...Executive summary This report seeks to define Environmental sustainability and examine its importance in the contemporary world of corporate dominance in the world arena. Business activities are regularly having an increasing contribution to environmental problems and threatening sustainability. Phenomena like climate change and extreme weather events have evidenced the effects of relentless use and overuse of natural resources. The need for environmental sustainability has become important now more than ever following the occurrence of repeated natural disasters and studies showing the ill effects on human health. It has been established that the misuse of natural resources can threaten the existence of future generations. The role of businesses, civil society and governments has been discussed in the context of environmental sustainability in this report with focus on climate change. The oil and gas sector is an important sector in terms of sustainability related to the environment. The sector has been scrutinized widely for occurrences like leakages and oil spills. The companies in this sector have a huge impact on the environment. The importance of oil companies in the path to sustainable development has been discussed. The multinational giants British Petroleum and ExxonMobil have been used as case studies to understand the kind of initiatives being taken in this sector for a sustainable environment. Lastly, the challenges related to the sector in implementing these initiatives...
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...Term Paper #3: Urban Sustainability GEOG330 Due: December 11, 2015 I am analyzing College Park, Maryland. College Park is a city in Prince George’s County, Maryland that is occupied by more than 31,000 residents. (College Park MD, Welcome To College Park Intro Paragraph) Majority of the economy in College Park is fueled by the jobs offered through the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). This university host over 13,000 employees, making them the biggest employer in the city. University of Maryland, University College is the second biggest employer, providing work for 2,790 employees. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Koppen Climate Classification system, College Park has a humid subtropical climate. (Climate, Climate: College Park) I currently live in Lanham, MD, which is about 12 miles away from College Park. As a kid, I always passed by the city and always dreamed about going to the University of Maryland. I attended multiple basketball and football games as a kid, and attended programs that occurred on campus. As a close residing area, College Park is considered home to me. I’ve lived in this area all my life. When my parents moved from Nigeria to the United States, they chose to live in this area because of the lack of extreme weather and excellent higher-level education system provided in the area. I would love to stay here after graduation, but I will go wherever my occupation...
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...Individual Assessment Cover Sheet / Plagiarism Declaration Form This form must be completed and included with each assessment you submit for marking to the School. Although this assessment is submitted electronically, you must still complete and include this form with your assessment. | | | | | | |Student Number: |201413996 | | | | |Unit Code No.: |HOS201 | | | | |Unit Title: |Operation and Environmental Management | | | | |Assessment No.: |Individual essay ...
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...an exemplar development with houses built to high levels of sustainability. The buildings pictured were designed by Gale & Snowden Architects Ltd, who also acted as ecological design consultants for the site. http:/ /www.ecodesign.co.uk Good Practice Guidance: Sustainable Design and Construction The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development ... ... To achieve sustainable development, economic, social and environmental gains should be sought jointly and simultaneously through the planning system ... ... Good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people ... ... Local planning authorities should adopt proactive strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, taking full account of flood risk, coastal change and water supply and demand considerations ... National Planning Policy Framework, Department for Communities and Local Government, March 2012 Cross Sector Group on Sustainable Design and Construction August 2012 Contents Introduction Background The role of planning, and its relation to Building Regulations Formulating planning policies on sustainable design and construction Justifying local requirements: evidence and viability Examples of local plan policies Development management 03 04 05 06 06 07 08 Annex 1 – Example policies on sustainable design and construction ...
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... The 2014 was a huge success to government which a total 396.61MW of renewable energy approved by the Sustainability Energy Development Authority and its represent a total 466% year-on-year growth. The increase of the renewable energy represent years of planning and execution by relevant authorities to regulate and draft policies that suits Malaysian environment. As sustainable industry and climate change are interrelated, often the regulation and policies are overlapped. The Malaysian governement acknowledge the importance of government’s role in reducing climate change, therefore the history of Malaysian government in regulating the policies can be traced back as far as 1992. Below are summary of the Malaysian government sustainavle development agenda: In 2009, Malaysian parliament had passed the National Renewable Energy policy and Action Plan (2009) with the vision to enhance the utilization of indigenous renewable energy (RE) resources to contribute towards national electricity supply security and sustainable socioeconomic development. The objectives of the policies are: To increase RE contribution in the national power generation mix; To facilitate the growth of the RE industry; To ensure reasonable RE generation costs; To conserve the environment for future generations; and To enhance awareness on the role and importance of RE. The National Green Technology Policy which was introduced in 2009 has 2 Strategic Thrust as below: Strategic Thrust 2:...
