*

Business and Ethics for an ecological and sustainable world

Marc De Witte

2013

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Definitions Historical approach Stakeholders Environmental Organisations Most largest environmental problems Globalisation and Environment Forecast The Gap Sustainability EMS Planning process

10. Time Frame : Evolutions in a competitive world 11. Very specific environmental realisations 12. Environment 13. Problem Posing 14. Conclusion

*Environmental Management

: a purposeful

activity with the goal to maintain and improve the state of an environmental resource affected by human activities. It is NOT the management of the environment as such, but rather the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment.

*Environmental Resource Management :

aims to ensure that ecosystems services are protected and maintained for equitable use by future human generations, and also, maintain ecosystem integrity as an end in itself by taking into consideration ethical, economic, and scientific (ecological) variables.

*Sustainable Management

: is the application of

sustainable practices in the categories of businesses, agriculture, society, environment, and personal life by managing them in a way that will benefit current generations and future generations. is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials. It is a distinct practice from resource recovery which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. captures all aspects of management focus and effort that would endeavour to avoid undesirable collapse of any magnitude

*Waste Management :

*Resilience Management :

2.1. ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION * Environmental evolution = Environmental Movement (Industrial Revolutions of 18th and 19th centuries + lack of standards for industrial products and processes in the early 20th century) * 1919 : the petroleum and allied industries established the American Petroleum Institute (API) * 1970s : the creation of environmental laws and regulations : - 1988 : the Responsible Care program (Chemical Manufacturers Association) and - 1993 : the Strategies for Todays Environmental Partnership (STEP) program adopted by the American Petroleum Institute * 1987 : the Brundtland Commission published Our Common Future, a report which first used the term sustainable development and called on industry to develop effective environmental management systems.

2.2. CONVENTIONS

* * * * *

1992 : Rio De Janeiro : the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and also the Convention on Climate Change a) To report annually on environmental records, as well as the use of energy resources for business, industries and authorities, b) To adopt and report on the implementation of codes of conduct promoting best environmental practice (cfr. Responsible Care) 1990 the European Commission draft of a regulation on environmental management and auditing. 1993, the Eco-Management and Audit Regulation (1836/93/EC) was adopted with the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme - EMAS : specifications for voluntary environmental management systems for companies doing business in the European Union. The Coalition of Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES). Principles include acceptance of an environmental mission statement and a commitment to the production of environmental reports. 1991 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) formally established the Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) to develop recommendations regarding international standards for environmental management. 1993, ISO created Technical Committee 207 to develop an international EMS standard, along with other standards on environmental management tools and techniques. 1996, the ISO 14001 environmental management system specification . This is to support ISO guidance standards on environmental performance, evaluation, environmental labeling and environmental auditing .

2.2. CONVENTIONS

Parties; Countries with binding targets Parties; Developing countries without binding targets States not Party to the Protocol Signatory country with no intention to ratify the treaty, with no binding targets Countries that have denounced the Protocol, with no binding targets Parties with no binding targets in the second period, which previously had targets Date 2 February 2013,

2.3. ACCIDENTS
Agricultural

Nuclear

Human Health

Air/Land/Water

Mining

Biodiversity

Oil Industry

Industrial

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.1. Agricultural - Aral Sea 1989 - 2008

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.2. Human Health - 9/11

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.3. Mining

Largest mining truck in the world. One load can fuel a power plant for an entire day

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.4. Oil Industry - Exxon Valdez 1989

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.5. Industrial : Bhopal disaster 1984

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.6. Biodiversity

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.7. Air/land/water - Kuwait oil fires 1991

2.3. ACCIDENTS * 2.3.8. Nuclear - Chernobyl Disaster 1986

3.1. Stakeholders
Public Sector

Private Sector

Civil Society

3.1. Stakeholders

3.2. Environmental organisations Intergovernmental organisations

WORLDWIDE * Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) * United Nations Environment Programma (UNEP) * Earth System Governance Project * Global Environment Facility (GEF) REGIONAL * European Environment Agency (EEA) * Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of Eats Asia (PEMSEA) LOCAL * Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI)

Governmental organisations Non-governmental organisations

INTERNATIONAL Greenpeace World Preservation Foundation (WPF) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) CONTINENTAL NATIONAL

* Acid Rain

* * * * * * *

Air Pollution Global Warming Hazardous Waste Ozone Depletion Smog Water Pollution Overpopulation

4.1. Acid Rain

= any form of precipitation like rain, fog, snow, or hail that contains harmful substances such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides

* *

* *

Sources : industry, transportation, and a variety of power plants Effect : damage to plants, humans, and buildings small particles in the air caused more than 350.000 premature deaths within the 25 countries of the European Union in 2000 toxic groundwater and corrosion of materials indirect spread of a variety of insect transmitted diseases such as malaria Consequence : up to great distances in the atmosphere,
even from continent to continent.

