The concept of corporate sustainability is escalating in Saudi Arabia. Many smaller corporations in the country are participating in sustainability issues to enhance their viability. The firms seek to apply internationally recognized sustainability principles in their initiatives. Most sustainability programs are focusing on improvement of the environment and communities livelihoods. Saudi corporate companies have developed approaches for assessing the impacts of their operations on environment and society. Indicatively, many firms also implement social sustainability projects to assist communities. Therefore, this research proposal hypothesizes that the regulations are applicable in corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. This paper proposes diverse research methods that are applicable in the study. It proposes a review of available literature on corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. It also proposes to use qualitative investigation approaches in the study. Simple sampling approaches are also proposed especially in identifying top corporations, suitable government officials, and sector key players in Saudi.
Introduction
Corporate Sustainability is an essential approach in the corporate sector. The private sectors have obligations to offer assistance to people in places where they operate. Furthermore, corporations have responsibilities to provide sustainability services. They have obligations to give back to the environment in order to ensure maintenance of its integrity. Notably, the private sector sustainability approaches seeks to apply global best practices. Most corporate sustainability activities focus on climate change mitigation. Furthermore, many corporate attempt to adhere to diverse environmental footprints in their activities. The private sector also implements different social responsibility programs to assist their consumers.
Literature Review
Understanding corporate sustainability hypothesis is not the essential concern in Saudi Arabia. Rather, it is about transforming theory into applications. The private sector comprehend that the potential for corporate sustainability to create industry brand and societal values is independent of company size (NCB 8). Smaller Saudi Arabian corporations are keen on corporate sustainability as a way of escalating their competitiveness. Furthermore, many corporations engaged in corporate sustainability sees their engagements as an indispensable part of conducting business (Boone, Doorneweert & Schans 4).
Most Saudi companies implement private sector sustainability programs that conform to the inclusive best practices. Indicatively, their operations are hinged on desirable corporate governance and risk management sustainability fundamentals (Fatani). The corporations green activities are driven by the desire for environmental conservation, costs minimization, generation of eco-friendly products, and compliance with emerging government guidelines. Several technology firms in Saudi Arabia are enforcing environmental standpoints in their applications. Furthermore, firms such as Al-Jomaih Automotive Company use Oracle E-Business Suite Development (Fatani).
The regulation of sustainability efforts is also necessary for standardizing reporting. Evidently, companies implement different environmental management initiatives in the water strained country. Some corporations have developed frameworks for assessing their environmental footprints (NCB 17). Social sustainability activities in Saudi Arabia are being implemented by firms that give communities opportunities for responsible investment. A standardized sustainability reporting is vital for sharing information.
Hypothesis
The application of regulations is crucial in controlling private sector sustainability programs in Saudi Arabia. Already, there is a willingness in the sector to integrate sustainability in their planning. This is evident in the support and work they accomplish through partnerships (Fatani). The corporations support sustainability projects such as tree planting, clean technology, and green business. The drive corporations are putting in sustainable business practices is already notable.
The corporations are also applying social responsibility programs to assist their consumers. However, the essential corporate sustainability initiatives should adhere to human rights and ethical standards (Millar, Hind & Slawek 499). This is crucial in controlling private sector social and sustainability programs to promote human dignity protection. The application of corporate sustainability principles shall help control private sector programs. Therefore, this research proposal hypothesizes that the law is applicable in corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia.
Research Methodology
The investigator seeks to use diverse research approaches to undertake the study. The researcher shall review available literature to obtain preliminary information on the law and application of corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative investigation methods shall also be applied in the study (Sage Publications 44). The researcher seeks to employ simple sampling approaches in identifying top corporations. A similar approach shall also be applicable in identifying suitable government officials and private sector players as key informers. They shall provide information about their opinion on issues associated with law and application of corporate sustainability. They shall use self administered questionnaire given to them. The investigator shall carryout focus group discussions with the identified key informers (Sage Publications 50). In addition, the investigator shall conduct focus group discussions with the identified policy makers and government officials.
The investigator shall also undertake interviews with corporate sustainability and social responsibility consultancy firms. Additional interviews shall target technocrats in the government and corporate sustainability managers. Methodological and statistical approaches including SPSS shall be applicable in analyzing data. The study findings shall be presented using description, statistical approaches, and graphs.
Conclusion
Corporate sustainability initiatives in Saudi Arabia are escalating. The interest by the private sector in giving back to the environment and assisting communities is already notable. The corporations implement sustainability programs on their own or through partnerships. However, unregulated sustainability generates concerns about the activities. This research proposal argues that laws are required in the application of corporate sustainability.
Works Cited
Boone, Koen. Doorneweert, Bart & Schans, Jan. Creating sustainable value in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Improving Corporate Social Responsibility effectiveness in food chains. 2009. Web.
Fatani, Rafid. Global Information Society Watch Saudi Arabia ICTs and Environmental Sustainability. 2010. Web.
Millar, Carla. Hind, Patricia & Slawek, Magala. Sustainability and the need for change: organizational change and transformational vision , Journal of Organizational Change Management. 2011, Vol. 25 Iss: 4 pp. 489 500.
NCB. The National Commercial Bank Sustainability Report. 2010. Web.
Sage Publications. SAGE Brief Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility. California, CA: SAGE Publications. 2011. Print.
Sustainable development is a major necessity and a concern in every state, Australia is one of the continents faced by this challenge. Due to demographic change, people deplete natural resources through their day-to-day activities. The issue of deforestation, poor sanitation, and depletion of natural water sources is common in urban areas. The report internalizes the state of Australia, causes of its problem, discusses the urban forms, community attitudes, resource management, policies, recommendations, and summarizes the major issues in the review.
Introduction
Australia is a continent that has registered a high growth of urban cities over the centuries. As such, there is an emerging need to carry out a sustainable approach in executing environmental, economical, and social planning in its urban cities. Additionally, there is a need to consider the communities and their attitudes in planning for resource management and policy formulation. Therefore, the report analyzes the urban situation, community attitudes to the environmental state of the urban area, resource management, policy development, and recommends probable solutions
Findings
The findings entail the urban form in Australia, community attitudes, resource management, and policies. The vitality of the findings explains how each one of them relates to sustainable development.