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...Best practices in sustainability: Ford, Starbucks and more While the vast majority of US companies are asleep at the wheel when it comes to tackling climate change, these corporations are best in class, according to a new report. Ceres highlighted 18 US corporations as best in class for their sustainability efforts. While the vast majority of US companies are asleep at the wheel when it comes to facing up to multiple sustainability challenges, a select group is waking up to the need for urgent action. In a new report, Ceres, a non-profit focused on sustainable business, lambasted the lack of progress across American corporations in general – but also highlighted some companies that deserve praise. Critics would rightly say that there is not a single major corporation that is doing enough to adequately confront issues such as climate change and resource scarcity. But Ceres says a small but growing number of companies rank in the "top tiers" of performance across multiple disciplines, ranging from supply chain management to carbon emissions reductions. Its latest research shows that "companies with strong accountability systems - board oversight, clear policies on human rights and environmental management, active stakeholder engagement and disclosure - in many cases also have strong results on greenhouse gas emissions, use of renewable energy, strong work with suppliers, as well as driving sustainability into product and services". In order to encourage other businesses...
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...referred to as sustainability, was defined by the Brundtland Commission (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) as Economic Growth that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” For decades, GDP and growth in GDP were widely accepted as the measure of economic and well-being. However, this growth has also been accompanied by increased damages to the socio-economic systems. The notion of sustainable growth is a topic high on the international policy agenda, especially given the rise of China, India and other developing countries whose use of the world’s resources increases significantly each year. The major problem for developing countries focus on sustainability is the cost of slowing down development process and loses the opportunity of becoming convergence with the mainstream economy. It is still being discussed whether or not the tradeoff between sustainability and development is a cost worth making. Economic sustainability is dependent on the following conditions; 1) the rate of decline of non-renewable resources, 2) the excess rate of harvest of renewable resources, 3) the assimilative capacity of nature to absorb waste and, 4) pollution reducing technology and capital1. According to Stern’s review paper, the benefits of strong, early action on climate change can outweigh the costs in the development process as the “next 10 or 20 years can have a profound effect on the climate in the second...
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...nice to think that the reasons behind such actions are of good nature – perhaps even philanthropic. And while there are definitely good intentions behind such decision-making, there is also value added for the corporation. Exelon has outlined their goals to be compliant to regulations and their desire to go further. They’ve also positioned themselves as a carbon free alternative for energy by investing heavily in nuclear. However, they are also making a large financial bet by taking this stake. While they are going beyond compliance for greenhouse gas emissions, they are certainly hoping to profit from this stance as well. Greenhouse Gas Regulations Greenhouse gases from anthropogenic sources are one of the main contributors to the rapid climate change that the Earth is now experiencing. As a prominent source for carbon emissions, utilities seem to be a logical place to impose standards. Despite the dire situation, there currently are not strict regulatory concerns for utilities in the United States as far as greenhouse gas emissions are concerned. The President recently proposed a Climate Action Plan that would limit the amount of carbon emissions from new power plant sources. But the standards are for new plants and not existing ones. There have been some attempts at applying the Clean Air Act to greenhouse gas emissions, but these efforts have failed to enact the reduction levels that are desired thus far. According to the EPA, “Standards for currently operating...
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...The 2012 London Olympics is scheduled to be one of the most spectacular games in addition to being held in one of the world’s best cities. The Olympics is undeniably one of the greatest sporting events on earth. In order to ensure that the visitors are treated to the arrays of entertainment and eventful sporting event in addition to bringing benefits to the Londoners, the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority (GLA) has put in place measures and priorities to develop London in readiness for this event. Among the most important items on the planning agenda is environmental sustainability (Stallone, 2005). An independent body, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, has already been established to monitor and assure the sustainability of the 2012 Olympic Games. The 2012 Summer Olympics plan for the environment is designed and focused on four main areas. These include waste management, reduction of carbon emissions, promotion of environmental awareness, and biodiversity. Other environmental measures include being committed to minimizing the construction effects to both individuals and the community. These duties and responsibilities lie at the hands of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Mayor of London. Powers and Responsibilities of the Mayor and the GLA The Greater London Authority is a strategic administrative body that is vested with powers and responsibilities aimed at the development of London. The GLA has responsibilities that are categorized in three...
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...| Copyright © 2010, 2009, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2001 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course applies scientific, philosophical, economic, and ethical principles to current and future environmental issues. Students will analyze the cumulative impact of human activities on global ecosystems, as well as responsibilities to the natural world, in terms of the complex interrelationships humans have with their environment. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Light, A., & Rolston, H., III (Eds.). (2003). Environmental ethics: An anthology. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Raven, P., Berg, L., & Hassenzahl, D. (2010). Environment. (7th ed.)....
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...Sustainability Assessment of Nike Shoes Andrew Derrig Jake Stocker Luke Warren Pearson King Ethan Tinson Ellen Winston For Sustainability Science ENVS 195, Fall 2010, Dr. Saleem H. Ali Introduction and Justification In Greek, Nike means “victory” and since the beginning of the company in 1972, victory has been a term that has represented many things about the Nike brand. The Nike corporation produces athletic shoes, apparel, equipment and accessories that can be found in distributors in over 170 countries worldwide, it sponsors many professional and college level sports teams and has grown to be one of the largest athletic apparel corporations in the world. In the early „70s they started out manufacturing running shoes featuring innovative new technology that increased traction and made the shoe lighter as a whole. (Nike, 2010) Since then the Nike brand has taken off and become more than simply successful, it is infamous though for a few different reasons. The Nike name, generally linked to success and wealth, first got into trouble in the early „90‟s when footage of sweatshop and child labor in their factories was broadcast on international television, smearing their name across the globe. (Beder, 2002) In 1998 cofounder and CEO Phil Knight even recognized that the Nike name and product “has become synonymous with slave wages, forced overtime, and arbitrary abuse.”(Levenson, 2008) Since those dark days however, Nike has made a concerted effort to both improve their reputation...
