The natural environment as an integral part of the triple bottom line
- Authors: O'Carroll, Michael
- Date: 2009-02-05T07:15:43Z
- Subjects: Corporations , Business enterprises , Social responsibility of business , Green marketing , Sustainable development
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2030
- Description: M.Sc. , Corporations are beginning to realize that they are members of the wider community and must therefore behave in an environmentally responsible fashion. This translates into corporations that believe that they must fulfill environmental objectives in conjunction with profit related objectives. The recognition that a corporation is embedded within its surrounding environment has profound implications for the way that its business operations are conducted. No longer are the actions taken within the corporation considered to be separate from the external environment, and no longer are events unfolding outside the corporation considered to have no impact on the internal structure and functioning of the company. According to this mode of thought, everything is linked and interconnected. In recognition, smart corporations have initiated social, economic and environmental practices (Anon, 2002a) and incorporated these three components in to the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The Triple Bottom Line was designed to promote the objectives of sustainable development (Elkington, 2003) by considering a holistic approach to business. Because sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, organisations that aim for sustainability need to perform not against a single, financial bottom line but against the triple bottom line i.e. economy, society and the environment. It is also true that a corporation, which is not socially or environmentally sustainable in the long term, is unlikely to be financially sustainable in the long term (Elkington, 2003). The main aim of this study is to investigate how the natural environment can play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL. Five main issues relevant to the TBL are investigated in the problem statement, to determine how the environment can possibly form an integral part of the TBL and thus justify the implementation of the TBL in a corporation’s business strategy. Each main issue is then broken down into a number of specific support questions for analysis. The 16 support questions were then individually analysed to determine whether or not the environment could in fact play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL. The five main issues of investigation and the 16 sub-questions showed that the environment could play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL in any corporation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: O'Carroll, Michael
- Date: 2009-02-05T07:15:43Z
- Subjects: Corporations , Business enterprises , Social responsibility of business , Green marketing , Sustainable development
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:8103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2030
- Description: M.Sc. , Corporations are beginning to realize that they are members of the wider community and must therefore behave in an environmentally responsible fashion. This translates into corporations that believe that they must fulfill environmental objectives in conjunction with profit related objectives. The recognition that a corporation is embedded within its surrounding environment has profound implications for the way that its business operations are conducted. No longer are the actions taken within the corporation considered to be separate from the external environment, and no longer are events unfolding outside the corporation considered to have no impact on the internal structure and functioning of the company. According to this mode of thought, everything is linked and interconnected. In recognition, smart corporations have initiated social, economic and environmental practices (Anon, 2002a) and incorporated these three components in to the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The Triple Bottom Line was designed to promote the objectives of sustainable development (Elkington, 2003) by considering a holistic approach to business. Because sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity, organisations that aim for sustainability need to perform not against a single, financial bottom line but against the triple bottom line i.e. economy, society and the environment. It is also true that a corporation, which is not socially or environmentally sustainable in the long term, is unlikely to be financially sustainable in the long term (Elkington, 2003). The main aim of this study is to investigate how the natural environment can play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL. Five main issues relevant to the TBL are investigated in the problem statement, to determine how the environment can possibly form an integral part of the TBL and thus justify the implementation of the TBL in a corporation’s business strategy. Each main issue is then broken down into a number of specific support questions for analysis. The 16 support questions were then individually analysed to determine whether or not the environment could in fact play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL. The five main issues of investigation and the 16 sub-questions showed that the environment could play an integral role in the implementation of the TBL in any corporation.
