from various sources with
many unknown side effects on humans and
wildlife
Contaminated oceans compromise human food
supplies
Water quantity
While concerned about quality, some countries
are increasingly worried about water quantity
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Facts About
Water Pollution
1. Up to 90 % of wastewater in developing countries flow untreated to rivers, lakes and coastal
zones.
2. Many industries such as leather and chemicals are moving from high-income countries to
emerging market economies where pollution laws are not enforced.
3. Every day, 2 million tons of untreated human waste is put into some water source.
4. In developing countries, 70 percent of industrial waste is dumped untreated into water sources.
5. Projected increases in fertilizer use for food production and in wastewater effluents over the
next three decades suggest there will be a 10 % to 20 % global increase in nitrogen water
contamination.
6. Common organic water pollutants include detergents, disinfection by-products, food processing
waste, insecticides and herbicides, petroleum hydrocarbons, Volatile organic compounds,
chlorinated solvents, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), trichloroethylene, and perchlorate
7. Common inorganic water pollutants include acidity caused by industrial discharges, ammonia
from food processing waste, chemical waste as industrial byproducts, fertilizers containing
nutrients, heavy metals from motor vehicles, and acid mine drainage.
8. Macroscopic pollution (large visible items polluting the water) include urban storm water,
marine debris, trash or garbage, nurdles (small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets),
shipwrecks, and large derelict ships.
Sources: 2012 UN Water Statistics http://www.unwater.org/statistics.html ; Allen Burton, Jr., and Robert Pitt, Stormwater Effects Handbook: A Toolbox for
Watershed Managers, Scientists, and Engineers , New York: CRC/Lewis Publishers, 2001; Thomas R. Schueler, "Cars Are Leading Source of Metal Loads
in California," Reprinted in The Practice of Watershed Protection , Ellicott City, MD: Center for Watershed Protection, 2000.
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Land pollution
Results from residential and industrial waste, strip
mining and poor forest conservation
Causes health issues, habitat destruction, erosion,
altered waterways and poisoned groundwater
Waste management
Plastics, obsolete computers and cell phones in
our landfills leach chemicals into the Earth
Many stakeholders believe manufacturers should
be responsible for their products’ proper disposal
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Deforestation
Reasons include the boom in biofuels, poverty,
farming and short-term profits from lumber sales
Companies must take a long-term view of
environmental management
Urban sprawl
Transformed the U.S. from low-density
communities to large-scale suburban developments
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Biodiversity
Because each species plays a unique role in its
ecosystem, the loss of any one may threaten the
entire ecosystem
Genetically modified organisms
Controversial issue of transplanting genes from
one organism to another, creating a new life form
The long-term impact is unknown
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The most influential regulatory agency; deals
with environmental issues and enforces
environmental legislation in the U.S.
Can file civil suits against companies that violate
environmental laws
Established five strategic goals that reflect public
priorities
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Goals of the
EPA
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Clean Air Act – 1970
Holds important implications for businesses and
their relationships with consumers
Endangered Species Act – 1973
Established a program to protect endangered and
threatened species and their habitats
Toxic Substances Control Act – 1976
Tracks over 75,000 industrial chemicals
manufactured or imported into the U.S.
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Clean Water Act – 1977
Makes it illegal to discharge pollutants in
navigable waters without a permit
Pollution Prevention Act – 1990
Focuses on reducing pollution through changes in
production, operation and raw material usage
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Food Quality Protection Act – 1996
Includes new safety standards for how the EPA
regulates pesticides
Energy Policy Act – 2005
Focuses on promoting alternative energy in the
hopes to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil
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Alternative
Energy Sources
Wind power
Holds great promise for the U.S. due to the Great
Plains – one of the greatest sources of wind power
on the planet
Geothermal power
Provides a constant source of heat and is more
reliable than other alternative fuels, but expensive
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Alternative
Energy Sources
Solar power
100% renewable energy but the technology
remains expensive and inefficient
Nuclear power
Pollution free and cost competitive but remains
controversial due to dangers of meltdown and
waste storage
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Alternative
Energy Sources
Biofuels
Corn ethanol is unsustainable but new
technologies using algae and grass hold promise
Hydropower
Largest form of renewable energy but
controversial due to habitat destruction
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Business Response
to Sustainability Issues
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Environmental and
Economic Performance
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Green Marketing is a strategic process
involving stakeholder assessment to create
long-term relationships with customers, while
maintaining, supporting and enhancing the
natural environment
Firms that want to become sustainability leaders
should embed sustainability into their values,
norms and beliefs
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Greenwashing involves misleading
consumers into thinking a product/service is
more environmentally friendly than it is
Research indicates greenwashing destroys
consumer trust and creates confusion
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Implementing an
Environmental Strategy
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Requires acknowledging and actively
monitoring the environmental concerns of all
stakeholders
The company must identify and prioritize claims
No company can satisfy every claim and
stakeholders are not equal
Strong relationships with stakeholders is the
willingness to acknowledge and openly
address potential conflicts
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Risk analysis assesses the environmental risks
associated with business decisions
Difficult to measure costs/benefits of decisions
High commitment companies must evaluate
the latest information and maintain
communication with stakeholders
These companies incorporate new information
and insights into the strategic planning process
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Highly committed companies may conduct an
audit of their environmental efforts and report
results to stakeholders
May use global standards as benchmarks
Environmental laws/regulations vary by country
making it difficult to find acceptable solutions on a
global scale
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