Urban Form
The urban form in Australia is characterized by high population growth and rural to urban migration. According to Hamin and Gurran (2009), high population growth causes climate changes that include extreme heat waves and rising sea levels. Poor biodiversity conservation has led to air and water pollution. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) argue that urban areas have poor water drainage, and the buildings lack proper garbage storage leading to poor environmental management. The arguments show that urban communities face difficulties in environmental conservation.
Architectural designs in Australian urban centres lead to poor ventilation systems in buildings. The spaces that are left are very small, leading to overcrowding in buildings. According to Hamin and Gurran (2008), buildings overcrowd the urban cities and leave little space for recreational grounds. Every state needs recreational grounds, and in the case of Australia, the buildings have consumed the greater part of the region. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) argue that there is a need for parks and trees within a city. However, in Australia, people have depleted natural resources, which include forests and water sources.
Community Attitude
Communities have attitudes, norms, and values toward natural resources. The values determine their reaction to the environment that they interact with everyday. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) stipulate that for sustainability, planners should have an insight of the communitys cultural dimensions. They also argue that the planners should consider the local governments perception regarding the natural resources in the community. Most of the local people view the natural resources as sacred, which helps to conserve the resources (Roseland, M. 2012). In Australia, community participation has led to challenges and hindered the progress of projects.
Community participation is a strong foundation of any planning or policy formulation. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) highlight that for the local people to participate they must have a positive attitude towards the policies and the projects. The report analyses the perceptions of the local people in three ways in respect to natural resources. These ways include the attitude towards conservation of resources, the forest, and the cost plus the benefit of the community members towards the natural resources. Consequently, scholars argue that the perception of the local people depends on the incentives provided to them by implementers.
Their participation in community meetings and in development actions will majorly depend on the incentives. These arguments take an insight on the importance of community participation but first the planners have to carry out an investigation of the communities norms and attitudes.
Creating a communal positive attitude is not a guarantee of sustainable development. Roseland, M (2012) confirms that planners do not solve the reason why people deplete the natural resources. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) emphasizes on the same by arguing that the implementers do not consider the drivers of depleting the resources that positive attitudes cannot solve. Their arguments recommend that community sensitization and addressing of their economical needs promotes sustainable resource conservation.
Resource Management
A sustainable resource management must include a shared vision, proper communication, social efficiency, and specialist integration. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) argue that sustainable ecological risk management should be holistic and integrative in nature to accommodate different ideas from various individuals. Additionally, Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) argue that there is need for specialists from various disciplines to ensure a suitable management of natural resources, financial disciplines, economical aspects, and social scientists. This type of management helps planners to view the problem from different perspective and achieve its solutions.
In managing natural resources, there is need to have representatives from the local and national government. According to Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012)implementers should have a collaborative approach, which involves the local administration, wildlife representatives, and the local community. The approach ensures that there is a proper communication of the information from the implementers to the national, local and community level.
It also promotes communal ownership of the project enhancing the community participation. Furthermore, the ideas and the managerial skills of the participants help in achieving the success of the initiative. The local knowledge is important in identifying the challenges since they have firsthand information of the problems that they face. The community key informants play a greater role in community mapping and identifying resources that can be useful in the development such as human skills.
Policies
Environmental planning in urban cities is important because policies are vital in ensuring sustainability. According to Hamin and Gurran (2008), policies remind every individual the importance of acting in a particular way. To minimize environmental degradation, planners must disseminate the policies to the judicial system of a nation and the key personnel of various departments. Distributing the policy ensures accountability and efficiency. In several nations, the government can transform the policies into law where every citizen is bound to respect it and respond to the bill. The environmental policies should cater for the wildlife, people in contact with the environment, and the way forward in achieving environmental conservation.
Recommendations
The way forward in achieving a sustainable management of environment is to formulate new approaches that help people to adapt to new climate changes. Ritchie, and Thomas (2013) propose that an integrative approach is important in addressing environmental and social challenges in urban areas. They also emphasize on awareness creation, capacity building, and training. Roseland (2012) includes the community-based efforts in accomplishing sustainable growth. Most importantly on encouraging community participation and including key informants such as chiefs and community elders in the initiatives.
Conclusion
The essay demonstrates that the relationship between urban form, community perspectives to natural processes, sustainable resource management, and policy formulation are vital in considering a sustainable development. The environmental policies in Australia will be a success when all the planners put these factors into consideration. The international bodies such the United Nations, ILO, World Bank and other local organizations have come up with strategies and policies that will help nations to accomplish their sustainable development goals. These concerns are due to the common problems faced by many countries in the struggle to maintain a sustainable development in conserving the environment.
References
Hamin, E., & Gurran, N. (2009). Urban Form and Climate Change: Balancing Adaptation and Mitigation in the US and Australia. Habitat International, 33(3), 238-245.
Ratsimbazafy, C., Harada, K., & Yamamura, M. (2012). Forest Resources Use, Attitude, and Perception of Local Residents towards Community Based Forest Managements. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment. 4 (13), 321-332.
Ritchie, A., & Thomas, R. (Eds.). (2013). Sustainable Urban Design: An Environmental Approach. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Roseland, M. (2012). Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions For Citizens And Their Governments (Vol. 6). Vancouver: New Society Publishers.
Business sustainability is a process through which business entities control their finances, opportunities, obligations, environmental and social risks. Generally, the three aspects affect the planet, profit, and customer base of a business. It is also vital to note that business sustainability targets social equity, environmental protection, and economic development. The achievement of all the three aspects enhances sustainable business development.
The most important function of a business is profit maximization. Modern developments in the field of business management have gone a long way in analyzing other aspects of a business.
Sustainability is one of the important aspects of a business that has been identified. This implies that such a business can survive any challenge due to its friendly connection to healthy environmental, social, and economical systems. Apart from the contribution of such businesses to an economy, a healthy ecosystem between the business environment and people is also enhanced.
The World Council of Development (WCED) advocates for development with the aim of meeting the present needs without infringing the rights and privileges of the future generations. If any business entity satisfies this aspect, then it definitely promotes a sustainable business development. This can be achieved by adhering to quite a number of recommended practices.
Engagement by stakeholders is extremely important toward the sustainability of an organization. Information gathered from employees, customers, and the neighboring population assist organizations in coming up with decisions that incorporate stakeholders interests.
Another important requirement for sustainability is the incorporation of environmental management system in a companys management. This provides processes and structures that necessitate environmental-friendly practices. Organizations such as ISO 14001 usually offer such services.
