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CHAPTER 9
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL
BUSINESS
INTRODUCTION
The world community faces unprecedented ecological challenges in the 21st century,
including climate change, resource scarcity, and threats to biodiversity. Many political
PREVIEW CASE
World Summit on Sustainable Development, McDonald’s, Taylor Guitars, Airbus
Group
In 2015, representatives of 193 of the world’s nations gathered at the United Nations in
New York City to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as Agenda 2030
because of the deadline for meeting them. The goals were broad and aspirational,
covering many aspects of economic and social development. But all shared a vision of a
Teaching Tip: Preview Cases
The preview material introduces students to examples of companies
that have embraced the challenges of operating within the limits of the
Earth’s natural systems. These examples include McDonald’s (green
Teaching Tip: Taylor Guitars
sustainably. The video is available at:
The key section runs from 6:26 to 13:12.
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CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. BUSINESS AND SOCIETY IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
A. Sustainable Development
B. Threats to the Earth’s Ecosystem
C. Forces of Change
The population explosion
Economic development
D. The Earth’s Carrying Capacity
II. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
A. Climate Change
Teaching Tip: Sustainable Development
The definition of sustainable development is development “that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs,” or more simply, “ensuring a
Teaching Tip: Ecological Footprint
Students may be asked to calculate their own ecological footprint. A
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B. Ozone Depletion
C. Resource scarcity: water and land
Fresh water resources
Arable land
D. Decline of Biodiversity
E. Threats to Marine Ecosystems
III. RESPONSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY
A. Codes of Environmental Conduct
Teaching Tip: Global Warming
The most important international treaty on global warming is the
Convention on Climate, which is periodically re-negotiated at an
Teaching Tip: Climate Change
Students may be interested in the video available from PBS entitled:
more-extreme-heres-how
Teaching Tip: Marine Ecosystems
“Fish Banks, Ltd.” is an excellent simulation that may be used to help
students understand the impact of unsustainable fishing practices on
marine ecosystems. The original multi-team board game, as well as an
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GETTING STARTED
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LO 9-1: Understanding how business and society interact within the natural
environment.
LO 9-2: Defining sustainable development.
Many world leaders have supported the idea of sustainable development, that is,
LO 9-3: Recognizing the ways in which population growth and economic
development interact with the world’s ecological crisis.
LO 9-4: Examining common environmental issues, including climate change, that
are shared by all nations and businesses.
LO 9-5: Analyzing the steps both large and small businesses can take globally to
reduce ecological damage and promote sustainable development.
LO 9-6: Describing the leading global codes of environmental conduct.
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KEY TERMS
biodiversity
carbon neutrality
commons
Convention on Climate Change
ecological footprint
industrial ecology
life-cycle analysis
marine ecosystems
ozone
INTERNET RESOURCES
www.ipcc.ch Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
www.unep.org United Nations Environmental Program
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newsroom.unfccc.int United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
www.wbcsd.ch World Business Council on Sustainable Development
www.iclei.org Local Governments for Sustainability
www.triplepundit.com New media company that covers sustainable business
practices
DISCUSSION CASE
CLEAN COOKING
Discussion Questions
1. In what ways would the widespread adoption of clean cookstoves address the
global environmental issues discussed in this chapter?
2. In what ways would the widespread adoption of clean cookstoves address the
issues of economic development and poverty discussed in this chapter?
Teaching Tip: Clean Cooking
An excellent PBS video to use in connection with this case may be
found at:
3. Which sectors (e.g., government, business, civil society) would need to be
involved in a successful campaign to promote clean cookstoves in the developing
world, and what would be the contributions of each?
4. What would be the benefit to multinational corporations, such as CEMEX,
Marks and Spencer, and Dow Corning, of participating in this effort?
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5. What distinctive contributions can social entrepreneurs make to promote clean
cookstoves?