...Studies Spring 2014 College Student Perception & Behavior Towards Sustainability: Results of A Campus Survey Heather Sadusky Florida State University, hms10@my.fsu.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/uhm Recommended Citation Sadusky, Heather, "College Student Perception & Behavior Towards Sustainability: Results of A Campus Survey" (2014). Honors Theses. Paper 354. http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/uhm/354 This Open Access Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Division of Undergraduate Studies at DigiNole Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of DigiNole Commons. For more information, please contact libir@fsu.edu. THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES COLLEGE STUDENT PERCEPTION & BEHAVIOR TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY: RESULTS OF A CAMPUS SURVEY By HEATHER SADUSKY A Thesis submitted to the Department of Geography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with Honors in the Major Degree Awarded: Spring, 2014 The members of the Defense Committee approve the thesis of Heather Sadusky, defended on April 18, 2014. Dr. Tingting Zhao Thesis Director Dr. Richard Feiock Outside Committee Member Dr. Jay Baker Committee Member Elizabeth Swiman Committee Member 2 College Student Perception & Behavior Towards Sustainability: Results of A Campus Survey Abstract: Today’s world of rapid change...
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...“Corporate Social Responsibility: A Journey towards sustainability Case Study on Ballarpur Industries Ltd.” in reference to Yamunanagar Plant” *Ms. Shilpa Jain **Mr. Abhishek Tripathi Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… CSR is not new to India; companies like TATA and BIRLA have been imbibing the case for social good in their operations for decades long before CSR become a popular cause. Inspite of having such life size successful examples, CSR in India is in a very nascent stage. It is still one of the least understood initiatives in the Indian development sector. Thus the situation is far from perfect as the emphasis is not on social good but rather on a policy that needs to be implemented. A lack of understanding, inadequately trained personnel, non availability of authentic data and specific information on the kinds of CSR activities, coverage, policy etc. further adds to the ineffectiveness of CSR programmes. But the situation is changing and CSR is coming out of the purview of ‘doing social good’ and is fast becoming a ‘business necessity’. The ‘business case’ for CSR is gaining ground and corporate houses are realising that ‘what is good for workers - their community, health, and environment is also good for the businesses. Present article focuses on the CSR with the case study of BILT (YamunaNagar Plant) as a concept and analyses the real life case study. Present paper is divided in to two parts. First part gives the insight...
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...ACC 310 Fall 2013 – Case #1 Due Date – October 22, 2013, 1:30 pm An introduction to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and sustainability reporting The Sustainability Initiative at NC State was started through the endowed gift of Lonnie Poole. As part of the Initiative we are examining sustainability issues throughout the curriculum. For accountants one of the most important issues of sustainability is reporting information to stakeholders. Just as we are learning about financial reporting in Intermediate Financial Accounting we also want to learn about sustainability reporting. The purpose of this case is to make you aware of sustainability reporting and sustainability reports. On the moodle site I have assigned each student a company that has prepared a report based on the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework and filed it with GRI. Each student should obtain the company’s report from the GRI webpage (globalreporting.org) or from the company’s corporate webpage. Sustainability reporting is not required Even though more and more companies are providing sustainability reports there is no requirement to report or any required standards like GAAP. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) currently provides a framework, with over 3,500 companies filing under the GRI framework. However, given that there is no enforcement of reporting companies may select different levels of reporting and different indicators to report on as well. This results in varied reporting...
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...Sustainability Sustainability is established on a clear-cut standard; everything that is essential for our continued existence and well-being depends, directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability generates and preserved the conditions under which human beings and nature can exist in constructive accord, which allows fulfilling the economic, social and other conditions of current and future generations. Sustainability is vital to making sure that humans will maintain and will have materials, water, and resources to guard human health and our environment. Sustainability has surfaced as an outcome of major distress about the unintentional economic, environmental, and social consequence of increased economic and population, and use of our natural resources. The nation environmental “watch dog”, the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), attempts to make sure that businesses meet all legal condition to manage pollution, In recent years, the EPA began creating a concept, tools, and procedures that allowed it to go from managing to preventing pollution. At the present time, the EPA aspires to make sustainability the next step of environmental security by gaining advances in science technology to defend human environment and health, and encouraging new green business routines. The Earth’s life foundation systems are in danger. Human beings are not living sustainably, and are heading towards a breakdown of the natural resources on which human civilization...
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...disenfranchised and feel these companies are too tied to fossil fuels and make shallow attempts to move technologically towards more sustainable practices; The BMW Group, however is pushing the boundaries’ of sustainability NOW with its Efficient Dynamics Program just as it did going as far back as the early 1970s. BMW has been a leader in sustainability since before there was pressure on companies to do so. Since the 1970s Sustainability has been a priority to BMW, from the introduction of our first Hydrogen powered car in the early 1970s on through consistently working to reduce both consumption and emissions’ while still increasing our vehicles performance and your comfort via our Efficient Dynamics program. At BMW we understand that sustainability is the key , not only to our financial successes ,but also being able to leave something that helps the next generation live and succeed in a healthier, cleaner world. Since the Brundtland Report was set forth in 1987 BMW as well as all ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) set out to reduce CO2 emissions’ by 140 g per Kilometer by 2008; In addition BMW has also kept pace with the guidelines of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Efficient Dynamics program is constantly working to change and evolve BMWs’ entire fleet and not simply one car to appease those who want a green alternative. We at BMW approach sustainability as a necessity and not a selling point as the US Department of Energy points out a year 2050 oil depletion point...