Controls and measurements are also necessary in achieving sustainability. Hence, organizations should be transparent to scrutiny from any external body. This provides a means of reporting the companys achievements. Moreover, life cycle must also be analyzed. This involves the analysis of social and environmental effects of the products and services offered by a company. The ability of a firm to attract and retain employees is also an integral measure of sustainability.
A company can ensure sustainability in numerous ways. For instance, the use of paperless or timber-less office, use of green energy such as solar energy in running machineries may indeed be instrumental in enhancing sustainability.
CSR, Corporate Objectives, and Strategic Intent
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating mechanism that is usually integrated into a business model of an organization. The corporation ensures that appropriate measures are put in place. The latter will ensure total compliance with the ethical standards, existing law, and international standards. Corporate objectives are the primary principles that guide daily running of a business entity.
They offer the much needed guidelines for policy making, development of agenda and secondary objectives. They also enhance the set goals of an organization.
On the other hand, strategic intent is the planning mechanism adopted by an organization on how to achieve its vision. Strategic intent also enables a company to formulate its specific development path according to the desired future. Therefore, strategic intent is destiny-oriented and the winning formula of a company.
For a company to achieve its CSR, the set objectives should be geared toward achieving sustainability. Since the strategic intent defines the future, sustainability implies coming up with a realistic goal that will ensure the strategic intent is achieved. Therefore, CSE of an organization is dependent on the organizations strategic intent and its objectives.
Approaches to CSR
When analyzing CSR, three approaches are used. These approaches are Neoclassical, Ecocentric, and Ecological modernization of a business. The neoclassical approach views CSR as a requirement of an organization in order to avoid legal actions, fines, license revokes, and loss of customer base. Any aspect outside the aforementioned elements may be enforced by a regulatory measure.
In ecocentric business, a company addresses CSR from an ethical point of view. In this case, sustainability is part of a companys policy and strategy. Ecological modernization of a business is the balance between the two aspects. It targets development without harming stakeholders. CSR is achieved by ensuring sustainability of all the three aspects of a business.
The best of the three approaches to CSR is the ecological modernization of a business since it takes into account all the necessary requirements of a sustainable business. Profit, people, and the environment are also considered in this approach. The latter approach ensures that all the parts required for a business to function effectively are available in the future.
This approach is also realistic compared to the ecocentric business approach to CSR. it does not care about the survival of a business especially if the environment and social responsibilities are achieved. However, the economical aspect of a business is highly likely to be ignored. This exposes a business to numerous vulnerabilities. Hence, its economic value is not preserved for the future.
The neoclassical business approach to CSR is the simplest one to achieve. It is also realistic in nature. A company will always be on the right side of the law and also be able to remain profitable when this approach is followed since it is the most important aspect of a business. However, a business entity that does not entrench social responsibility in its agenda cannot set goals for the future. Such companies may easily fail to plan for the future sustainability.
Sustainability refers to a form of progress or development that is capable of meeting both the current needs and the demands of the future generation (Blackburn, 2007). Despite being an international hotel company, Assouplir lacks an effective sustainability plan that can help the company to remain operational both at present and in the future.
There is a need for Assouplir to develop a sustainability plan especially at this time when the hospitality industry is experiencing increased competition from other players in the industry.
For instance, Assouplir is likely to face a lot of competition from Bunker Accommodation which is also an international midscale business accommodation brand. The following recommendations would be of much importance to the board of directors and CEO of Assouplir.
As explained by Blackburn (2007), it is important to evaluate both the current and future purchasing practices and policies in all the different products and services offered by the company. The main aim of undertaking this process is that it enhances the experiences of the guests and also drives the value of the company.
Besides, it supports the efforts of the company towards achieving sustainability (Bressers & Rosenbaum, 2003). Secondly, the operational brand of the company should be revised to facilitate the adoption and sharing of both external and internal practices. It is also important to measure and report the progress of the company as it strives towards achieving sustainability.
This process requires the management tool to be extended in all brands of the company. This allows the company to monitor and report the programs, design and commitment processes that identify opportunity areas for driving innovation and efficiency. There is also need to build engagement and educational programs for the different brands such as online learning, web contents and training modules.
There are a number of strategies or measures which can be adopted by the CEO and the board of directors of Assouplir in order to enable Purnima brand to successfully portray an image as a world leader. For instance, it is important for the board of directors to comprehend that the constantly changing behavior of the guest may have a direct effect on what Purnima brand is ready to offer.
It is the responsibility of the board of directors and CEO of Assouplir to ensure that Purnima brand is flexible in terms of its ability to take into consideration the specific expectations from the guests. The management of Assouplir should also understand that guests come from different places and thus the brand should be capable of accommodating them.
This can be easily achieved by integrating different cultures basing on style, dining and space. The management of Assouplir can easily enhance the image of Purnima as a world leader by developing different skills that cover various aspects of hotel development and management such as construction, renovation, design, new technology and sustainable development.
The tools used by the frontline staff of Purnima brand should be easier to work with. The levels of staff training needs to be improved to enable them manage the daily operations of the hotel and also enhance their skills in marketing and distribution (Williams & Buswell, 2003).
In order to improve the level of revenue, Assouplir should provide its brands with powerful management and distribution tools and also come up with fresh job monitors and advanced technology. These are some of the possible recommendations that provide a very good strategy of overcoming increased competition from the newly established brands in the hospitality industry (James, 2005).
The best use of different forms of social media can provide a significant boost to the growth of Purnama. For instance, social media like Facebook can be used to distribute information on package deals and specials offered by the brand. There are other numerous benefits which Purnama is likely to enjoy as a result of using social media.
As such, Purnama should increase the use of social media to enable the brand achieve faster development. Since Purnima brand was built in response to increasing demands for upscale business accommodation and accommodating oversees travelers, social media can enable this brand to benefit from a number of analytics and insights which can allow the brand to fine-tune the content.
Social media also provides an opportunity for Purnima to target its messages to specific customers or audiences and also monitor investment returns (Brown, 2008).
Purnama can easily identify the number of people interested in its advertisement and the potential customers through the social media. There will facilitate faster spread of the content posted on the social media like Facebook. The latter allows the post to be shared immediately to very many people.
Other social media such as Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter are also very good means of communication mainly because they are built around a culture which involves forwarding of messages. Purnama can make full use of social media by going a step further and identifying other methods of attracting and retaining customers.
These methods should be far beyond what other competitors like Bunker Accommodation have already employed. For example, Purnama can develop communication devices with different formats or technology like bulletin or chart boards (Greasley, 2008).
