...1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Oil spill is the leakage or discharge of petroleum onto the surface of inland or coastal water. It assumes disastrous dimension when an uncontrollable well blows out or pipeline ruptures. On water surface, spreading takes place immediately, which is very harmful to various types of aquatic lives as it prevents sufficient amount of sunlight from penetrating and also reduces the land-dissolving capacity in the water. The magnitude of crude oil pollution and damage occasioned by multi-national oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is incredible (Urhobo Historical Society, 2003). It is noteworthy that the devastating consequences of the crude oil spill in the region with its eventual hazards on both aerial and terrestrial environments is tantamount to an irreversible chain effect on both the biodiversity and human safety. Abbot (2007) in her article entitled “Think Jamaica is Bad? Try Nigeria” notes that the discovery of oil has been an ecological disaster for the Niger Delta where the oil is extracted. Oil and natural resources of a country are often considered to be national assets. Oil penetrates into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water. Animals that rely on scent to find their babies or mothers fade away due to the strong scent of the oil. This causes a baby to be rejected...
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...AND DISEASES OF PLANTATION CROPS PLP 5003 TITLE: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF OIL PALM AS THE MAJOR PLANTATION CROP IN MALAYSIA GROUP 7: MOHD HARLIZAN BIN MOHAMAD DARUS GS32853 ADIBAH NOOR BINTI KHAIRUDDIN GS36223 SHAHFAHZIELAH BINTI SHAMRAN GS36066 SITI NOR ANIZAM BINTI ZAMRI GS38320 1.0 INTRODUCTION The oil palm, Elaeis guineensis was brought over to the Bogor Botanic Garden in the Island of Jawa, Indonesia from West Africa in 1848 (Polunin, 2004). It has been planted in almost 43 countries in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. It was planted in Malaysia in 1896 much later after Indonesia (Yacob, 2005). Now, this crop has become major plantation crop in Malaysia contribute to palm oil industry. Palm oil industry is one of the most traded agriculture commodities in the world. In Malaysia, this industry has been an important agriculture in the economy for the past three decades. Malaysia is one of the major producer of palm oil in the world which contribute17.6 million tonnes respectively in 2009. Recently, concern over the environment impact people around the world keeps on talking about global warming, greenhouses effect, deforestation and other environment impact caused by human activities or improper development. Government and private sectors are being urged to commence all agriculture activities include oil palm within the concept of sustainable development. Therefore, sustainability becomes the main word uses in...
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...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 have been discussed. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Development and sustainability issues 5 Climate change 6 Role of business, government and civil society 6 Role of government and regulation 8 Civil society 9 Oil and gas Sector 9 Initiatives in oil and gas sector for sustainability 10 British Petroleum (BP)...
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...Submitted to: Prof. M.K Awasthi Table of Contents Introduction 2 History of Palm Oil 2 History of Palm Oil in Malaysia 2 Importance of Palm Oil in the World 3 Analysis of Economic Environment 5 Supply-Side Environment 5 Demand Side Environment 7 Palm Oil Economy in Malaysia 7 Key Inferences 8 Analysis of Political, Legal & Institutional Environment 8 FELDA, FELCRA & RISDA 9 Government Policies 9 Analysis of Social & Environmental Impact 11 Analysis of Technological Environment 12 Skills & Knowledge Development 12 Research & Development 12 Overview of Business Environment & Conclusions 13 Introduction History of Palm Oil The oil palm tree (Elaeis Guineensis Jacq.) is said to have originated in West Africa, somewhere between Angola and Senegal. The earliest archaeological evidence of palm oil has been found in an Egyptian Tomb in Abydos. These two facts point to two inferences. One, that palm oil production was happening even 5000 years ago. Secondly, as no palm oil was produced in Egypt, this means that Palm Oil trading also was prevalent at that time. Thus, Palm Oil has been used by mankind since historical times. A basic description of the palm oil extraction process is shown below: (Source: Malaysian Oil Palm Publication Annual Report 2011) History of Palm Oil in Malaysia Palm Oil was introduced in Malaysia by in 1910 by Scotsman William Sime and English banker Henry Darby as a plantation...
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...4 3. CSR at Unilever 6 4. CSR issues – The palm oil and tea production case 9 5. Strengths and weaknesses of the current CSR policy 10 6. Conclusion 11 Executive summary In this paper, the approach of Unilever, a British-Dutch major player in the FMCG sector, towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development (SD) will be discussed. In Unilever’s day to day business CSR and SD are key. This makes it a core business activity within the company at all levels. First, it will be investigated who Unilever’s stakeholders are and how Unilever is managing its relationships with them in order to do business in a corporate responsible and sustainable way. Further, some of Unilever’s sustainability initiatives like for example the Sustainable Living Plan and Unilever’s contribution to certificate systems for palm oil and soy oil will be discussed to illustrate its current CSR and SD policy. Despite these efforts, Unilever also faced quite some critique from political, environmental and human rights angle regarding some less legitimate activities. As an illustration two major cases concerning controversial palm oil and tea production will be discussed. At last, the strengths and weaknesses of the current CSR policy will be critically discussed. As a conclusion it can be stated that during the last years Unilever has been transitioning towards a corporate responsible and sustainable company. Although the company had its controversies...