Solution : initially building very tall chimneys shipping industry is taking steps to reduce emissions : containerships Triple E

4.1. Acid Rain

4.2. Air Pollution :

=

is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere
Sources : chemicals (carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide), particulates or biological materials in the atmosphere Also household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires Effect : discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food, crops, or damage to the environment (natural or built).. Consequence : can cause adverse health effects and harms human health and the environment Also possibility to premature mortality, impact on life expectancy and respiratory and other diseases, which can be fatal. Solution : Reduction of previous mentioned causes . Emissions of many air pollutants decreased substantially but the concentrations are still too high, and air quality problems persist Classification of Pollutants : Form : solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases( natural or man-made) Primary pollutants are directly emitted from a process, such as - ash from a volcanic eruption, - carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle - sulphur dioxide released from factories Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly - ground level ozone - photochemical smog some are both primary and secondary : emitted directly and formed from other primary pollutants

* * * *

4.2. Air pollution

Major primary pollutants produced by human activity :

* * * * * *

Sulfur oxides (SOx) : by volcanoes and various industrial processes (coal and petroleum) Nitrogen oxides (NOx) especially emitted from high temperature combustion, and during thunderstorms by electric discharge Carbon monoxide (CO)- non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood Carbon dioxide (CO2) - a colourless, odorless, non-toxic greenhouse gas sources : combustion, cement production, and respiration. Volatile organic compounds - VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant : Methane. Other hydrocarbon VOCs : benzene, toluene and xylene Particulates, particulate matter (PM), atmospheric particulate matter, or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas. Natural : originating from volcanoes, dust storms, forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea spray. Human : activities such as the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and various industrial processes

* * * * *

Toxic metals - lead, cadmium and copper. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - harmful to the ozone layer emitted from products currently banned from use. Ammonia (NH3) - emitted from agricultural processes. Used a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers. Odors - from garbage, sewage, and industrial processes Radioactive pollutants - produced by nuclear explosions, nuclear events, war explosives, and natural processes such as the radioactive decay of radon

4.2. Air Pollution

4.3. Global Warming

= the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century is more accurately described as climate change
* *
Sources : - increasing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions - burning of fossils fuels and deforestation - global emissions of carbon dioxide Effect : occurrence of what researchers call extreme weather long, drawn out droughts, super typhoons, and torrential rain severe droughts, drying up forests, killing crops, and using up important water reserves heat waves and dehydration due to the lack of water sources for animals, plants and people

Consequence : Super typhoons in South East Asian countries, Pakistan, and the United States the way water travels through the atmosphere increased heat and higher temperatures other areas like the Antarctic get a temporary cooling

* *

Solution :

Catastrophic situation, Coal fuel > < nuclear > < alternative energy ?????

Remark : the air becomes overly saturated = perfect recipe for torrential rain fall, development of hurricanes death, destruction, high speed winds and severe floodings decline of emissions in the developed countries is more than matched by continued growth in developing countries like China and India the sea levels are gradually rising due to the melting of the polar ice caps : this brings : - strong winds and hurricanes that can push the water deeper in land - phenomene of methane belch, by melting of ice caps this can also cause a sudden releasing all of the trapped gas in the ice that has been encapsulated there for centuries

4.3. Global Warming

4.4. Hazardous Waste

= waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment and may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids

* *

Source Effect

* *

: hazardous household and industrial waste , mainly coming from industrial chemical production : hazardous waste is special type of waste : depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be required To be found in : - automotive products : gasoline, antifreeze, batteries - oil-based paints and thinners - garden products such as pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides - household cleaning products. Consequence : - cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of everyday lives - presents immediate or long-term risks to humans, animals, plants, or the environment - requires special handling for detoxification or safe disposal - mixing of hazardous substances is banned in order to prevent risks for the environment and human health Remark : classification into hazardous and non hazardous waste is based on the system for the classification and labelling of dangerous substances and preparations Solution : using green, natural products and reduction of specific contaminated packaging