These will enable customers to share information regarding the products and services offered by Purnama, facilitate sharing of service experiences and also provide ambiance critiques.
The board of directors and the CEO should understand that the use of brand pages as a means of gathering information is an appropriate way of attracting potential clients to join the Facebook pages of the brand. It is also as a way of encouraging the current fans to visit the page frequently (Weinberg, 2009).
According to the arguments posed by Weinberg (2009), social media also make it very easy for the brand to collect valuable information from customers. This information can help Purnama to gain new insights regarding consumer needs, trends and experiences that determine their level of satisfaction.
The success of the marketing activities of the brand can easily determined by using feedback from customers. This can provide an opportunity for Purnama to refine its strategies and eventually enhance its performance.
All these recommendations are likely to reduce the level of competition that Purnama may face from its competitors. Specifically, the use of social media as a marketing tool is likely to increase customers awareness regarding the products and services offered by the brand and consequently increase its market share (Salver, 2009).
Moreover, formulation of an effective sustainability plan will also make sure that Purnama is able to cater for the current needs of its customers and the needs of the future generation. However, some significant competition is likely to emanate from Bunker Accommodation.
This is because the services offered by this brand are similar to those provided by Purnama brand. In addition, Bunker Accommodation has received a considerable boost in terms of capital and potential efficiencies provided by Marriott International Inc.
References
Blackburn, W. R. (2007). The sustainability handbook: the complete management guide to achieving social, economic and environmental responsibility. London: Earthscan
Bressers, H. & Rosenbaum, W. A. (2003). Achieving sustainable development. Westport, Conn: Praeger.
Brown, G. (2008). Social media 100 success secrets: Social media, web 2.0 user- generated content and virtual communities; 100 most asked mass collaboration questions. New York: Emereo Pty Ltd.
Greasley, A. (2008). Operations management. Los Angeles: Sage.
James, S. (2005). Hospitality: Australia. Ultimo, N.S.W: Career FAQs.
Salver, J. (2009). Brand Management in the Hotel Industry and its Potential for Achieving Customer Loyalty. Munchen: GRIN Verlag GmbH.
Weinberg, T. (2009). The new community rules: Marketing on the social web. Sebastopol, CA: OReilly.
Williams, C., & Buswell, J. (2003). Service quality in leisure and tourism. Wallingford: CABI P.
Emirates NBD proudly describes itself as the leading banking group in its geographical region (Emirates NBD, 2017). This organization was officially created and registered on the financial market of Dubai in 2007. However, the banking activity of the establishments of which Emirates NBD is comprised has been in place for 50 years. The Group appeared out of a merger of two large banks the National Bank of Dubai and Emirates Bank International.
Using merging, the two banks increased their productivity and were able to become a powerful banking champion in the area. In that way, Emirates NBD was selected for this assessment due to its high level of corporate excellence and the adherence to quality and sustainability standards. The activities of the organization are thoroughly outlined in its recent report thus enabling the assessment and analysis of its current performance in terms of corporate sustainability.
Selected Report Criteria
Vision, Company Structure, and Strategy
The vision that is presented on the official website of Emirates NBD includes one major goal that is making the clients lives simpler. According to its vision, the banks focus is on the provision of excellent customer experience. This vision makes it obvious that the leaders and personnel of Emirates NBD are fully aware of the most common issues that occur in the customer service of the banking industry.
Most of such issues are related to the lengthy operations and the need for the clients to wait in lines for a long time. In that way, in many banks all around the world, the customers have to face bureaucratic organizational structures that complicate all of the banking operations thus making them exhausting, confusing, and time-consuming. Due to the awareness of the importance of the customers time and the tight connection between the length of wait and the level of customer satisfaction, Emirates NBD can secure and maintain its position as the leading banking group in the area.
As for the corporate structure of the organization, it should be noted that the bank is organized by a clear vertical structure that assumes top-down leadership and management utilizing the benefits of this type of structure such as orderliness and clear goal-setting and, at the same time, avoiding its disadvantages such as the bureaucratic approach to operations and reduced cost-efficiency. The organizations strategy is focused on the elimination and prevention of risks. This strategy is aligned with the corporate structure as both of these aspects are the responsibilities of the single authority the Board. The strategy of Emirates NBD is directed at the improvement of its services in terms of customer experience, as well as the provision of excellent care to the other stakeholders involved.
Stakeholder Inclusiveness
When it comes to the inclusiveness of the stakeholders, it is mentioned in several different parts of the report under review. In particular, stakeholder inclusiveness and the organizations attitude toward it are described in the section presenting the message from the Chairman of Emirates NBD H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. In the message, His Highness specified that all the stakeholders are invited to participate in the organizations attempts to better its corporate sustainability credentials ( Sustainability report 2015-2016, 2016).
Moreover, in the report under review, there is a separate section that is dedicated to the banks focus on the opinions and needs of its stakeholders. At the very beginning of this section, it is stated that the stakeholder engagement is a necessary element needed for the development of a business strategy based on trusting relationships ( Sustainability report 2015-2016, 2016). In that way, it is obvious that the leaders of Emirates NBD understand that the organizations constant adaptation to the changing needs of its stakeholders is the key to flexible business practices.
The contents of this section are outlaid very clearly and divided into categories. All the stakeholder groups participating in the business operations of the bank are listed one after another and include employees, the board of directors, customers, investors, local community, suppliers, government, environment, and the media. For each of these groups, the report presents individual engagement methods and also explains what kind of benefits can be achieved via the feedback from these groups of stakeholders alongside the value of this feedback for the organization.
Main Stakeholder Engagement Methodologies
The clarity with which the report under review is written allows researching and analyzing the methods used by Emirates NBD for stakeholder engagement. As it was mentioned in the previous section, there are nine stakeholder groups listed in the report. The organization has specific engagement methods for each of these groups.
Employees
For the engagement of employees, Emirates NBD reports using several different methods. For instance, the banks intranet and face-to-face meetings are some of the first engagement methods listed for the employees. Alongside with these methods, the organization leaders use training programs, e-learning courses, social events, group and team projects, and workshops. Also, the employees of Emirates NBD are engaged with the help of recognition and appraisal events that are held twice every year. Finally, the bank also organizes surveys aimed at the collection of data about employee engagement biannually.
