3006IBA Business Ethics And Corporate Governance

Sustainability can be termed as the state where humankind is living within the Earth’s carrying capacity. At the current juncture, the production of resources using energy and waste at a significant level isn’t sustainable. This denotes that the Earth contains the potential to accommodate the needs of the present population in a sustainable fashion and will even meet the needs of the future generation. However, the excessive pressure on the Earth’s resources with the huge amount of industrial activities, pollution and exploitation of the resources had moved ahead of the carrying potential of the Earth (Wang & Sengupta 2016). This denotes that strong and concentrated effort must be done in the sustainability process and activities that will enable the future generation to utilize the resources of the Earth. Such a concentrated and prudent act followed by the change of direction can be pointed to the sustainable development. Growing own produce such as fruits and vegetables can ensure a better productivity.

Saving the earth finite resources

 To save the mother earth it must be ensured that pesticides should not be used that adds to air and water pollution. Moreover, this reduces the fossil fuels that are utilized to transport the produce to the supermarkets. Therefore, for sustainability and safeguarding the resources of the Earth, changes, as well as integrated action must be applied at the micro level that is the sectors such as mining industries where the overall impact of the small change can provide immense results in regards to the sustainable development. The vision of Brundtland Commission’s enables to meet the present generation need without eroding the process of sustainable development to meet their requirement. Hence, sustainable development can be seen as a process that involves the aspect of economic, social and cultural together with the environmental health of the planet.

Change has been a major aspect of the planet. In order to safeguard the future and the future resources the resources of the Earth must be saved. Simple efforts are needed in various aspects that will help to reduce the pressure on the Earth (Meinlschmidt, Schleper & Foerstl 2018). Hence, in lieu of it, healthier environment should be inculcated which can be done through various means such as using prudent use of plastic. In the current scenario, today, billions of pounds can be traced in different convergences that make up the 40 per cent of the overall ocean surface. Each year innumerable seabirds, turtles, seals and mammals die after ingesting plastic or tangling up. Hence, cutting down on the plastic waste in a few simple steps by using reusable bags during shopping, ditching the single-use water bottles and other products such as straws made from plastic whenever it deems fit. Secondly, the products that endanger the wildlife should be boycotted. Products made from the animals on the endangered species must be made illegal in terms of buying, selling, importing or trading in the United States.

Sacrificing the living standards

However, if the plant or the animal is not yet listed, it can still be harmed for profit. Many products have endangered the species by threatening the habitat, from destroying the old forest to utilizing the water that the species require to survive. To ensure sustainability and avoid contributing to wildlife endangerment the product selection should be from sustainable materials such as bamboo and dine at the restaurant and serving the species that are imperilled. Thirdly, it is important to utilize the water in a prudent manner. Skipping the bottled water is an important step towards sustainability. Bottled water companies give a bad name to the tap water even though the water from the tap is free from impurities and city water has further won the quality tests and taste test against the brand water. Furthermore, the extraction of water and its production in terms of plastic bottles is dangerous to the communities and wildlife.

Water conservation is the major component when it comes to sustainability as the growing population has a major bearing on the water resources and droughts (Frey 2017). There are various ways in which the water can be saved such as the technique of landscaping; drought adapted plants and food for birds. Hence, it is imperative that some sacrifice is required to be done for the future generation; otherwise the future generation will face a dearth of resources.

Another major use is the utilization of less energy that can help in reduction of the carbon emission. There are different ways through which the energy can be saved such as saving energy at home, turning off the appliances at standby mode, hanging clothes to dry instead using a drier (Frey 2017). On an average, the appliances are responsible for 13% of the overall household energy. While purchasing an appliance, attention must be provided to the initial purchase price followed by the annual operating cost. The energy-efficient appliance might comprise of the upfront purchase price; however the operating costs are often 9-25% lower as compared to the conventional items. The only effort that can be provided for ensuring sustainability is checking the Energy Star Label when it comes to the selection of the item. It is a federal guarantee that consumes less energy at the time of usage and on standby mode when it comes to the standard models. For instance, the energy consumption by the clothes washer is 25% lower and 45% lower as compared to the conventional ones while the refrigerators use 9% less energy. Weatherizing the home or sealing the leaks of air can be another effective mechanism to reduce the heating and cooling expenses. For sealing the air leaks between the stationary objects, caulk can be effective. For cracks persisting between the moving object, weatherstripping is an effective one. Weatherstripping, as well as caulking, is a simple air sealing tool that typically provides an ROI in less than a year (Meinlschmidt, Schleper & Foerstl 2018).

Conclusion

Energy conservation is vital, as well as beneficial for different reason. Through this manner, the property value can be enhanced and the environment can be protected through simple energy saving measures. Such are the best benefits that can be gained from energy saving, which helps in the process of sustainability. Hence, it can be seen that living standard can be sacrificed a little, and in the process, it will add to the process of sustainability. Earth comprises finite resources and hence, the best way to utilize the resources is to use them effectively. Changing the course of action will help in attaining the best result. Therefore, in the present scenario, it is imperative that eco-friendly products should be used that will help in preventing the negative impact on the Earth. Sustainable living comprises of reducing the amount of the resources of Earth that is used for the Earth’s protection. There are number of ways that can be used using the eco-friendly products and changes in the lifestyle. In short, the to ensure a sustainable lifestyle efforts must be provided to reduce the impact on Earth and replacing the exhaustive use of the Earth’s resources.

References

Frey, U. J. (2017). A synthesis of key factors for sustainability in social-ecological systems. Sustainability Science, 12(4), 507-519. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0395-z

Meinlschmidt, J., Schleper, M. C., & Foerstl, K. (2018). Tackling the sustainability iceberg: A transaction cost economics approach to lower tier sustainability management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 38(10), 1888-1914. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-03-2017-0141

 Wang, H., & Sengupta, S. (2016). Stakeholder relationships, brand equity, firm performance: A resource-based perspective. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5561-5568.