Philosophy 223Business and the Environment

Sustainability

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a hot topic in a number of different areas right now, including business management.

As is the case with many new concepts, ‘sustainability’ is still a bit fuzzy.

Intuitively, the term refers to practices that don’t work at a loss, that can be perpetuated indefinitely.

Obviously, perpetuation is only one goal, market viability is another.

DesJardins, “Sustainability: Business’s New Environmental Obligation”

This essay defends the position that businesses have an ethical obligation to engage in sustainable development.

It also provides an economic defense of sustainable development.

A Choice of Possibilities

We confront a choice. Either we assume that there are no

biophysical limits to economic growth.Deny the world’s poor a prosperous lifestyle.Pursue sustainable economic activity.

Bowie argues that business can act in an environmentally responsible way only if directed by consumers or the law.DesJardins argues that managers can do

much more.

Growth or Nature?

Sustainable Development: Economic activity that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Distinguished from mere economic growth, which seeks simply to increase the gross amounts of goods and services.

Types of Sustainable Development

Biomimicry: Waste from production cycle is recycled in a closed loop.

Services rather than production (e.g., Interface Corporation).

Natural Capital: Harvest the ecological “interest” not the “capital.”

Economic Rationales for SD

Though DesJardins believes that businesses have compelling moral reasons to develop sustainable processes, there are also strong economic reasons:Eliminating waste.Reducing operating expenses.Avoiding legal liability.

Cooley, “Genetically Modified Organisms and Business Duties”

This essay focuses on the agricultural production of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Acknowledging that there are potential risks, Cooley discusses several versions of the precautionary principle (precaution must be appropriate to the risk) and defends most uses of GMOs based on reasonable person utilitarianism.

What Precautions?

Absolute skepticism (Greenpeace version) is too broad.No new products would enter the market.

European Union refers to a “reasonable person” standard.Still too broad, as “reasonable persons”

may not know the science.

Cooley offers a modified reasonable person standard.

Reasonable Person Utilitarianism

Critics and defenders of GMOs use consequentialist reasoning.

Cooley recommends a reasonable person utilitarianism whereby what ought to be done is what reasonable persons agree would promote overall welfare for persons.

Cooley’s Calculation

Adding it up: GMOs.Capacity to provide health benefits to prevent

blindness, infections, and death.Increased crop yields.Prevents certain crops from going extinct and

enhances genetic diversity.Enhances corporate profits.Reduces the need for pesticides.

Alleged harms of GMOs are mainly hypothetical and do not justify bans on their production or use.The risk doesn’t justify much precaution.