Board of Directors
The members of the Board of Directors are engaged using various types of meetings. To be more precise, the Board of Directors meetings are reported to take place six times per year; also, there are EXCO meetings that happen regularly. Additionally, internal department meetings also include the Board of Directors. Moreover, the communication between the members is maintained using software for instant messaging, as well as phone calls and e-mails.
Investors
The engagement of investors is accomplished using such methods as general meetings that take place every year. Also, on the official website of Emirates ND, there exists a specialized section dedicated to the communication with investors that are maintained by the Investors Relations Team. Also, investors are kept informed about the performance and success of the bank with the help of press releases, presentations, and reports.
Customers
Social media channels and customer satisfaction surveys are the primary methods of helping the bank to maintain customer engagement. Also, communication with customers is accomplished using call centers and e-mails. Customers are informed about the news of the bank using promotional information and advertisement. Finally, the organization invests in account relationship management operations that respond to the needs and questions of the banks customers.
Suppliers
Tenders and RFPs are the reported methods of the engagement of suppliers. Besides, the Stakeholder Engagement Study of 2015 is mentioned as another way to accomplish this objective.
Local Community
Cultural and social events alongside fieldwork and research studies are reported as the methods used by the bank to engage the local community. Moreover, Emirates NBD uses sponsorships and donations for this purpose. Finally, an additional method of community engagement is the establishment of partnerships with community organizations.
Government
The engagement of the government is mainly maintained using compliance with various standards and directives issued for the regulation of banking activities and businesses. Meetings of the respective nature are reported to be held as needed.
Environment
To maintain environmental sustainability and comply with the needs of the environment as an important stakeholder, Emirates NBD uses several different methods. Firstly, the bank is focused on forming partnerships with both local and global environmental organizations. Secondly, the consumption of resources is monitored and reported using press releases and reports.
Media
To keep the media engaged, the bank issue releases and reports quarterly and annually. Also, the authorities of the organization often participate in interviews for TV and radio. The information about the new and activities of Emirates NBD is published on social media; moreover, the bank professionals provide daily market commentary.
Materiality
The present report also provides detailed information concerning its materiality analysis. For a better visibility, a matrix based on two axes (importance to stakeholders, and importance to business) was used. To evaluate the materiality of the bank, research was conducted aimed at the assessment of the banks programs, strategies, and initiatives related to the issues of sustainability.
The activities of the organization were compared to the global standards and requirements published by SASB and GRI. Additionally, a stakeholder survey was organized that targeted the evaluation of 60 potential sustainability issues. All in all, the analysis was able to identify 29 materiality issues that received a score of 3.75 on the scale from 1 to 5. These issues also match 16 GRI topics related to corporate sustainability.
Goals, Targets, and Performance for Each of the 4 Pillars
To the environment, Emirates NBD reports being aiming at the minimization of the used resources. In particular, one of the major goals of the organization is to monitor how much energy is consumed by its activities and operations. For this purpose, regular reviews are carried out so that the leadership of the bank could be aware of its environmental performance. In that way, it can be said that the major target for the bank is to minimize its environmental footprint using saving energy which can be achieved in several ways. Specifically, the current environmental sustainability performance of Emirates NBD is visible in its partnerships with several environmental organizations and adherence to environmental sustainability norms and requirements.
To society, that is the second pillar, Emirates NBD bank is very careful about its performance regarding the local community. The leaders of the organization are dedicated to the creation of a strong image and reputation for the bank. This goal is accomplished using the engagement of the service consumers, and local community organizations. In particular, Emirates NBD targets customer satisfaction as a significant indicator of its success and attitude. In terms of performance, the organization is engaged in various local community partnerships and carries out regular satisfaction surveys.
The third pillar that needs to be discussed is the marketplace. It involves the entire industry, as well as the government since all the banks in the market, need to follow the governmental directives and norms. As a result, the major goal of Emirates NBD is to maintain flawless adherence to the directives and stay a high-quality respectable organization in the marketplace. For the achievement of this goal, the bank targets excellence standards that include corporate sustainability and environmental consciousness. Regarding performance, the bank has been demonstrating successful growth in the marketplace and is the leading banking institution in the region.
Finally, the fourth pillar stands for the workplace. In this area, the organization invests in various projects for the improvement of employee satisfaction. The performance is monitored using communication with the workers. The main targets include talent management, the provision of learning and development opportunities, and the support for inclusion.
How Easy It Was to Read the Report
The report has a very convenient outlay that makes it very easy to navigate and read. Specifically, the contents are presented in a creative way marking the issues included in each chapter and showing page numbers. Additionally, the information in the report is presented in a clear graphic manner using schemes and diagrams that increase the comprehensiveness of the presented data. The information is well-organized and systematized. The presentation is excellent.
Conclusion
No.
Report Criteria
1
2
3
4
1
Vision, Company Structure, and Strategy
X
2
Stakeholder Inclusiveness
X
3
Main Stakeholder Engagement Methodologies
X
4
Materiality
X
5
Goals, Targets, and Performance for each of the 4 pillars
X
6
How easy was to read the report
X
The Criteria and Scored Low on the Report
The first criterion that scored 2 out of 4 points on the report was the first one vision, company structure, and strategy. It was difficult to decide on an accurate score for this criterion because the vision of the company was clearly outlined and easy to find. However, the company structure was a more challenging element because its discussion is not included in the report as a specific item and was not as easy to assess and evaluate.
The report included the list of the banks leaders; however, its corporate structure was not explained clearly. A similar comment could be added to the last element of the criterion the banks strategy. It was possible to find various statements related to the strategy of Emirates NBD, but the report did not include a clear explanation of the strategy as a separate item. In that way, it was unfair that rate this criterion with just one point as it would mean that the information was absent from the report, so the decision was made to assign two points to this criterion.
The second criterion that scored 2 out of 4 points on the report was number 5 Goals, Targets, and Performance for each of the 4 pillars . The low score of this criterion can be explained by the lack of clearly outlined descriptions of the elements.
To be more precise, the contents of the report included information on each of the pillars, but it had to be carefully sought out because no separate sections were mentioning the pillars or the goals, targets, and performance. However, it cannot be said that the information is missing completely. Having read the report, one would become aware of the general performance of Emirates NBD regarding the 4 pillars; but to assess the specific goals and targets, one would need to search for the relevant statements and critically analyze them to make respective conclusions.
Report Criteria That Were Presented Clearly
The first criterion that was presented with perfect clarity and thus received an excellent score of 4 out of 4 points on the report was stakeholder engagement methodology. The information regarding the methodologies was outlaid in the specific chart dedicated to the stakeholder engagement. The chart presented nine individual categories each of which covered the engagement of one stakeholder group and contained a list of methods used for the engagement.