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...Business and Sustainability Write an essay on the following topic: Based on your personal definition of sustainability, how committed are organisations to sustainability practices? What changes in corporate strategy and policy are necessary in the journey to sustainable business? Illustrate your answer with examples. Introduction Conducting business in the global economy, enterprises are under more communities’ scrutiny on their operations (Dey & Sircar, 2012). Moreover, sustainability is considered as the focal point of enterprises in creating shareholder value, performing management practices (Epstein, 2008), instrumental to survival in an increased competitive environment (Eweje, 2011), and achieving competitive advantages (Galbreath, 2011). As a result, this issue draws much attention from a broad base of stakeholders, comprising of customers, communities, employees, governments, and shareholders (Hess & Warren, 2008; Eweje, 2011). However, how to employ sustainability has remained a challenge for business leaders (Epstein & Buhovac, 2010). Accordingly, sustainability is commonly executed “more coincidentally than with a clear strategy” (Baumgartner & Ebner, 2010, p. 77). To obtain a deeper understanding of the topic, this essay begins with exploring the definition of sustainability. Followed by which is the investigation of how committed organisations are. Thereafter, the way to incorporate sustainability in companies is examined. Finally...
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...Sustainability and Branding: An Integrated Perspective For over 25 years now firms have used marketing to promote the value of sustainability. Although sustainability is a rather modern ideology, it has been slowly implemented into the biggest industries and raised awareness throughout the customer base and stakeholders. The Brundtlant Report created emphasis on the importance of sustainability for the future prosperity of a firm. The World Commission on Environment and Development wrote in 1987 that development is created by “meeting the needs of the people without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Even though this was said pretty far back, they couldn’t have been more accurate. With a rich-poor gap constantly on the rise it has become a business imperative to bridge this gap. This infers that everyone with the opportunity or in the position to create a positive change, has the obligation to do so; and that’s the main focus in today’s sustainability efforts. Even though many large corporations have come a long way towards embracing their own responsibility to society and the environment, we still have a long way to go. This reading states that there are more recyclable products being released every day, however only 7% of total plastic that is used is actually recycled (Palmer, 2015). One of, if not the biggest problem that sustainability faces is competition. In order for small corporation to ever grow and compete against larger...
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...address the issue of Sustainable Development (SD) in an evolutionary perspective within its multidisciplinary scope. The complexity of developments for sustainability has frequently proven difficult in its implementation, evaluation and effective communication.It was our intention to provide an outline of the diverse views on the subject, focusing on globalization as a change of attitude towards sustainability.It is a review of terminology associated with the SD and its multiple interpretations.It is referenced the apparent and irrelevant impact of initiatives to solve the economic, social and environmental problem. It emphasizes the influence and importance of strategies and the positioning of SMEs on the way to SD in the policy of act local think global. KEYWORDS Strategy Sustainable development Sustainability, SMEs JERÓNIMO, WINSTON CENSE, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal OLIVEIRA, NUNO GASPAR DE CIGEST, Assistente Instituto Superior de Gestão, Portugal 1. INTRODUCTION “(R)Evolution or Death”, adapted from the revolutionary slogan used and popularized by the Cuban regime, serves as motto for the urgent need to transform our production and consumption systems and our standing towards the environment around us. In essence, Sustainable Development (SD) is a concern for creating opportunity and welfare conditions, today and tomorrow...
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...repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier’s archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Organizational Dynamics (2010) 39, 353—356 a v a i l a b l e a t w w w. s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/orgdyn Why Nike kicks butt in sustainability Marc J. Epstein, Adriana Rejc Buhovac, Kristi Yuthas Nike Inc. has a unique combination of capabilities and competencies that position the company as a leader in sustainability. Nike is among the world’s most prominent sustainable corporations, and is regularly recognized by organizations that rank sustainable performance. For example, Nike has been named one of 100 most sustainable corporations in the world by Innovest, ranked third in Corporate Responsibility Officers 100 Best Corporate Citizens list, and named one of the World’s Top Sustainable Stocks by Sustainable Business. Nike possesses a unique combination of strengths and capabilities that enable the company to make rapid advancements in sustainability that are ahead of other firms in its industry, and that increasingly contribute to the financial performance of the company. Nike believes that we are at the beginning of a shift from a service- or...
