1, Sustainable Environment for the Future
2. James Greene
3. Professor Laura
4. University Of Redlands
5. Sustainable Environment for the Future
NP6. Business ethics determines how an organization conduct their operations towards enhancing a sustainable environment. 7. According to the (United Nations General Assembly, 1987), Environmental sustainability refers “to developments which meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.” 8. Currently, across the world, there are over 150 developing countries, thus seeking means to meet their development requirements. 9. However, with increasing climate change threats, concrete efforts are necessary to ensure today’s development does not negatively affect future generations. 10. Future generation (s), in this case, refers to individuals who are expected to come in the future (those yet to be born), after the currently living generations of humans perish (Attfield 2014). 11. It thus means current generations owe a duty to future generations. 12. They have to enhance this duty by producing a product and conducting business in an environmentally sustainable manner, thus assuring the future generations inheriting a livable planet, even if it will mean the current generations to sacrifice many preferences in the contemporary lifestyle.
NP13. Every organization, whether in the current era or the previous era, has always drawn resources from society. 14. As a result of such an act, they tend to be answerable to the community at large. 15. Generally, business organizations have accountability for their actions to enhance a sustainable environment, which can lead to the betterment of the future society and not otherwise. 16. Every business organization in the current era must produce such goods and services that should be pro-environment (that is environment friendly) and are not toxic or harmful towards the environment in any sense whatsoever.
17. Kohlberg’s Moral Development Model
NP18. Understanding the morals of development is vital in ensuring a sustainable environment. 19. Across the global supply chains, business organizations face various moral challenging situations as they strive to pursue corporate profits. 20. In the current generation, professionals experience morally challenging problems while performing their duties. 21. However, “they play vital roles in corporate moral ability to build sustainable businesses and supply chains” (Ha-Brookshire et al. 2017). 22. It is, therefore, essential to review educational materials and theories such as Kohlberg theory that strive to teach and warn people about morality behaviors, sound effects that hurt the environment.
NP23. Kohlberg’s theory is a useful framework of moral ability as theorized through the use of the six stages of moral development in human progress. 24. Kohlberg’s theory of moral evolution states that individuals can only progress through three levels of ethical thinking, which build on their cognitive developments. 25. In this theory, Kohlberg explained, “how every person will respond at each stage and will be able to respond to various types of moral dilemmas by use of different reasoning levels” (Gibbs 2019). 26. It thus means, by grasping the basis of this theory, individuals and businesses can realize the importance of conserving the environment to build a better planet for future generations.
NP27. Kohlberg defined this theory in three levels of moral development pre-convectional, convectional, and post-convectional, with distinct stages. 28. Kohlberg, in the pre-convectional level, argues that moral rules are controlled externally from the person facing ethical dilemmas (Ha-Brookshire et al. 2017). 29. It thus means ethical standards and desires are given to the individual who must adhere to these principles. 30. The individual does not have to make sense of whether conduct is fortunate or unfortunate because the choice was at that point made by external entities. 31. This way, both businesses and individuals will be able to figure out actions and judge them as per the based activities. 32. On the convectional levels, an individual can disguise the expectations of the community or society. 33. That is, “the individual knows about and expected to follow social standards, and the person does so because the objective of good thinking at this stage is not to disturb the entire community, for example, specialty unit, firm, or even the business” (Ha-Brookshire et al. 2017). 34. During the post-conventional level, the specific guidelines are unmistakably distinguished instead of given by a position. 35. At the point when the social standards and the individual’s principles are not steady, “the individual at this stage can move the social norms and attempt to change the sub-par social rules for the more noteworthy population” (Ha-Brookshire et al. 2017).
36. The Kew Garden Principles
NP37. The sustainable environment requires observation of crucial aspects that influence our day to day life. 38. People have moral sensibility in their face of critical human need, those close to that need, and those who have the power to do something about it. 39. According to the Kew Garden Principles, individuals are thus able to understand the basic needs of the environment, thus maintaining sustainability. 40. Need is one of the first New Garden Principles (Singal, 2014). 41. It states that individuals are required to move out of their ways to fix all trivial problems they come across. 42. However, the higher the need, the greater they have to address. The second principle is proximity. 43. It says the closer an individual is to a problem, the more they are expected to do something about it. 44. The environment can have physical proximity, although individuals can be close to the issue in more complex ways if it involves persons who are well known. 45. The third principle is the capability. 46. It states ethics do not require individuals to take problems, but they can fix them. 47. The current generation is expected to sacrifice and save the world for the sake of future generations. 48. Last New Gardens Principle is the last resort. It states that if there is no else who is likely to help individuals, thus have a more significant duty to act. 49. When there is the uncertainty of other individual’s availability to help, those available should err on the caution side and work as if they are the last resort. 50. By observing these principles, the environment will be sustainable for the sake of future generations.
