Business and the environment

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Business and the environment
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It is often said that we live in a consumer
society

• We consider it important to buy products and
  services
• Companies need to be aware of the impact of this
  on the environment, the natural world around us
• Many companies use packaging (boxes, bottles...)
  which has been recycled (made using old
  materials).
• Pollution, such as smoke in the air, can be
  reduced if companies use trains instead of road
  transport

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Business in the environment

• Inspires companies to work towards a development
  which is sustainable in the environment. This is
  seen as a strategy and a mainstream business
  issue.
• Environmental strategy represents a fundamental
  progression which intergrates environment into
  business planning and decision-making.
• This integration must be done in the way that
  meets business needs and improves a companys
  impact on the environment.

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Work must be done with companies

• The companies must recognise the benefits of
  effective environmental management and improved
  performance which protects the nature
• For example sustainable water and sewerage
  business depends on operations which respect the
  environment
• Unfortunately, the biggest progress in this
  sector is done after some companies are punished
  or even shut down for not complying with the
  newest policies

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The power of big companies can be used to protect
the environment

• Companies with a global presence have an
  opportunity to shift the impact of their
  activities from environmental harm to ecological
  leadership.
• As business gains more influence worldwide and
  public support grows, companies are discovering
  new ways of showing environmental leadership.
• Some world companies are joined in the effort of
  creating solutions to critical global
  environmental problems in which industry plays an
  important role

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• These companies work on two levels-global and
  local.
• There are global dialogues to create best
  practices within key industries in the world and
  promote effective solutions (for example global
  climate change).
• At the same time they are doing their best to
  test their ideas and see how they work in
  biodiversity and wilderness
• Both approaches are equally essential to ensure
  that these solutions are viable on all levels

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What are some strategies?

• They have a vision of a world in which business
  is a positive force for biodiversity
  conservation. In order to realise this vision the
  companies must
• Integrate biodiversity conservation into business
  practices they help some corporations to involve
  these attitudes into existing business and to
  develop new tools that apply conservation
  principles

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• Support conservation policy and planning they
  encourage industry leaders, organisations and
  governments to formulate plans that protect
  priority areas
• Invest in biodiversity conservation they offer
  companies a variety of methods to invest
  financial and other resources in biodiversity
  conservation

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Planning the conservation

• Very often development goals and conservation
  goals are in conflict. This happens because of
  poor planning and communication.
• The companies who promote environmental
  leadership encourage industry leaders and
  governments to construct plans that protect the
  highest priority areas, while allowing carefully
  managed development to proceed in other areas.
• In this way the conflict can be minimized and
  positive results can come.

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An example Patagonia

• Patagonia is an outdoor clothing firm with a
  strong commitment to environmental causes.
• It sells its products through retail outlets and
  by mail order.
• Patagonia is renowned for its spectacular
  catalogs which are filled with unusual and
  dramatic photos (all taken by customers)
  displaying the clothing in exciting ways.
• They also contain detailed product descriptions
  which include definitions of materials and
  explanations of manufacturing processes.

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• The company makes jackets from recycled plastic
  bottles and produces clothing from organic
  materials. It offers courses to its employees on
  non-violent demonstrations and even pays bail for
  employees who get arrested.
• It also donates money to environmental groups and
  generally supports efforts that empower consumers
  to take action.
• Patagonias strategy isnt just to give away
  money to good causes but to pioneer new,
  long-term practices of sustainability in
  business, prove their economic viability and
  persuade other businesses to follow.

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Word building

• Expressing contrast / The passive

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With some words it is possible to create several
new words by adding suffixes Use the following
suffixes to create as many words as you can

• -ate
• -ism
• -ity
• -ist
• -at

• environment
• to produce
• to manage
• to direct
• progress
• active

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What suffixes can you add to these words?

• develop _________________________
• commit _________________________
• sustain _________________________
• employ _________________________

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Expressing contrast

• There are several ways of expressing contrast in
  English
• although
• even though subject verb
• though
• He enjoys his job, although he would like more
  responsibility.

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• despite noun or
• in spite of verb -ing
• Despite the recession, we achieved record
  profits.
• I havent finished that report yet, despite
  working overtime last night.

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Join the pairs of sentences using an expression
of contrast

• Young people are concerned about the environment.
  They cant always afford environmentally-friendly
  products.
• Patagonia makes efforts to convince other
  companies to use organically-grown cotton. Many
  companies resist because it costs more.
• Pollution is rising in Paris. People still prefer
  to take their cars to work.

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• Many countries organise separate waste
  collections for glass, paper, metal and plastic.
  Many others dont.
• Most beauty products carry the label against
  animal testing. Some of the components may have
  been tested on animals.

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Complete the following passage with the
appropriate passive forms of the verbs in
brackets

• A new campaign ______ (launch) earlier this year
  by the UK government which aims to reduce the
  amount of domestic waste.
• Households ________ (encourage) to recycle
  certain waste products and to sort and prepare
  others for collection at specific sites.
• From there they ________ (take) to special waste
  treatment plants where special machinery will
  process them for reuse as recycled material.

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• In Britain today, when the contents of the
  average household dustbin _________ (analyse), we
  find that, in terms of weight, 35 of the total
  _______ (compose) of paper and cardboard, 22 of
  kitchen waste, 12 of plastic with glass, dust
  and ashes each representing a further 10.
• There are in fact only a few items of domestic
  waste that cannot _________ (recycle).

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• One common example is disposable nappies which,
  as their name suggests, ________ (design) to be
  thrown away after use.
• However, a lot of progress could _______ (make)
  to reduce the amount of kitchen waste most of
  which can _________ (transform) into a useful
  garder fertiliser.