Ethics and Sustainability Analysis

7/28/2019 Ethics and Sustainability Analysis

1/7

Ethics and Sustainability analysis [email protected]

Climate change is already happening. World temperatures have increased at a rapid rate since the

advent of the industrial era. There is overwhelming scientific evidence linking the rise in

temperature to increases in the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earths

atmosphere. When the climate behaves differently from its usual or natural state, then it is called

climate change. Climate change has far reaching implications for business, economic growth and

environmental sustainability and some important ethical issues are involved with climate change.

Many of the worlds poorest people and fragile ecological systems are already being forced to

adapt to dangerous climate change. All these impacts of climate change into the life, livelihood

and overall sustainability as well as ethical issues will be discussed in the following writing.

1. Linkage between climate change and sustainabilityIt has been argued from the sustainability viewpoint that the global atmosphere might be

significantly disturbed due to the increasing anthropogenic (man-made) emissions and

accumulations of GHGs (UNFCCC 1993). Sustainability will be determined on several factors,

including (Munasinghe 2001):

Intensity of climate change (e.g., frequency and magnitude of shocks); Vulnerability of the system (e.g., extent of impact damage); and Resilience of system (e.g., impact recovering ability).

The stability of a well range of physical, ecological and social systems as well as subsystems

could well be threatened by the global climate change, stated by intergovernmental panel on

climate change (IPCC 1996). Vulnerability of social values and institutions, which are already

under stress due to rapid technological changes, will increase due to climate change, needs

proper attention for sustainability. The basic glue that binds communities together is undermined

by the erosion of social capital within developing countries (Munasinghe 2001). Sustainability

will be impacted as changes in climate patterns interact with pre-existing social and economic

vulnerabilities. Some of the notable impacts are:

Reduced agricultural productivity- Climate change scenarios point to large losses inproductivity for food staples linked to drought and rainfall variation in parts of sub-

Saharan Africa and South and East Asia


2/7


Heightened water insecurity- Accelerated glacial melt in the Himalays will compoundalready severe ecological problems across northern China, India and Pakistan, initially

increasing floods before reducing the flow of water to major river systems vital for

irrigation.

Increased exposure to coastal flooding and extreme weather events- The IPCC (1996)forecasts, an increase in extreme weather events. Droughts and floods are already the

main drivers of a steady increase in climate-related disasters.

The collapse of ecosystems- Coral reef systems, already in decline, would sufferextensive threat leading to the transformation of marine ecologies, with large losses of

biodiversity and ecosystems.

Increased health risks- Climate change will impact on human health at many levelscausing threat to sustainable health.

Due to fragile nature of the existing international mechanisms and systems, it will be difficult for

them to cope with worsening impacts of climate change.

2. Main ethical issues relevant to climate changeBefore examining the ethical dimensions of climate change, it is obvious to have a realization

that (Brown 2012):

Many civilization challenging ethical questions have been created by human-inducedwarning

As no nation can justify its response to climate change on the basis of self-interestalone, this understanding has great importance for climate change policy options

Climate change policies have been framed by scientific and economic argumentsignoring the ethical questions since its beginning in the early 1980s.

Without having a just global solution to climate change, it will not likely to be aroseor accepted

The harshest sufferers of climate change impacts will be the millions of poor people,and

Most mainstream scientists have admitted that the world is running out of time toprevent climate change.

Keeping in mind these realizations some major ethical issues related to climate change are:


3/7


Some high emitting nations and individuals in some parts of the world are putting somepoor people in other parts of the world at great risk.

To the most vulnerable, these potential harms are not just mere inconveniences, butcatastrophic threats to life and natural resources on which life depends.

The victims of climate change cannot petition the government to protect their hopes anddemands due to global scope of the problem that high emitters will greatly reduce their

emissions based on ethical responsibilities.