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...CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & HENKEL’S APPROACH There is a growing trend for big companies to use sustainable concepts as core business drivers For decades, many companies have typically responded to sustainability challenges by pursuing incremental operational improvements. But we are beginning to see an interesting new trend – businesses using sustainability as a tactic for long-term offense, rather than just short-term defence. Despite the uncertain economic outlook, leading international companies across diverse sectors are investing heavily in sustainable products and services. Others are making cross-industry partnerships to develop next generation products such as the elusive mass market electric car. Some are even enhancing their business models through mergers and acquisitions that seek to address, and capitalise on, sustainability trends. Drivers of Sustainability A number of factors are driving the adoption of corporate sustainability programmes in the global business community: * Regulatory Mandates: Growing regulatory pressures compel companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, industrial effluents, and other environmental hazards. * Operational Cost Efficiencies: Rising raw materials and energy prices incentivize businesses to invest in waste recycling, waste-to-energy, water conservation and related technologies. * Reputational Risks: Increasing scrutiny of corporate conduct induces managers to engage environmental,...
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...GREEN BUSINESS PRACTICES: BALANCING ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMIC DESIRES MUKHTAR AHMAD1 Abstract Individual organization government and even business enterprises are becoming more and more environmental conscious. This environmental consciousness has lead to the emergence of green business practices .Green business involves promotion and production of eco-freie3ndly products. This research paper presents the detailed study on the concept of green business practices which are essential for improving environmental condition in a profitable manner. This paper primarily focuses on fulfilling responsibilities towards environment through following green practices, and secondly, it explains the competitive advantages of green business. Green business...
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...and weaknesses of the current CSR policy 10 6. Conclusion 11 Executive summary In this paper, the approach of Unilever, a British-Dutch major player in the FMCG sector, towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development (SD) will be discussed. In Unilever’s day to day business CSR and SD are key. This makes it a core business activity within the company at all levels. First, it will be investigated who Unilever’s stakeholders are and how Unilever is managing its relationships with them in order to do business in a corporate responsible and sustainable way. Further, some of Unilever’s sustainability initiatives like for example the Sustainable Living Plan and Unilever’s contribution to certificate systems for palm oil and soy oil will be discussed to illustrate its current CSR and SD policy. Despite these efforts, Unilever also faced quite some critique from political, environmental and human rights angle regarding some less legitimate activities. As an illustration two major cases concerning controversial palm oil and tea production will be discussed. At last, the strengths and weaknesses of the current CSR policy will be critically discussed. As a conclusion it can be stated that during the last years Unilever has been transitioning towards a corporate responsible and sustainable company. Although the company had its controversies and problems on the way, today it seems to have turned the tide by launching some ambitious programs...
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...new laws, and arbitrate conflicts to benefit the society in several ways including sustainability. Business owners whether for profit or non-profit are held accountable to the current Federal, State, and Local laws. If corporate sustainability reporting is not a current law then a company does not have the responsibility to incorporate disclosures relating to environmental, social and economic trends of the company resulting from sustainable actions into its financial statements. Milton Freedom put this best “"there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud" (Freidman 1970). Thus we believe that whether private or public, a business does not have the responsibility to report on sustainability as well as take sustainable initiatives if it is not required by the law. However, according to the trend more and more businesses are reporting on sustainability, and taking initiatives to become sustainable. Cascade Engineering is one of them. Based on our analysis of the sustainability report by Cascade Engineering, and knowledge gathered about the organization, we have concluded that there are several reasons for it to produce a sustainability report. Most importantly, sustainability is fundamental to its mission statement, “To have a positive impact on our society...
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...Towards the Sustainable Corporation: Win-Win-Win Business Strategies for Sustainable Development John Elkington §§ I often wake up in the middle of the night," Pope John XXIII once said, "and start thinking about grave problems—and decide to talk about them with the Pope. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope." Western industrial societies have undergone a similar awakening over the last three decades as the scale of the environmental and natural resource problems they face has become increasingly clear. In doing so—and before they finally accept that the responsibility for tackling these problems is theirs, not something to be pushed onto future generations—they typically move through a number of stages. These have included: ignorance awakening denial guilt reduction, displacement behaviour, and tokenism conversion integration In the wake of the publication of Our Common Future, the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development,' and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the concept of sustainable development—involving the integration of environmental thinking into every aspect of social, political, and economic activity—has become central to the environmental debate. This article considers some of the ways in which business is now developing new "win-win-win" strategies in this area to simultaneously benefit the company, its customers, and the environment. I Towards the...
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...new framework for implementing corporate sustainability Key points: ▪ Sustainability performance is the effect of corporate activity on the social, environmental, and economic fabric of society. ▪ A balance between economic progress, social responsibility, and environmental protection, sometimes referred to as the triple bottom line, can lead to competitive advantage. ▪ The evaluation of social, economic, and environmental impacts of organizational actions is necessary to make effective operational and capital investment decisions that positively impact organizational objectives and satisfy the objectives of multiple stakeholders. ▪ The financial payoff of a proactive sustainability strategy can be substantial. ▪ To become a leader in sustainability, one needs to articulate what sustainability is, develop processes to promote sustainability throughout the corporation, measure performance on sustainability, and ultimately link this measurement to corporate financial performance. ▪ Corporate citizenship is an important driver for building trust, attracting and retaining employees, and obtaining a “license to operate” within a community. ▪ Corporate citizenship is much more than charitable donations and public relations—it’s the way the company integrates sustainability principles with everyday business operations and policies and then translates all of this into bottom-line results. ▪ For sustainability to be long lasting and useful, it must...
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