Perhaps next to the issue of ethical decision-making by individuals in today’s organizations, the issues of environmental sustainability are the next most significant.
Recently, certain factions in the U. S. Congress have engaged in activities to significantly reduce funding of the Environmental Protection Agency, and to reduce its role and regulation of business and industry. Many public and private interest groups have also attacked the environmental regulatory process for costing jobs and impeding economic development and recovery. These issues have long been argued and will continue to be so. The recent election rhetoric of the Obama administration’s “War on Coal” is a good example.
But as the authors of the text point out, when government regulations require one industry to curb sale or alter their products to reduce the negative impact on the environment, another company finds this as an opportunity to market alternative products that are compliant and “environmentally friendly.”
As with any issue of this magnitude, there are many opinions and schools of thought that will continue the debate on the impacts on winners and losers – that business and environmental issues will always be in conflict.
But a new era has emerged. Many companies are stepping outside of the “we versus them” argument to pursue producing goods and services that are environmentally sustainable, pursuing an entrepreneurial philosophy of the “triple bottom line” – economic, ethical, and environmental sustainability. Many believe that future successful companies will be those which pursue this new way of thinking – ethical and environmental responsible practices are to be a fundamental part of basic business practices which lead to responsible profitability. The Triple Bottom Line does not foster an attitude of “profits at any cost.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
After reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Explain how environmental challenges can create business opportunities.
2. Describe a range of values that play a role in environmental decision making.
3. Explain the difference between market-based and regulatory-based environmental policies.
4. Describe business’s environmental responsibilities that flow from each approach.
5. Identify the inadequacies of sole reliance on a market-based approach.
6. Identify the inadequacies of regulatory-based environmental policies.
7. Define and describe sustainable development and sustainable business.
8. Highlight the business opportunities associated with a move towards sustainability.
9. Describe the sustainable principles of ecoefficiency, biomimicry, and service.
omer3500
something_to_help.docx
0