The lists usually contained multiple methods that were fully described. This criterion was given 4 points for the provision of extended information because apart from the stakeholder groups and the lists of methods used for their engagement the chart contained feedback and value represented by the stakeholder groups. In that way, the readers could be informed about the roles of each group for the organization and why its engagement was important.
Another report criterion that was rated highly on the report evaluation was the one dedicated to the issues of materiality. Just like the criterion described previously, materiality had its section in the Emirates NBD report. Moreover, similarly to the stakeholder engagement methodology description, the issues of materiality were presented using a scheme. Two axes were used to show where each of the issues was placed regarding the importance of stakeholders and importance to the business.
In addition to the clarity of the presentation of the materiality issues, the report also contained information concerning how the aforementioned issues were assessed and identified. As a result, based on this aspect, the decision was made to assign 4 out of 4 points for this criterion because the extended information was provided on the topic.
General Evaluation of the Report
The sustainability report that was chosen for the review for this paper was the one published by Emirates NBD the leading banking establishment in the United Arab Emirates. This organization is highly conscious of its sustainability regarding all the most important aspects of its corporate culture and business performance. The organization appeared as a result of the merger of two influential banks in the region that had been practicing for many decades. Consequently, the combined professionalism, knowledge, and experience of the two groups of experts served as an excellent basis for the new achievement and even stronger performance.
Over the years of its existence, the organization accumulated a substantial body of experience in the practices of sustainability. As a result, the report that is presently under review can be characterized as highly professional and very well-made. A feature that needs to be mentioned as one of the noticeable positive qualities of this report is its clarity and the increased informativity that was achieved with the help of schemes and diagrams used for better visibility of the presented data. However, some of the critical aspects needed for the evaluation (such as the organizational structure and strategy) were not presented. Overall, the research is easy to read and pleasant to assess.
Business sustainability is rapidly gaining widespread recognition in the corporate world. Despite the relative novelty and the existence of barriers to its adoption, sustainable practices offer several advantages for businesses. The following paper provides an overview of the main components of business sustainability, outlines its main impacts for the organizations, and offers an example of sustainability concept adaptation from the UAE.
Business Sustainability
In broad terms, business sustainability is a process of adjusting business operations to synchronize them in several domains to achieve stability and resilience to adverse external impacts. The most commonly recognized domains, also known as pillars of sustainability, represent the environmental, social, and economic aspects of business operations. The environmental pillar represents the attempts to minimize the organizational impact on the environment both directly and indirectly (e.g. carbon emissions, waste, and responsible choice of partners).
The social pillar ensures the fair treatment of the involved stakeholders, such as customers, employees, and members of local communities. Finally, the economic pillar involves maintaining profitability without compromising the goals set by the other two pillars. Simply put, it ensures that the business remains healthy and closely integrated with the interests and values of all the involved parties.
Despite the apparent presence of necessary expenses, the long-term impacts of business sustainability on the organization are generally favorable. First, the recognition of the environmental impacts ensures compliance with numerous environmental regulations and improves the chances of timely adaptation to the ones that may emerge in the future. Second, waste-reduction practices open up the possibility of improving performance through the involvement of innovative technical and technological solutions. Third, both the environmental and social enhancements usually result in the increased productivity and efficiency of the operations, and, in the long run, decrease the amount of the required resources. Fourth, the properly executed and communicated social responsibilities will attract both employees and investors and will increase the engagement and satisfaction of the existing ones, contributing to employee retention. Fifth, sustainability is an appealing concept in the contemporary customers consciousness, which means that sustainable businesses will attract more attention, thus improving the corporate image and eventually getting a competitive advantage (Grichan Partnership).
It should be noted that the described benefits are mostly observed in the long run and are sometimes preceded by necessary expenses, which discourages the decision-makers.
Sustainability quickly gains relevance in both the developed and developing economies. In such a setting, the UAE businesses are gradually adopting sustainable practices. A good example of such development is TNT Express UAE, an international courier service. The company has integrated numerous decisions aimed at reducing waste. For instance, the vehicles used by TNT run on the B5 biodiesel engine, a variety capable of using biological fuel.
In the case of TNT express, vehicles run on fuel containing 5 percent of used cooking oil. Such mixture not only alleviates the problem of used oil requiring disposal but also reduces carbon imprint in comparison to conventional diesel ( TNT Express ). The company also constantly monitors its carbon emissions to ensure compliance with the set goals of systematically decreasing the carbon imprint ( TNT Express ). Also, it offers several CO2 services aimed at providing the customers with means of reducing their carbon imprint (TNT). Finally, the company provides employee training that promotes energy-efficient driving, which is an excellent example of synchronizing social and environmental pillars.
Conclusion
Despite being in the early development stage, the concept of sustainability is both relevant and beneficial for the modern corporate domain. Its advantages include resilience, efficiency, stakeholder engagement, and corporate image improvements. Despite possible challenges, it would be reasonable for the organizations to look into its adoption as soon as possible to retain competitive advantage and increase long-term profitability.
Works Cited
Grichan Partnership. The advantages of a sustainable business. National Business Awards. 2015. Web.
TNT Express Powers UAE Vehicles with Used Cooking Oil. Post&Parcel. 2012. Web.
Considerations in Makin g Successful Benchmarks in Companies
Various lessons can be learned from the implementation of the sustainability scorecard at Amanco. These lessons relate to the global business climate and the implementations in multi-cultural areas. This paper looks into the case of Amanco and points out some of the lessons that can be learned.
Lack of Involvement of all stakeholders in decision making
Globally operating companies need to involve the stakeholders before they engage in any decisions that will affect them. The formulation of the Triple Bottom Line scorecard in Amanco was done at the corporate level, but the stakeholders are not shown to have been involved in any part of the formulation (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.5). This later leads to a situation where the other managers did not have a sense of tenure in the scorecard leading to its change later. After the introduction of the sustainability scorecard in Amanco, a lot of positive changes were observed in the company. This was due to the involvement of all the stakeholders in decision making from the customers, subordinate workers to the senior management.
Predefined leadership in global companies
Amanco as a company lacked a clear form of leadership in its subsidiaries companies before introducing the sustainability scorecard. This led to a situation where accountability was not easy to be implemented. The company had some regions being led by Human resource managers as owners while others were marketing managers (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.6). The company would lack a clear way for managers to be answerable which led to some of them even not implementing the stipulated scorecards.