51. Ethical Theories
NP52. Environmental ethics are concerned with the issues of having responsible individual conduct with natural resources respect to sustainability. 53. Today the pressing moral issue is regeneration or the recovery of nature as an environment to its save position instead of a mere object which cannot support the life of future generations. 54. Disregarding the fact that the solidarities of biological, efficient, and social viewpoints being outlined, the sustainable utilization of natural resources is the focal issue of a model of sustainable improvement (Patra 2014). 55. Therefore, according to various ethical theories, more responsibility typically implies value significance, choice, capacity, and knowledge.
NP56. One of the appropriate ethical theories is utilitarianism. 57. This theory is based on an individual’s ability to predict the consequences of an action (Boatright & Smith 2017). 58. The choice which yields the most significant benefit to many people is said to be ethically correct. 59. Classical utilitarianism requires individuals to strive and aim at maximizing happiness to all people, including future generations. 60. Therefore, “it thus means utilitarianism implies a doctrine of sustainability the idea of current generations providing for the needs of the future generations without reducing their ability to provide for themselves” (Melden 2013). 61. However, humanistic utilitarianism acts differently. For instance, if the objective is to increase the absolute amount of happiness on the planet, then individuals should perceive that each newborn. 62. The main point being the individual lives a happy life, and later the amount of satisfaction is expanded. 63. Utilitarianism, therefore, appears to infer a strategy of population increment regardless of the economy.
NP64. Deontology is the second appropriate ethical theory. 65. “It states that individuals should adhere to their duties and obligations whenever they are engaged in decision making situations in case ethics are in play” (Melden 2013). 66. It the case of enhancing a sustainable environment, it will mean individuals follow “their obligations to another society because upholding one’s duty is ethically correct” (Melden 2013). 64. Being deontologists, businesses and individuals will always keep their promises to save the future of coming generations by conserving the environment ethically and following the law. Everyone who adheres and follows this theory is capable of producing very compelling arguments because they are based on duties set for the person.
NP65. Therefore, proper methodologies on sustainable improvement accentuate the protection of the environment, which is a significant target of sustainable development for future generations. 66. For instance, financial growth eventually relies upon the establishments which can secure and keep up the earth’s conveying limit and flexibility.
67. Moral imagination
NP68. According to philosopher Mark Johnson, “Moral Imagination refers to envisioning of a full range of possibilities in a particular situation aiming to solve an ethical challenge” (Johnson 1994). 69. Moral imagination emphasizes why individuals should act morally since a sustainable environment needs more than just the strengths of a trait. 70. Moral actions require awareness and empathy to perceive what is ethically relevant within given situations. 71. For sustainable development across different organizations and business chains, individuals need “to be simultaneously triumphant and ethical by visualizing new and innovative alternatives” (Johnson 1994). 72. Therefore, people should be able to balance the environment by looking far beyond the money impacts before making any decision.
NP73. In business morals, it is proposed that the ethical, creative mind is essential to the moral imagination. 74. By acknowledging the identity of the current generation and present conditions, the noble, creative mind permits one to consider prospects that stretch out past. 75. It occurs when given terms of recognizing moral standards, and typical suspicions for the future generations.
76. Moral Courage
NP77. Moral courage refers to the ability of an individual to have the bravery to take action for ethical reasons regardless of adverse consequence risks. 78. For environmental sustainability, courage is needed so that businesses and individuals can take action when they have doubts or fears about inevitable consequences. 79. This might include unethical issues that might lead to survival challenges for future generations. 80. It thus involves careful thoughts or deliberation.
NP81. Individuals act ethically with moral courage by being able to identify dilemmas or ethical practices related to specific environmental practices. 82. Moral courage also accords individuals the ability to perform based on intrinsic values prioritizing the good for others over themselves (Sharma 2018). 83. As a professional, one is supposed to behave according to the profession’s ethics, thus preserving the environment for future generations.
84. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Model
NP85. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is defined as a motivational psychology theory involving a five-tier approach of human needs, usually known as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. 86. “The pyramid means the needs lower down must be satisfied before any person can attend to the needs in the higher levels. 87. From top to bottom, the requirements are; self-actualization, esteem, love and belonging, safety, and physiological” (McLeod, 2020).
