Climate is a Social and Political
Richard Rodgers and Kofi Annan’s’ Quotes on Climate Change
Based in the words of Richard Rodgers and Kofi Annan, it is true that climate is both social and political. It is also a matter that world leaders should take up with serious and lay strategies on how to overcome it. For climate change to be maintained at the acceptable levels both the social and political elements must be balanced. Socially, small farmers feels the effect of the global change. Research findings connote climate change affects small farmers through extreme weather changing patterns and higher temperatures that threaten their crops. This becomes the source of problems for the framers as well as entire communities who depend on crops as source of livelihoods: PLAGIARIZED SAMPLE-ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
Secondly, the poor people living in the rural areas are hardest hit by the climate change. Majority of this people depend on surrounding natural resources for their survival (Byrd & DeMates, 2014). When the effects of climate change set in their survival is threatened poverty continues to strike them. Thirdly, climate change put the lives of vulnerable people in the society such as elderly, children and women in danger. This are because they likely to suffer from harsh climatic conditions and disease erupting as the result of climate change.
Climate change has become more political affair than an issue that should be addressed in a sober manner (Herman & Treverton, 2009, p. 140). Each nation especially the developed world and the rich nations are accusing each other for the nations climate change effects. Similarly, rich nations expects the third world nations to take the same approach of engaging on production activities that may contribute into climate change. The rich argument is ridiculous putting into consideration that history show that developed world contributed largely to the climate change than the less developed nations.
Alternatively, rich nations have continued to contribute to the climate change and are doing nothing about. Rich nations’ production activities have contributed to the extreme suffering of the poor nations across the globe (Leal & Walter, 2012, p. 24). The balance on climate change is political element can only be resolved if the developed world adopts a political and accepts to for the externalities they cause in the environment that leads into climate change. This paper accepts the views of both Rodgers and Annan on climate change and urges each nation to take it as its responsibility of conserving environment. It is also high time, the nations are limited on the amount pollution that they can allow to go in the atmosphere.
Sustainability
Sustainability is the ability to continue practicing a given behavior indefinitely (Mason, 2015). Basically, the definition of sustainability lays emphasis on sustainable development and sustainable economic growth (Daly, 2010, p. 22). These are two critical aspects that are widely used in relation to sustainability. For the organizations, business and states to achieve development and economic growth they should that approaches or means taken to facilitate the anticipated change are sustainable. If they are not sustainable the resources employed realize sustainable growth and economic may become depleted and therefore contribute into problems.
Challenges for Business to really engage in Sustainability
Businesses faces several challenges to develop and maintain sustainability. For example “green” practices sustainability is faced with increased costs that business have to pass to the consumers. This becomes a challenge for the business to ensure sustainability at the expense of the customers who may switch to the competitors’ products if they are cheap. Additionally, it becomes difficult for the businesses to sustainably maintain operation resources and energy usage during its operations (University Of Colorado Boulder, 2015). When the sustainability of all these factors are put into consideration and compared with the monetary value that has to forgone in order to meet, it becomes a challenge for the company top management to appreciate the importance of environmental sustainability.
Engaging senior management and other colleagues in the business context is another challenge that hampers sustainability in the business context (Werbach, 2013). Findings indicate even in the organization where sustainability is a priority, engagement has remained the largest barrier. In fact, this phenomenon cuts across each industry sector (Knowles, 2014). However, to get the support of all individual to engage in business sustainability influential people such as finance managers and logistic managers should be in the front line in encourage others to take part: PLAGIARIZED SAMPLE-ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
Interface, Carpet Manufacturing Company Sustainability
Interface mission focuses on become the first global company to be committed to its people, process, product and profits. This will be achieved by building an organization where all people are treated with respect and dignity. This is through the creating the environment of learning and development. Secondly, the company production operations will pay attention to the customers’ needs to provide them with quality products. Finally the company mission is to protect in the areas where they operate. Interface aims to achieve this by becoming the first a company to engage in industry ecology. The environmental protection is aspect is tied on the notion that Interface is the company that cherishes nature and ready whatever damage they cause into environment (Interface, Inc. , 2016). Interface validates its profits with an objective of leaving the better place than they found it.
Interface sustainability strategies include training and development, strengths that are based on culture, volunteerism and philanthropy. Training involves encouraging associates’ professional development and growth. On the strengths based on culture, Interface believes that associates who are motivated to take advantage of their strengths will more satisfied and productive. Volunteering and philanthropy involves restoring and helping the communities where the company operations are located.
Interface core mission is to realize climate take-back. One of the key Interface argument on climate change is that people should stop thinking about how to reduce the externalities caused by climate change and instead focus on finding how they can create a climate suitable for life. Interface does this by running business operations that create a climate for people to live climatic change hazards (Makower, 2016). Secondly, the company strives to reduce carbon emission with the mission of reversing climate change. Third, create supply chain that supports all life. Make factories that will run like forests. Finally, recycle waste products into useful products.
References
Byrd, R. & DeMates, L., 2014. Five Reasons Why Climate Change Is a Social Issue, Not Just an Environmental One. [Online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rosaly-byrd/climate-change-is-a-socia_b_5939186.html
[Accessed 20 July 2017].
Daly, H., 2010. Toward some operational principles of sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 6(2), pp. 12-36.
Herman, P. F. & Treverton, G. F., 2009. The Political Consequences of Climate Change. Survival: Global Politics and Strategy , 51(2), p. 137–148.
Interface, Inc. , 2016. Interface’s values are our guiding principles. [Online]
Available at: http://www.interfaceglobal.com/company/mission-vision.aspx [Accessed 20 July 2017].
Knowles, V., 2014. Engagement is biggest challenge in driving sustainable business. [Online]
Available at: https://www.2degreesnetwork.com/groups/2degrees-community/resources/engagement-biggest-challenge-driving-sustainable-business/ [Accessed 20 July 2017].
Leal , F. & Walter, 2012. The Economic, Social and Political Elements of Climate Change. Climate Change Management, 4(2), pp. 22-32.
Makower, J., 2016. Inside Interface’s bold new mission to achieve ‘Climate Take Back’. [Online]
Available at: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/inside-interfaces-bold-new-mission-achieve-climate-take-back
[Accessed 20 July 2017].
Mason, M., 2015. What Is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?. [Online]
Available at: http://www.environmentalscience.org/sustainability [Accessed 20 July 2017].
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER, 2015. Top Three Sustainability Challenges in Business. [Online]
Available at: http://www.colorado.edu/sustainablepractices/2015/12/17/top-3-sustainability-challenges-business
[Accessed 20 July 2017].
Werbach, A., 2013. Sustainability—The Only Strategy. [Online]
Available at: https://hbr.org/2008/09/harvard-business-ideacast-111.html [Accessed 20 July 2017].