Chapter 12 Flashcards
Sustainability
The potential for the long-term well-being of the natural environment
Sustainability includes the assessment and improvement of what 5 things?
- business strategies
- economic sectors
- work practices
- technologies
- lifestyles
Why is Sustainable Development a top concern for businesses?
Because it involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
How does the Brundtland Report view sustainable development?
Viewed in terms of environmental, economic, and social well-being for both current and future generations
Who developed the Brundtland Report?
The United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development
What Social Responsibility Domain does Sustainability fall under?
Domain of maximizing positive and minimizing negative impacts on stakeholders
How can a company create long-term favorable stakeholder responses?
By having a corporate culture that includes a sustainability agenda or a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report
Sustainability, Social Responsibility, and ethics ____ be used interchangeably,
Should not
Four reasons social responsibility became such an issue for organizations
1) Socially responsible activities can create competitive advantages
2) Both positive and negative information about products and organizations became more available
3) Organizations can use their products and brand identity to create social value, quality, and consumer loyalty
4) Companies use their sustainable and socially responsible decisions to differentiate their firms and promote their products
Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES)
A union of businesses, consumer groups, environmentalists, and other stakeholders, established a set of goals for environmental performance
Atmospherics is segmented into what three areas?
- Pollution
- Climate change
- Ozone Depletion
Three sources of Air pollution
- Stationary Sources - Factories
- Mobile Sources - cars/planes
- Natural Sources - Dust, Volcanic Eruptions
Fracking
Occurs when water, chemicals, and sand are pumped into a well at high pressure.
This process fractures the rock layers deep in the ground, allowing natural gas to be extracted
The vital aspect of Acid Rain
One country can produce it while another can have the negative impacts
Ex: The US produces the air pollution that causes acid rain in Canada
What global organization addresses acid rain?
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Kyoto Protocol
International treaty was meant to curb global greenhouse gas emissions by having countries voluntarily reduce national outputs
Doha Amendment
An extension onto the Kyoto Protocol that focused on ensuring implementation agreements and included an agreement to consider loss and damage in developing countries that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change
A Cap-and-trade Program
Sets carbon emissions limits (caps) for businesses, countries, or individuals.
Companies are given a certain amount of carbon they are allowed to emit
Purchasing carbon credits from another company allows what?
Allows a company to legally emit anything beyond the limit
Purchased from another company that doesn’t pollute as much
What percentages of greenhouse emissions do the EU, US, and China account for?
- EU = 11%
- USA = 16%
- China = 29%
What resource is emerging as the most important and contested of the twenty-first century?
Water
More than ___ people lack access to improved or uncontaminated water sources; over ___ people live without basic sanitation
1) 780 million
2) 2.5 billion
What is one of the biggest contributors to illnesses in developing countries?
Water pollution
Land sustainability issues include what?
Include everything from pollution and waste to loss of biodiversity and genetically modified food
Land pollution results from what?
Results from the dumping of residential and industrial wastes, strip mining, and poor forest conservation
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
A nonprofit organization comprised of loggers, environmentalists, and sociologists.
The FSC seeks to coordinate forest management around the world and develop a uniform set of standards
Urban Sprawl
Began in the United States with the post-World War II building boom.
The rise of suburbs
Genetically modified (GM) organisms
Created through manipulating plant and animal DNA to produce a desired effect like resistance to pests and viruses, drought resistance, or high crop yield
Environmental Protection Agency
The most influential regulatory agency that deals with environmental issues and enforces environmental legislation in the US
The 5 Goals of the EPA:
1) Reduce air pollution
2) Improve access to clean and safe water
3) Promote materials management, waste management, and clean sites
4) Enhance joint preparedness for environmental response
5) Enhance compliance assurance and environmental stewardship
Clean Air Act, 1970
Established air quality standards; requires approved state plans for implementation of the standards
National Environmental Policy Act, 1970
Established broad policy goals for all federal agencies; created the Council on Environmental Quality as a monitoring agency
Endangered Species Act, 1973
Provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 1976
Gives the EPA authority to control hazardous waste from the “cradle to grave”
Pollution Prevention Act, 1990
Focuses industry, government, and public attention on reducing the amount of pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use
Toxic Substances Control Act, 1976
Requires testing and restricts use of certain chemical substances to protect human health and the environment
Food Quality Protection Act, 1996
Requirements include a new safety standard—reasonable certainty of no harm—that must be applied to all pesticides used on foods
Focus of the Energy Policy Act, 2005
Focus is on promoting alternative forms of energy in the desire to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)
A certification program that recognizes sustainable building practices and strategies
___ holds great promise for the United States and has already taken off in many countries
Wind Power
The major disadvantages of solar power
- The technology remains expensive and inefficient compared to traditional fossil fuel–generated energy
- The infrastructure for mass production of solar panels is not in place in many locations
Why is nuclear power so controversial?
Because of the danger associated with nuclear meltdowns and radioactive waste disposal
Perhaps the most controversial form of alternative energy after nuclear power is what?
Ethanol
What are the Pros/Cons of Hydroelectricity?
Pros: decreases greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution
Cons: disrupts the lifecycles of aquatic life
Green Marketing
A strategy involving stakeholder assessment to create meaningful long-term relationships with customers, while maintaining, supporting, and enhancing the natural environment
Greenwashing
Involves misleading a consumer into thinking a good or service is more environmentally friendly than it really is
Puffery
Exaggerating environmental claims
Approaches to Low Commitment to Environmental Issues
- Deals only with existing problems
- Makes only limited plans for anticipated problems
- Operates without concern of long-term impact
Approaches to Medium Commitment to Environmental Issues
- Attempts to comply with laws
- Views issues from a tactical perspective
- Views environments as more of a threat than an opportunity
Approaches to High Commitment to Environmental Issues
- Has strategic programs to address issues
- Views environment as an opportunity to advance business strategy
- Conducts environmental audit
Stakeholder assessment
This process requires acknowledging and actively monitoring the environmental concerns of all legitimate stakeholders
What was ISO 14000 developed as?
A comprehensive set of environmental standards that encourage a cleaner, safer, and healthier world
What is the goal of ISO 14000?
Is to promote a common approach to environmental management and help companies attain and measure improvements in environmental performance
