This document discusses environmental issues and business ethics. It provides examples of natural resources used by businesses and consumers and discusses common environmental issues like climate change. The document suggests that both businesses and consumers should bear responsibility for environmental sustainability. Businesses are looking to adopt greener practices due to pressure from consumers, government, and their own conscience. Specific issues that a dairy business may face include air pollution, manure disposal, and water pollution. The document also discusses how consumers have responded to calls for greater environmental responsibility through reducing, reusing, and recycling. It outlines how climate change is impacted by greenhouse gas emissions and some potential effects of global warming. Finally, it lists ways that businesses can operate in a more environmentally friendly manner.

1. Environmental Issues and
Business Ethics
How Business and consumers use the
environment

2. Activity - In groups of 3:
Member 1: Think of as many natural resources
Business use to produce goods and services as
You can. E.g. Coal
Member 2: Think of as many natural resources
Consumers use/get pleasure out of.
E.g. swimming in the ocean
Member 3: Think of as many environmental issues
As you can. E.g. Climate Change
Make it colourful, can use pictures as well

3. Who should bear the burden of environmental sustainability,
businesses or the consumers they serve? Discuss

4. Business
Uses
Environmental
Issue
Impact on
Society
AWARENESS
Businesses now looking towards green/sustainable
Production.
Why?
• Pressure from consumers
• Pressure from Government
• Lack of resources
• Own conscience

5. WHICH ENVIRONMENT ISSUES MIGHT
LATHOM’S DAIRY BE FACING?
What natural resources do they rely on?
What are they doing to the environment?

6. Possible Issues for Lathom’s
 Air pollution from methane gas – causing
greenhouses gasses and therefore global
warming
 Manure disposal – could be an excellent crop
fertilizer
 Looking closely at animal feed to prevent
nitrates (through manure) leaking into the
ground
 Flushing urine down drains with high pressure
jets could pollute the nearby rivers.

7. Cows and flatulence
 Farming is responsible for about 14% of the world's
greenhouse gases.
 A large amount of these emissions come from methane,
which, in terms of its contribution to global warming, is 23
times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
 The world's 1.5 billion cows and billions of other grazing
animals emit dozens of polluting gases, including lots of
methane.
 Two-thirds of all ammonia comes from cows.
 They belch more than they emit flatulence – fact!

9. Cows and
manure
 There is the potential to
convert manure into biogas
which can generate electricity,
or (with a little modification)
and fuel vehicles.

10. In pairs: Think of a business
- What resources it uses
- What environmental impact
it may have
e.g. Sandra’s beauty salon
- Petrochemicals in beauty products
- Electricity for hair dryers etc
- Air pollution
- Energy conservation

11. How consumers have responded to
pressure for greater environmental
responsibility
 Consumers can use their
power to protect
limited natural
resources
 Customers choices drive
the marketplace
Introduces precycling

12. Consumer responsibility
 Reduce
 Less packaging
 Reuse
 Milk bottles and bags for life
 Recycle
 Yellow and Green bins
There are lots more that
you can add to this list.
Create a table with three
columns and lets put some
detail in...

13. Result of consumer responsibility
 Reduction in demand for
raw materials
 Using recycled materials to
make new products uses
less energy and fewer
emissions
 Reduction of waste going to
landfill

14. Climate change – co2 emissions and
global warming
 Climate change is the
term used to explain the
changing weather patterns
the earth is experiencing.
 Because of climate
change, Australia is seeing
hotter summers, milder
winters, higher sea levels
and increased flooding.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2014/sep/23/leonardo-dicaprio-un-climate-change-summit-speech-video

15. Climate change – co2 emissions and
global warming
 Human activity is
contributing to climate
change through the
production of greenhouse
gases.
 These gases - particularly
CO2 - are being released
into the earth's
atmosphere, where they
form a layer, which
prevents heat from
escaping, causing a
warming effect.

17. Global warming what could happen?
If Earth gets hotter, some of the
important changes could
happen:
 Water expands when it's heated
and oceans absorb more heat
than land, so sea levels would
rise.
 Sea levels would also rise due to
the melting of the glaciers and
sea ice.
 Cities on coasts would flood.
 Places that usually get lots of
rain and snowfall might get
hotter and drier.
 Lakes and rivers could dry up.
 There would be more droughts
making hard to grow crops.
 Less water would be available
for drinking, showers and
swimming pools.
 Some plants and animals might
become extinct because of the
heat.
 Hurricanes, tornadoes and other
storms which are caused by
changes in heat and water
evaporation may get more
common.

18. Ways a business can be more
environmentally friendly
 As a group brainstorm as
many ways as possible that
you think a company can go
“green”.
 See if you can beat the list
on the next slide.

19. Going green....
1. Recycling ink cartridges
2. Producing goods with less packaging
3. Using solar energy
4. Switching to energy saving light bulbs
5. Using a smaller font (less paper)
6. Using web based technology – less paper
7. Becoming a paperless office
8. Online marketing
9. Switching off lights at night (shop windows)
10.Using recycled batteries
11.Buying vehicles of the business with less co2 emissions
12.Using conference call instead of travelling to a
meeting
13.Encourage staff to cycle to work or car share
14.Switching to a wind turbine

20. SUSTAINABILITY
 Living and working in ways that do not jeopardise our
current and future social, environmental and economic
resources
 social and environmental practices that protect and
enhance the human and natural resources needed by
future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or
greater than our own.
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/
business-studies/comments/csr-unilevers-
sustainable-living-plan

21. Can you guess who are the
most admired businesses?
(FOR THEIR
ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY?)

22. 1. IBM - Starter Planet
2. Volkswagen - Think Blue
3. Sony - Road to zero
4. Samsung - Take back and recycle
5. Disney - Disney Citizenship

23. Volkswagen Emission Scandal
1. Explain Scandal
2. How have VW been ethically irresponsible?
3. What can they do to improve their credibility?

24. BP – oil spill
 April 20 2010 BP drilling rig
(DEEP HORIZON) explodes kills
11 people
 39 millions tonnes of oil spill
into the sea
 Massive impact on the
environment - birds
 Fishermen now becoming ill-
blaming the dispersing
chemicals
 Cost BP £3.1 billion to clean it
up
(The fix) (Cost)What happened?