NP88. Physiological needs are the firsts and include rest, warmth, water, and food. 89. It thus means whenever current businesses and individuals are dealing with the environment, they must make sure they handle such resources with lots of care. 90. Conducting activities that diminish or lead to their extinction is unethical because they are provided naturally and should be protected for the sake of future generations. 91. “After an individual’s physiological needs are fulfilled, safety needs, such as security and safety, become salient” (McLeod, 2020). 92. Current generations should make sure whatever they develop does not harm or leave traces of destruction to the earth, which could affect future generations. 93. An example of such a human activity was World War II, when a bomb was released in Japan, leaving harmful chemicals.
NP94. Love and belonging are the third levels of Maslow’s hierarchy. 95. It involves friends and intimate relationships. 96. Current generations must be willing and ready to welcome future generations by showing them love and belongings through love, giving and receiving affection, acceptance, trust, intimacy, and friendship. 97. Fourth, making sure they meet the esteem needs is vital. 98. In this case, Maslow indicated that “an individual’s need for respect or reputation is essential for children to precede them to real self-esteem or dignity” (McLeod, 2020). 99. Lastly, self-actualization, which involves the achievement of one’s full potential and creative activities (McLeod, 2020). 100. It thus means current generations should be original and unveil their full possibilities to develop a planet that is saved for the coming age.
101. A CSR Model
NP102. The Statutory requirement is often termed as Corporate Social Responsibility- CSR (or such similar term in other countries) through the means of which every entity tends to have a social responsibility towards the environment and society. 103. CSR is not just false promises which every entity tends to have a social responsibility towards the environment and society. 104. CSR is not just false promises or hollow statutory requirements (Boatright and Smith 2017). 105. They are real organizational requirements that are a must for various business houses. 106. CSR can usually include many activities such as running and maintaining a kid’s park, maintaining a green cover around the area of the factory, or on land handed by the government to them, contributing towards the society in money or kind whenever required.
107. The relevant Law or Legal Theory
NP108. The accountability of an organization is not only a matter of ethical importance but also a matter of statutory compliance, which is often imposed on various organizations by the government of the country through which they are licensed to operate. 109. The organizations must take upon the necessary costs to ensure that they are making the environment around which business houses are running (and the earth in general) to be safe, secure, and habitable to live in or around.
NP110. In conclusion, businesses must make necessary sacrifices in their operations if they have to ensure that they are creating the environment safe enough for the other residents. 111. They cannot endanger the lives of the residents of the areas around which they operate. 112. For this, they will have to ensure that they use environmentally safe products and procedures, proper disposal of hazardous and toxic wastes, ensuring adequate safety and safety gear for its working-class, and so on. 113. It will enhance a safe and combat planet for future generations.
114. References
115. Attfield, R. Future Generations. Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, 3.
116. Boatright, J. R. & Smith, J. D. (2017). Ethics and the Conduct of Business (8th Ed). Pearson. ISBN: 978-0134167657.
117. Gibbs, J. C. (2019). Moral development and reality: Beyond the theories of Kohlberg, Hoffman, and Haidt. Oxford University Press.
118. Ha-Brookshire, J., McAndrews, L., Kim, J., Freeman, C., Jin, B., Norum, P., ... & Marcketti, S. (2017). Moral education for sustainable development: Exploring morally challenging business situations within the global supply chain context. Sustainability, 9(9), 1641.
119. United Nations General Assembly. (1987). Report of the world commission on environment and development: Our common future. Oslo, Norway: United Nations General Assembly, Development and International Co-operation: Environment.
120. Johnson, M. (1994). Moral imagination: Implications of cognitive science for ethics. University of Chicago Press.
121. Mcleod, S. (2020, March 20). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
122. Melden, A. I. (2013). Ethical theories. Read Books Ltd.
123. Patra, R. (2014). Environmental sustainability: Ethical issues. Int. J. Human. Soc. Sci. Educ, 1, 35.
124. Sharma, E. (2018). Professional Moral Courage to Combat Ethical Challenges in the Workplace. International Journal of Development and Conflict, 8(1), 31-45.
125. Singal, M., Wokutch, R. E., Poria, Y., & Hong, M. C. (2014). Ethical Decision-making in Extreme Operating Environments: Kew Garden Principles and Strategic CSR in Three Service Industry Cases. Business & Professional Ethics Journal, 211-252.
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