4.4. Hazardous Waste

4.4. Hazardous Waste

4.5. Ozon Depletion = the result of a complex set of circumstances and chemistry

* Source * Effect

: hazardous household and industrial waste , mainly coming from industrial chemical production : chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). : two distinct but related phenomena - a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earths stratosphere (the ozone layer) - a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions : the ozone hole

* Consequence :

the "good" ozone layer extends upward from about 6 to 30 miles and

protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays . Now natural shield is gradually depleted by man-made chemicals.

* Solution

: stop the full production of it and ban the products Freon gas)

(See also Montreal Protocol 1987 -

4.5. Ozon Depletion

4.6. Smog
= a combination of smoke and fog and is a type of air pollutant

* *

Source

: a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide from large amounts of coal burning in an area Effect : the smog from London , see 19 and 20th century the modern smog (Los Angeles) is more from vehicular emission, internal combustion engines and industrial fumes in reaction with sunlight (photochemical smog) Smog can form in almost any climate where industries or cities release large amounts of air pollution, such as smoke or gases Consequence : ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide harms human health inflame breathing passages, decrease the lungs' working capacity, shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing, and coughing nose irritation drying out the protective membranes of the nose and throat Solution : reduction of emissions, less coal burning, etc. - careful activities and operations during warm and sunny weather - geologic basins - densely populated cities or urban areas

4.6. Smog

4.7. Water Pollution

any chemical, physical or biological change in the quality of water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that drinks or uses or lives (in) it Source : contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater) when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds 2 sorts of sources : - point sources : they discharge pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water ( factories, sewage treatment plants, underground mines, oil wells, oil tankers and agriculture) - nonpoint sources : cannot be traced to a single site of discharge ( acid deposition from the air, traffic, or pollutants that are spread through rivers or that enter the water through groundwater) = hard to control because the perpetrators cannot be traced Effect : affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water damages not only individual species and populations, but also the natural biological communities Consequence : several classes of water pollutants ( bacteria, viruses, protozoa , parasitic worms , watersoluble inorganic pollutants, such as acids, salts and toxic metals) will make water unfit to drink and will : - cause the death of aquatic life - deplete the water's oxygen supply (algae and plants) - kill fish and, when found in drinking water, kill young children - ause cancer, birth defects and genetic damage Solution : change of habits - provide cleaning installations and protection systems =

* *

4.7. Water Pollution

4.8. Overpopulation :
= an undesirable condition where an organisms numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat

* *

Source : medical advancements and increases in agricultural productivity Effect : - an increase in births, a decline in mortality rates, an increase in immigration, an unsustainable biome and depletion of resources

Consequence : will be even more than global warming the biggest single challenge facing the planet It refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth, or smaller geographical areas such as countries. Remark : The population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around the year 1400, although the most significant increase has been in the last 50 years According to projections, the world population will continue to grow until at least 2050, with the population reaching 9 billion in 2040. Solution : ?????? Birth control

4.8. Overpopulation

4.9. Rainforest Destruction : (Deforestation)

= removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use

2 types of forests disappear : - tropical rainforests are warm and wet, are found in the tropis, i.e. in the equatorial zone - temperate forests which also cover a large part of the globe, only occur in few regions around the world * Source : - wood for both timber and making fires, - agriculture for both small and large farms, - land for poor farmers who dont have anywhere else to live - grazing land for cattle, - pulp for making paper, - road construction, - extraction of minerals and energy - expanding urban areas * Effect : lot of countries are suffering by lack of trees (wood) and especially in rapidly growing economies it will have a serious negative effect on the economic balance. BUT also : threat by climate change * Consequence : - contributor to global warming - causes an enhanced greenhouse effect - affects the water cycle - increases rates of soil erosion - responsible for the extinction of many species of wildlife * Solution : today being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by short-sighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and land owners.

4.9. Rainforest Destruction : (Deforestation)

4.9. Rainforest Destruction : (Deforestation)