EMB 612 Environment Global Warming – Corporate Responsibility Discussion

DT5: The Environment

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For several years former US presidential candidate Al Gore (“An Inconvenient Truth” and more recently “An Inconvenient Sequel” ) tried to raise awareness about global warming and the roles of business, government, and industry. Whether he and others will have an impact in the US or abroad is yet to be fully seen; however, the new findings on the melting of the Antarctic ice shelf resulting if rising ocean levels may help focus attention.

As other issues fade, the environment may remain as a prime-time news issue. And, certainly, the business sector faces pressures from both internal and external stakeholders when the banner of environmental protection is hoisted. The question of corporate moral responsibility for the environment can fade from the spotlight until a public figure promotes the message or an environmental crisis erupts and CNN or 60 Minutes or some other news agency appears at the corporate headquarters demanding answers with cameras running.

Consider the material beginning with page 297 in our textbook.

Question 1 – Beyond the legislated mandates (EPA, among others), how far should corporate responsibility for the environment extend?

Question 2 -Should trees, lakes, oceans, and animals have rights? Why, or why not?

Question 3 – Could there be such a thing as a “one-level-removed-stakeholder” that would include “non-human” stakeholders?