Lack of a structured way for corporate to come up with scorecards
In the modern world, management in companies tends to change from day today. This would lead to companies hiring managers with different opinions. If companies do not have a structured way defined to come up with the scorecards, each manager will end up with a different scorecard which would be costly for the companies. This situation is well portrayed in the case of Amanco limited where Grupo Nueva introduced the Triple Bottom Line scorecard but immediately after Pierre Roulet joined the company he introduce the Sustainability Scorecard (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.6). These are some of the scenarios that companies might avoid in having well-laid down procedures of coming up with the scorecards.
Considerations of differences in Business environments
Multinational companies are not supposed to try implementing a similar business strategy in different regions basing it on success in another region. This comes into place due to the difference in the business environment in different regions. In some countries, there might be policies of 100% involvement of the locals in the management of a business while, in others, it might not exist. If a company has been using a strategy of using imported labor, in its markets it might get in trouble if it tries implementing the same strategy in a country whose regulations eliminate such strategies. Companies should also take into consideration the competitiveness of the markets that they are trying to venture into. This comes into play when a company wants to introduce new merchandise in a bazaar with a well-established rival company, and in another market where there is no well-established business offering the same products. In Amanco, when it started to produce the irrigation equipment in Brazil it had to note that its main competitor had a market share of 40% (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.12). Amanco also noted that Brazil had a different management style and microeconomic structure making it hard to operate like other markets of the company.
The hiring of Linguistics experts to translate business documents
Multinational companies operate in different countries where different languages are used as national languages. These companies would like to operate all their subsidiary companies with the same objectives and visions. This becomes possible if any document written in a certain language is translated into another language perfectly. If care is not taken in translation, the intended message to the managers might be delivered differently. To avoid such a problem, there is a need for the involvement of linguistics experts in the translation of these documents. Amanco had most of its literature in English despite operating in various multilingual countries. This was after coming up with the Triple Bottom Line scorecard. There was the emphasis that direct translation of the literature in Portuguese would not deliver the intended meaning. This made it harder for other branches to implement the scorecard in the way that it was intended (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.5).
Having a reward system for the workers and Managers
Managers and workers feel motivated to work for the company if they are rewarded for working towards achieving the goals of the company. Managers and workers who are under any reward scheme will tend not to act on any information they have which would be necessary for the company. In the Amanco case study, a reward system had to be introduced to reward those managers who drove the business towards its global goals. This led to growth in businesses in most branches (Kaplan & De Pinho, 2008, p.8).
References
Kaplan, R. & De Pinho, R. (2008). Amanco: Developing the Sustainability Scorecard. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School.
The concept of corporate sustainability is escalating in Saudi Arabia. Many smaller corporations in the country are participating in sustainability issues to enhance their viability. The firms seek to apply internationally recognized sustainability principles in their initiatives. Most sustainability programs are focusing on improvement of the environment and communities livelihoods. Saudi corporate companies have developed approaches for assessing the impacts of their operations on environment and society. Indicatively, many firms also implement social sustainability projects to assist communities. Therefore, this research proposal hypothesizes that the regulations are applicable in corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. This paper proposes diverse research methods that are applicable in the study. It proposes a review of available literature on corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. It also proposes to use qualitative investigation approaches in the study. Simple sampling approaches are also proposed especially in identifying top corporations, suitable government officials, and sector key players in Saudi.
Introduction
Corporate Sustainability is an essential approach in the corporate sector. The private sectors have obligations to offer assistance to people in places where they operate. Furthermore, corporations have responsibilities to provide sustainability services. They have obligations to give back to the environment in order to ensure maintenance of its integrity. Notably, the private sector sustainability approaches seeks to apply global best practices. Most corporate sustainability activities focus on climate change mitigation. Furthermore, many corporate attempt to adhere to diverse environmental footprints in their activities. The private sector also implements different social responsibility programs to assist their consumers.
Literature Review
Understanding corporate sustainability hypothesis is not the essential concern in Saudi Arabia. Rather, it is about transforming theory into applications. The private sector comprehend that the potential for corporate sustainability to create industry brand and societal values is independent of company size (NCB 8). Smaller Saudi Arabian corporations are keen on corporate sustainability as a way of escalating their competitiveness. Furthermore, many corporations engaged in corporate sustainability sees their engagements as an indispensable part of conducting business (Boone, Doorneweert & Schans 4).
Most Saudi companies implement private sector sustainability programs that conform to the inclusive best practices. Indicatively, their operations are hinged on desirable corporate governance and risk management sustainability fundamentals (Fatani). The corporations green activities are driven by the desire for environmental conservation, costs minimization, generation of eco-friendly products, and compliance with emerging government guidelines. Several technology firms in Saudi Arabia are enforcing environmental standpoints in their applications. Furthermore, firms such as Al-Jomaih Automotive Company use “Oracle E-Business Suite Development” (Fatani).
The regulation of sustainability efforts is also necessary for standardizing reporting. Evidently, companies implement different environmental management initiatives in the water strained country. Some corporations have developed frameworks for assessing their environmental footprints (NCB 17). Social sustainability activities in Saudi Arabia are being implemented by firms that give communities opportunities for responsible investment. A standardized sustainability reporting is vital for sharing information.
Hypothesis
The application of regulations is crucial in controlling private sector sustainability programs in Saudi Arabia. Already, there is a willingness in the sector to integrate sustainability in their planning. This is evident in the support and work they accomplish through partnerships (Fatani). The corporations support sustainability projects such as tree planting, clean technology, and green business. The drive corporations are putting in sustainable business practices is already notable.
The corporations are also applying social responsibility programs to assist their consumers. However, the essential corporate sustainability initiatives should adhere to human rights and ethical standards (Millar, Hind & Slawek 499). This is crucial in controlling private sector social and sustainability programs to promote human dignity protection. The application of corporate sustainability principles shall help control private sector programs. Therefore, this research proposal hypothesizes that the law is applicable in corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia.
Research Methodology
The investigator seeks to use diverse research approaches to undertake the study. The researcher shall review available literature to obtain preliminary information on the law and application of corporate sustainability in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative investigation methods shall also be applied in the study (Sage Publications 44). The researcher seeks to employ simple sampling approaches in identifying top corporations. A similar approach shall also be applicable in identifying suitable government officials and private sector players as key informers. They shall provide information about their opinion on issues associated with law and application of corporate sustainability. They shall use self administered questionnaire given to them. The investigator shall carryout focus group discussions with the identified key informers (Sage Publications 50). In addition, the investigator shall conduct focus group discussions with the identified policy makers and government officials.