- Full Text:
A generic environmental awareness course framework for use by business
- Authors: Matthews, John
- Date: 2009-02-05T07:13:17Z
- Subjects: South African Qualifications Authority , Environmental education , Business enterprises , Social responsibility of business
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:8088 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2017
- Description: M.A. , Environmental Awareness is important in the protection of the environment and for promoting further business activities. Failure to protect the environment results in the depletion of natural resources which would subsequently lead to environmental degradation. Business activities can be considered as a major contributor to environmental degradation as they involve the acquisition and exploitation of large quantities of the world’s natural resources. It is therefore essential that all members of staff in a business have the relevant knowledge and appropriate skills to protect themselves and the environment. This knowledge can only be obtained through environmental awareness training and training should take place on all staff levels. Because it is very important to train all staff in business methods, this training should be nationally recognised and be of a high standard. To ensure that such a training programme meets this requirement, it should be registered with the national qualifications registration authority, namely the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). All SAQA-registered training programmes and unit standards have nationally accepted standards. The main aim of this Mini dissertation is to determine whether or not a registered training programme specifically aimed at business in terms of the South African Qualifications Act on environmental awareness exists, and, if no registered training program is found, to design such a training program to meet this need. The importance of environmental awareness training cannot be over-emphasised. Changes in South African legislation, such as the inclusion of clauses to protect the environment as in Section 24 of the Constitution, as well as international pressure whereby customers and suppliers are required to conform to international environmental standards and environmental accounting practices, have made it important for businesses to train all their staff to be environmentally aware. The change in government in 1994 and the concomitant relaxation of sanctions, as well as the advent of the Internet, facilitating trade with other countries, has caused the world to become a “global village”. The business world has embraced technology with the result that communication is easier and relations between foreign countries have improved. Foreign customers now expect their suppliers in South Africa to comply with international environmental standards such as the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. Recently, shareholders have started demanding that their companies report not only on their economic activities, but also on their associated environmental and social responsibilities. The importance of the so-called “Triple Bottom Line” (the environmental, social and economic elements responsibilities of business) is now being emphasised. In South Africa, stricter environmental laws such as The National Environmental Management Act (No.107 of 1998) and the proposed Pollution Prevention Bill, and their enforcement, have seen companies such as Thor Chemicals closed down because of their non-compliance with environmental legislation. The consequences of such constraints and other pressures have highlighted the increased need for business to train staff in environmental awareness. A registered training program has the advantage that the outcomes will conform to nationally accepted standards and that the learner will receive recognised credit for having completed the training programme successfully. Business will also be in a position to claim back part of the costs of training from its skills development levy.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Matthews, John
- Date: 2009-02-05T07:13:17Z
- Subjects: South African Qualifications Authority , Environmental education , Business enterprises , Social responsibility of business
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:8088 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2017
- Description: M.A. , Environmental Awareness is important in the protection of the environment and for promoting further business activities. Failure to protect the environment results in the depletion of natural resources which would subsequently lead to environmental degradation. Business activities can be considered as a major contributor to environmental degradation as they involve the acquisition and exploitation of large quantities of the world’s natural resources. It is therefore essential that all members of staff in a business have the relevant knowledge and appropriate skills to protect themselves and the environment. This knowledge can only be obtained through environmental awareness training and training should take place on all staff levels. Because it is very important to train all staff in business methods, this training should be nationally recognised and be of a high standard. To ensure that such a training programme meets this requirement, it should be registered with the national qualifications registration authority, namely the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). All SAQA-registered training programmes and unit standards have nationally accepted standards. The main aim of this Mini dissertation is to determine whether or not a registered training programme specifically aimed at business in terms of the South African Qualifications Act on environmental awareness exists, and, if no registered training program is found, to design such a training program to meet this need. The importance of environmental awareness training cannot be over-emphasised. Changes in South African legislation, such as the inclusion of clauses to protect the environment as in Section 24 of the Constitution, as well as international pressure whereby customers and suppliers are required to conform to international environmental standards and environmental accounting practices, have made it important for businesses to train all their staff to be environmentally aware. The change in government in 1994 and the concomitant relaxation of sanctions, as well as the advent of the Internet, facilitating trade with other countries, has caused the world to become a “global village”. The business world has embraced technology with the result that communication is easier and relations between foreign countries have improved. Foreign customers now expect their suppliers in South Africa to comply with international environmental standards such as the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. Recently, shareholders have started demanding that their companies report not only on their economic activities, but also on their associated environmental and social responsibilities. The importance of the so-called “Triple Bottom Line” (the environmental, social and economic elements responsibilities of business) is now being emphasised. In South Africa, stricter environmental laws such as The National Environmental Management Act (No.107 of 1998) and the proposed Pollution Prevention Bill, and their enforcement, have seen companies such as Thor Chemicals closed down because of their non-compliance with environmental legislation. The consequences of such constraints and other pressures have highlighted the increased need for business to train staff in environmental awareness. A registered training program has the advantage that the outcomes will conform to nationally accepted standards and that the learner will receive recognised credit for having completed the training programme successfully. Business will also be in a position to claim back part of the costs of training from its skills development levy.
- Full Text:
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