The ethical dimension of climate change has not been debated as such in spite of it being an

ethical problem. The press and even some of the NGOs participating in the debate have

acknowledged this fact (Brown 2012). Climate change becomes more an ethical issue with the

deeper the understanding of the scientific issues raised by climate change such as what amount

of warming will lead catastrophic climate changes. One of the important ethical dilemmas is the

uncertainty of determining the most responsible entities to take action for its mitigation. The

obvious ethical dilemma is that different generations cannot influence one another reciprocally as

they do not share the same time horizon as argued by the World Commission on the Ethics of

Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST 2010). Since we undoubtedly have to respect

the dignity and well being of the future generations as much as we do our own, another ethical

uncertainty emerges while considering the interests of future generations. Another important

ethical uncertainty arises in determining the action minimally required to put the next generationno worse than ours since it is very easy for the current generations to make no sacrifices at all for

the sake of future generations (COMEST 2010).

3. Critical implications of climate change for businessThe implications of climate change will vary across business sectors. Some will be less affected

while some will be more affected than others, creating both business challenges and

opportunities. A wide range of adaptation measures can be implemented to tackle the observed

and anticipated climate change. Altering farming practices and crop varieties, building new water

reservoirs, enhancing water use efficiency, changing building codes, investing in air-

conditioning and constructing sea walls are some of such kind of measures (BIAC 2009). The

issue of climate change adaptation measures are critical to business as not only the business but


4/7


also the markets where they operate will be affected by climate change. Some of the implications

and necessary measures to tackle them are:

The whole business sector including the SMEs will be exposed to risks due to climatechange. Thats why education on thee state of knowledge is needed to understand the

exposure and address these risks. Climate change should be taken into account as part of

long-term investment decisions, such as infrastructure development, water provision and

industrial installations (BIAC 2009).

Climate change will hit business more where the economic basis is fragile. So thereshould be sound economic basis and strategies to tackle the impacts of climate change.

Without having a proper analysis of costs and benefits of adaptations in key businesssectors, climate change is likely to affect more. Attention is needed to be given for

sectors such as water resources, energy producers and consumers, infrastructure, and

tourism where information on the costs of such measures is very limited.

New business opportunities can be created while implementing adaptation policies inresponse to climate change as business responds to new market opportunities. Business

should therefore consider the forward looking strategic planning.

In view of the broad based impacts of climate change, a public-private partnership (PPPs)that includes business where necessary have the potential to optimize resources (BIAC

2009).

As the impacts of climate change are likely to be large on business sectors, theestablishment of an adaptation fund for developing countries by the Parties to the Kyoto

Protocol of the UNFCCC to finance concrete adaptation projects and programs is needed.

Climate change has implications for business beyond short term weather impacts and therefore

incorporated in long term business planning and strategies. Leading companies have already

started to begin considering the impacts as part of evaluations of climate risks, but more attention

is needed. There is a need for further research to specify the costs and benefits for adaptation

measures as well clear economic information is needed while considering such measures.

International cooperation will be essential in respect of cross-border implications.

4. Ethical and sustainable response to the climate change problem


5/7


The 35th

General Conference of UNESCO in November 2009 in Copenhagen adopted a

resolution that called on the Director General to submit a report on the desirability of preparing

a draft declaration of ethical principles in relation to climate change (Sarabhai 2010 4:155). A

few months earlier, a background report to UNESCO was submitted by COMEST on the

Ethical Implications of Global Climate Change. Ethics isnot something added on top of

other issues related to climate change, but rather a constitutive part of all of the reasonably

justifiable responses to the challenges of climate change. Therefore climate change cannot be

dealt adequately and properly if the ethical dimensionare not highlighted, well understood and

taken into account in decisions about responses as stressed by the report (COMET 2010).