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...Critical and Creative Thinking |1. |Oil production in the United States satisfies only half of the country's needs; the rest is imported. If imports were cut | | |off, what changes would you expect to occur in your lifestyle? | Answer: If oil imports were cut off, the changes to my lifestyle and to the United States would be devastating. Gasoline prices would skyrocket. This would force me and others to curtail our driving. I might have to rely on public transportation; however, the cost of said transportation would also increase. There would be gas rationing as the government would need to have gas for the military and other essentials to keep the government running. Prices for other goods such as food would also increase as it would become more expensive to ship items from place to place. I also believe that crime will increase due to desperation in some people. |2. |Investigate how geophysicist M. King Hubbert predicted in 1956 that annual U.S. oil production would peak in the early | | |1970s (the actual peak occurred in 1971). Also, investigate the debate over whether the same predictive technique can be | | |applied to world oil supplies. When do you think world oil production will reach its peak—or has it done so already? | | |Answer: According to Kuwaiti scientists, global oil production will peak in 2014 (Hsu, 2010). These scientists used some| | |of Hubbert’s...
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...An analysis of the cost/benefit profile of the Alberta oil sands The Alberta oil sands is one of the largest and most controversial energy projects on the planet; whereby large quantities of bitumen are converted into oil through complex and energy intensive chemical processes. The tar sands contain approximately 170 billion barrels of oil, and are the third largest proven reserve of oil in the world. It is expected that this operation will continue to experience rapid development which may result in a diverse array of negative and positive impacts that could significantly influence our society. The advantages and disadvantages of the Alberta oil sands can be analyzed through four key components: political, economic, technological and environmental toxicological perspectives. The cost/benefit profile of the tar sands is evident, and in order to properly address this issue, a plausible and realistic solution must be implemented. Therefore, this will hopefully lead to a decrease in the environmental toxicological and public health impacts associated with the tar sands while preserving socio-economic growth and technological advancement. The political aspect of the oil sands is mainly regulated through the government of Alberta. These legislative members continually promote the expansion of this project as well as advertise its contributions to the economic and technological sector within Canada. The current governmental laws...
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...Sustainable Purchasing Terrence Damp All businesses need inputs in order to be able to operate. These might be physical inputs, such as raw materials, like engine components for a car manufacturer. They may also be service-based, such as specialist engineering consultancy when trailing new technology or distribution services for a high street retailer. It is vital that inputs not only meet the required and reliability standards, but also those they are competitively priced. Supply chain management is a set of approaches utilized to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufactures, warehouses and stores, so that merchandise is produced and distributed at the right quantities, to the right locations and at the right time, in order to minimize system wide costs while satisfying service level requirements. For the oil and gas industry with its high levels of risk, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) is providing training to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of purchasing and supply. OPITO, the focal point for skills, learning and development in the oil and gas industry, undertook a labour market survey of the industry which identified a sector wide skills shortage. Oil & Gas UK then undertook a supply chain specialist for the oil and gas industry. The responsibility of an organization, the impact of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, resulting in transparent and ethical behavior which: Contributes to sustainable development, health...
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...Sustainable Development and Planetary Boundaries BACKGROUND RESEARCH PAPER Johan Rockström and Jeffrey D. Sachs with Marcus C. Öhman and Guido Schmidt-Traub Submitted to the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda This paper reflects the views of the author and does not represent the views of the Panel. It is provided as background research for the HLP Report, one of many inputs to the process. May 2013 Draft for Discussion Sustainable Development and Planetary Boundaries Draft for Discussion Background paper for the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda Prepared by the co-chairs of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Thematic Group on Macroeconomics, Population Dynamics, and Planetary Boundaries: Johan Rockström Executive Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre Professor of Environmental Science, Stockholm University Jeffrey D. Sachs Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University Director, The Sustainable Development Solutions Network Special Advisor to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the Millennium Development Goals with Marcus C. Öhman Associate Professor and Senior Researcher in Ecology and Environmental Science, Stockholm Resilience Centre Guido Schmidt-Traub Executive Director, The Sustainable Development Solutions Network 15 March 2013 1 Draft for Discussion The world faces a serious challenge, indeed one that is unique to our age. Developing countries rightly...
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...body, TERI. The Vision behind TERI University TERI University was conceived to cater to the need of disseminating the vast reservoir of knowledge created by TERI, a not for profit, independent research institute recognized globally for its contribution to scientific and policy research in the realms of energy, environment, and sustainable development. Since its inception, the University offers not just world-class education, but also an environment that enables its students to develop fresh perspectives on their subjects of study. This includes regular interactions with researchers, scientists and academicians. Dr R. K. Pachauri Chancellor, TERI University Origin TERI University's roots can be traced back to 1998, when 'TERI School of Advanced Studies' was established. The School was subsequently renamed as the TERI University in October 2006. TERI University was conceived to cater to the need of disseminating the vast reservoir of knowledge created by TERI, a not for profit, independent research institute recognized globally for its contribution to scientific and policy research in the realms of energy, environment, and sustainable development. The genesis of TERI University is rooted in the comprehensive research, consultancy and outreach activities of TERI. The relationship with TERI has propelled and influenced the evolution...