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...government to respond to concern over climate change has increased, how should governments be responding and what will this imply for economic growth? BY: NILUSHA DE SILVA (Msc – Australian National University) Specialized in Environmental Management & Development Introduction It is universally accepted that climate change is unavoidable; it can not be stopped but it is manageable and could be slowdown if carefully and wisely handled. However, the pressure on governments to act on the issue is immensely increasing; evidence is obvious and rather comprehensive. Globally as well as locally governments responded and responding in different ways, presents different arguments and logics, bears different perspectives and struggles to deal with the issue which concerns the effects on the economic growth. Kyoto Protocol is one of the global attempts that spell out the increasing concern of climate change. The urgency to act on climate change issues can not be ignored or denied. Past few decades have evidenced and strengthen its immense impact on every arena of sustainable issues of humanity (Climate trends 2007): ecological, economic, social /culture (‘sustainability’ is meeting the triple bottom line). Action should be taken by the governments to address this issue both on local and global levels. This paper identifies governments should focus on policy reforms in order to address climate change efficiently and effectively. These policy reforms should gear towards investing...
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...BP is one of the world's leading international oil and gas companies. They provide customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, lubricants to keep engines moving, and the petrochemicals products used to make everyday items. On the surface level, it seems as if BP is doing everything right. They strive to be a world-class operator, a responsible corporate citizen and a good employer. From managing air quality to controlling greenhouse gas emissions, they are working to avoid, minimize and mitigate environmental impacts. So far, they have invested in a specialist water treatment company to help manage our operations in water scarce areas. BP is also a forward-looking company and plans to increase the proportion of natural gas in their production portfolio over the next decade. They are also a firm believer of supporting developments in societies where they work. They run programmes to help build the skills of businesses and to develop the local supply chain in a number of locations. For example, in Indonesia, they provide one-on-one business consultancy and technical assistance to local businesses to assist their participation in tender processes. They promote the use of local suppliers where appropriate. In Azerbaijan they have supported the efforts of companies to achieve international standards, to improve their competitiveness, and to increase the amount of work they get from BP contractors. Even when BP suffered societal and political backlash from...
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...Sustainable Development: Climate Change, and Corporate Social Responsibility: An Emerging Role for ISO Standards Dan Gagnier ISO/TC 207 Chair Stockholm 2002 Presentation Outline • Introduction – A couple of Words about the Earth Conference – ISO/TC 207 ----a Pioneer TC • Climate Change – The extent of the problem – The policy and business response – Where do ISO Standards fit? • CSR • Conclusions General Implications Embedded in Action Plan • Reduction of species loss will have greater impact on a company that has a greater percentage of its reserves in environmentally fragile areas. • Reducing poverty ie. a company with a large presence in the developing world has to consider how its work on sustainability issues can contribute directly to poverty alleviation in its operating areas. • Global companies should take as much action as they can within their sphere of operations to address global climate change, as well as seeking out more pragmatic, long-term alternatives to Kyoto. • Productive new/focused partnerships a key theme of the summit, driven by a recognition that no one can solve macro sustainability problems alone. Sorting out partnerships and getting them right will become more urgent. Major Trends & Ten Year Agenda • Trend for an increasing cultural presence of major NGOs; civil society voices will be louder than ever. This is supported by data showing that public trust continues to move to NGOs as the most trustworthy institutions • Accountability...
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...Ford Report on the BUSINESS IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE FORD REPORT ON THE BUSINESS IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Table of Contents Foreword 1 Introduction Implications Actions Challenges Convergent Issues Commitment 2 2 3 3 3 Background The climate issue Business Drivers Market Share Regulatory compliance Shareholder value Industry Considerations 4 4 4 4 5 5 Strategic Roadmap Strategic principles Strategic actions Product Policy Plants People Partnerships 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 9 Conclusion 10 Appendix 1 Excerpt from 2004-2005 Sustainability Report 11-20 Appendix 2 California GHG regulations 21 Foreword In November 2004, Ford Motor Company received a shareholder resolution from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (Ceres) and others requesting we release information specific to our greenhouse gas emissions strategy. Much of the information requested is reported annually in our Sustainability Report (formerly called the Corporate Citizenship Report), and we have excerpted the most recent Sustainability Report as an appendix to this report. However, we agreed to publish the industry's first report dedicated to the issue of climate change and its effect on our business as well as the automotive industry as a whole. While we have worked closely with ICCR, Ceres and other stakeholders throughout the writing of this report, the material contained here is is our view of this...
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