We need an ethical perspective based on wide understanding and basic agreement on key

principles for a global sustainable development challenge like climate change. For this reason,

we need a significant articulation of world-accepted values something like the 1948 Universal

Declaration of Human Rights (Sarabhai 2010). The UNFCCC and the UN Convention on

Biological Diversity (UNCBD) are two major conventions stemming from the Rio Earth Summit

in 1992 in search for such framework of world accepted values. But both these conventions dealt

with ethical principals in the context of specific challenges and issues (Sarabhai 2010). Many felt

a need for a statement that would deal with the ethics of sustainability as a whole at the earth

summit. In response to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society

founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community life,

ecological integrity, universal rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a

culture of peace, the Earth Charter Initiative was set. The Charter was developed through a five-

year widely consultative drafting process that started in 1995 which was launched finally on 29

June 2000 (Sarabhai 2010).

The Earth Charter preamble start with, We stand at a critical moment in Earths history, a time

when humanity must choose its future. The future at once holds great peril and great promise as

the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile. We must recognize that in the midst

of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth

community with a common destiny to move forward. It is imperative that we, the peoples of

Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future

generations (Earth Charter Preamble in Sarabhai 2010). UNESCO adopted a resolution

recognizing the Earth Charter as an important ethical framework for sustainable development


6/7


in response to climate change during its 32nd

General Conference in October 2003. These

precautionary conventions and principles argue that lack of scientific certainty about climate

change effects should not become a basis for inaction, especially where relatively low cost steps

are involved to mitigate climate change and could be undertaken as a form of insurance

(Munasighe 2001).

Conclusion

The UNFCCC (1993) itself acknowledges through an injunction to protect the climate system

on the basis of equity and in accordance with common but differentiated responsibilities and

respective capabilities. We live in a deeply divided world. Extremes of poverty and prosperity

retain the power to shock. Differences in religious and cultural identification are a source of

tension between countries and people. Competing nationalisms pose threats to collective

security. Against this backdrop, climate change provides a hard lesson in a basic fact of human

life: we share the same planet.


7/7


References

BIAC (2009) Adaptation to Climate Change.Key Considerations for Business. Available at

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdf

Brown, D. (2012) Ethics and Climate. Why Climate Change Must Be Seen Essentially An Ethical

Problem and What Practical Differences Follow From This. Available at

http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-

an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/

COMEST (2010) The Ethical Implications of Global Climate Change, UNESCO. Available at

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdf

IPCC (1996) Climate Change 1995: Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change,

Watson, R.T., et al., (Eds.) Cambridge University Press, London.

Munasighe, M. (2001) Sustainable development and climate change: applying the sustainomics

transdisciplinary meta-framework.Int. J. Global Environmental Issues, Vol.1,No.1, University of

Colombo. Available athttp://www.gtinitiative.org/documents/IJGEnvIVol1-CcSd-2001.pdf

Sarabhai, KV. (2010) An Ethical Framework for a Sustainable World.Journal of Education for

Sustainable Development,SAGE. Available at

http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/Ethical%20Framework.pdf

UNFCCC (1993)Framework Convention on Climate Change: Agenda 21, United Nations, NewYork.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdfhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdfhttp://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdfhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdfhttp://www.gtinitiative.org/documents/IJGEnvIVol1-CcSd-2001.pdfhttp://www.gtinitiative.org/documents/IJGEnvIVol1-CcSd-2001.pdfhttp://www.gtinitiative.org/documents/IJGEnvIVol1-CcSd-2001.pdfhttp://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/Ethical%20Framework.pdfhttp://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/Ethical%20Framework.pdfhttp://www.earthcharterinaction.org/invent/images/uploads/Ethical%20Framework.pdfhttp://www.gtinitiative.org/documents/IJGEnvIVol1-CcSd-2001.pdfhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdfhttp://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/2012/07/19/why-climate-change-must-be-seen-essentially-an-ethical-problem-and-what-practical-differences-follow-from-this/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001881/188198e.pdf

Ethics and Sustainability Analysis

Documents

Transcript of Ethics and Sustainability Analysis