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...The objective of this study is to determine, from accounting perspective, the environmental consequences of the operations of oil and gas companies in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. The study was motivated by the curiosity to explain what goes on in the Niger-Delta region in the light of environmental degradation and the continuous agitation for a sustainable approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. Questionnaires were used to collect data from primary sources while relying on previous studies for secondary data. The Yaro Yamani sampling determination technique was applied to a sample size of 300 respondents drawn from a population of three million. Data collected were analysed...
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...responsibility has been gaining more and more prominence and Shell had been one of the first organisations to weave corporate social responsibility into the firm’s business Philosophy. The group undertook a number of projects which all aimed at the sustainable development of those regions where the company carried out its operational activities. Across the globe, the Shell foundation, which was founded with an initial endowment of USD 250 million from Shell, has been actively involved in a number of sustainable development projects. The group’s initiatives were well appraised by World Environment Council. Corporate Social Responsibility Modern business is oblige to satisfy demanding environmental, ethical, commercial, ethical and public standards as specified by the wider society (Crane et. al., 2007; Burchell, 2008). It is an appraised fact these days that economic value enhances through voluntary cooperation between the companies and its stakeholders (Schwartz, 2011; Bacher, 2007). In Nigeria Delta, Shell has been accused of poor stakeholder management (Idowu & Filho, 2009; Amio, 2011). Among the negative effects, some effects were frequent oil spills with poorly executed clean ups and unfair compensation, series of ineffective community development initiatives, unjust and unequal revenue allocation and poor environment management. In light of such allegations, Shell recognised five areas of responsibilities. The first one is to protect the...
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...countries and employing nearly 120,000 people. Shell produces circa 3% of the world's oil and circa 3.5% of the world's gas. Most people know the company for its retail outlets and its oil and natural gas exploration and production activity. Other Shell activities include: * marketing, transporting and trading oil and gas * providing oil products for industrial uses, including fuel and lubricant for ships and aircraft * generating electricity, including wind power and producing solar panels * producing petrochemicals used for plastics, coatings and detergents * developing technology for hydrogen vehicles. Shell considers it a business priority to diversify its business portfolio to include more unconventional fuels in order to meet the worlds increasing demand for energy whilst minimising the impact on the environment. Hence the need for the development of 'future fuels'. At the present time, any company seeking merely to exploit resources for immediate gain and at the expense of the environment or customers' best long-term interests is likely to generate government scrutiny, public hostility, customer resistance and, possibly, prosecution. Like any well-run business, Shell takes a long term view of what constitutes 'best possible use' of the resources available to it. One key challenge facing Shell is how to use its profits and accumulated reserves to promote sustainable business growth. Like all companies, Shell distributes some of its profits to shareholders...
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...concept of Blue Economy has opened a new horizon for economic development of the coastal countries through utilizing sea and marine resources at national and international level. The concept has become a buzzword for sustainable development particularly in drafting the post2015 development goals. Estimates suggest some 30 million Bangladeshi directly depend on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation. Coastal and Island developing countries have remained at the forefront of this Blue Economy advocacy, recognizing that the oceans have a major role to play in humanity's future. We consider Blue Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development. We emphasize that it should contribute to eradicating poverty as well as sustained economic growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating opportunities for employment and decent work for all while maintaining the healthy functioning of the earth's ecosystem (Para 56, The future we want, UNCSD 2012). Blue Economy conceptualizes oceans as 'Development Spaces' Where spatial planning integrates conservation, sustainable use, oil and mineral wealth extraction, bioprospecting, sustainable energy production and marine transport. Bangladesh's economy is se...
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...1 | P a g e2 | P a g e3 | P a g e Background Note: “Greening the vendor chain” 1. Background: Sustainable development and accordingly sustainability, is considered the 21st century business paradigm. Sustainable development stands on the three pillars of economic, environmental and social development. The concept of sustainability addresses all operational aspects of an organization, i.e. all operations across the activity chain/value chain, which impact the business in either one or all the three dimensions. Carbon impact is not limited within the boundaries of owned operations but in the total activity and value chain, - vendors and consumers. Utilizing life cycle assessment approach can be a useful way to understand the full impacts across the activity/ value chain. On knowing, where the main impacts are, organisation can influence that part of the value chain by working with relevant vendors or consumers for promoting its quest for sustainable development. ONGC‟s new corporate vision emphasizes the organizational growth through sustainable development, in keeping with the organizational mission of attaining carbon neutrality. Accordingly, ONGC will need to have a holistic organizational practice to reduce carbon footprint. This is a background note of the way to engage our vendors towards our object of sustainable development. Definition: “Greening the Vendor Chain” refers to buyer or recipient companies requiring a certain level...
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