The investigator shall also undertake interviews with corporate sustainability and social responsibility consultancy firms. Additional interviews shall target technocrats in the government and corporate sustainability managers. Methodological and statistical approaches including SPSS shall be applicable in analyzing data. The study findings shall be presented using description, statistical approaches, and graphs.
Conclusion
Corporate sustainability initiatives in Saudi Arabia are escalating. The interest by the private sector in giving back to the environment and assisting communities is already notable. The corporations implement sustainability programs on their own or through partnerships. However, unregulated sustainability generates concerns about the activities. This research proposal argues that laws are required in the application of corporate sustainability.
Works Cited
Boone, Koen. Doorneweert, Bart & Schans, Jan. Creating sustainable value in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Improving Corporate Social Responsibility effectiveness in food chains. 2009. Web.
Fatani, Rafid. Global Information Society Watch Saudi Arabia ICTs and Environmental Sustainability. 2010. Web.
Millar, Carla. Hind, Patricia & Slawek, Magala. Sustainability and the need for change: organizational change and transformational vision“, Journal of Organizational Change Management. 2011, Vol. 25 Iss: 4 pp. 489 – 500.
NCB. The National Commercial Bank Sustainability Report. 2010. Web.
Sage Publications. SAGE Brief Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility. California, CA: SAGE Publications. 2011. Print.
Corporate sustainability aims at ensuring a long-term corporate growth coupled with meeting the needs of the stakeholders while considering social issues and protection of natural resources, which are critical for the future generations.
Social and environmental issues are essential in the growth of business and many companies across the world have realised that corporate value goes beyond financial performance metrics and legal compliance.
Companies that have recognised the importance of corporate sustainability and embraced sustainability strategies have enjoyed an increase in business profits as it offers them an opportunity to adjust their business models, thus making them more competitive in the market.
One of the core drivers of corporate sustainability is the realisation that there is a need for environmental management by having ecological friendly production systems. Global warming has become one of the most pressing issues affecting people across the world and the fact that there is no international agreement to limit global climate effects has even worsened the situation.
In the past, industries have been significant contributors of carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere in a situation that has led to climate change. This aspect has contributed to unpredictable increase in the prices of natural resources due to their scarcity.
According to an article by Atwood (29 August 2013) on corporate sustainability, companies have realised that they are responsible for preserving the environment for the benefit of future generations. Companies have realised that climatic change is critical for long-term corporate success as it poses a potential threat to the disruption of business operations and supply chain.
Also, they now appreciate the fact that environmental protection is ideally the promotion of healthy living among people worldwide, which depends on fresh air, water, and food for survival and this aspect has spurred corporate sustainability among different corporations worldwide. This aspect, in addition to risk management, sustainability issues have dominated and become more prevalent in companies’ agendas.
The main objective of this move is to mitigate the problem of shortages of natural resources such as water, oil, animal-based resources, and coal among others, and promote healthy living and avoid extreme weather for the benefit of the current and future generations.
This change of perception is an essential step by the companies in ensuring the welfare of the society, as they are responsible for promoting the performance of their customers through efficient products, which are environmentally friendly.
The high rate of unemployment has contributed to most people globally living in extreme poverty conditions of less than a dollar per day. Though governments have tried to reduce the poverty levels, the process has been futile, especially in developing countries where unemployment levels are still high.
Poverty has been known to be one of the major hindrances to development as most governments’ already strained resources are used to aid the poverty-stricken people. Also, poverty has contributed significantly to high levels of illiteracy, as people cannot afford to take their children and leads to early marriages for teenage girls.
Worldwide, most notable corporations have noticed that they have a role to play in response to poverty issues affecting the society for the benefit of the low-income earners. In a bid to curb this menace, the corporate sector has realised the need for creating employment, thus paving the way for wealth generation opportunities.
Therefore, according to this report by Atwood (2013), poverty has been another core driver of change as the vibrant corporate sector has realised that it can aid the society greatly by promoting employment to reduce poverty levels through community development activities, gender equality courses, and containing conflicts especially in conflict-prone areas where people fight for the scarce resources.
This report holds that corporate sustainability lies in holistic development of corporations to encompass environmental sustainability and the marginalised groups, among others.
Sustainability report by Avery Fellow (New approach to compliance)
According to this article by Fellow (23 May 2013), the issue of sustainability continues to gain prominence on the corporate agenda, and thus there is a need for a new approach to compliance to ensure its success. Governments and corporate executives have a great role to play in ensuring the long-term prosperity and ensuring that companies are more effective and transparent.
This goal can be achieved by abiding by social and environmental regulations and being supportive of corporate philanthropy. The article by Fellow (23 May 2013) underscores the importance of transparency by companies on issues related to the environment by analysing the impacts that the existing products have throughout their lifecycle from their production to disposal.
Understanding the lifecycle of the products is very useful as this information aids in improving environmental performance. The data helps in identifying products that have adverse effects to the environment, especially when they are disposed. Companies then can come up with ways to improve them so that they will not affect the society while still maximising on goals and targets.
It is very important for corporations to adapt to sustainability strategies for its products locally or internationally that meet specific environmental targets in terms of consumption and disposal.
The government on its part should ensure that the regulations are enforced coupled with rewarding the companies that go an extra mile towards effective conservation of the environment, as this move will encourage other companies to follow the same.
The report also deals with the issue of greenhouse gas emission to the atmosphere, which comes from companies. Companies are known for producing toxic gases and they are therefore advised to reduce the levels of poisonous gases to avoid further catastrophic changes in climate in the future, which can have irreversible impacts on the environment, economy, and even human health.
They need to know that air pollution is an issue of significant concern and it cannot be justified based on shareholders’ returns. One way of avoiding air pollution is the capture of the greenhouse gas and storing it underground and not allowing it to escape to the atmosphere using advanced technology.
Corporations can also be actively involved in informing the public on the importance of planting trees and participate in reforestation especially in places where deforestation has occurred, as this move will help in the absorption of any poisonous gas from the company or any other source.
Trees are very practical and useful in the purification of the air and controlling climate and this aspect is essential for the long-term success of the business globally.
The corporate bodies should also ensure that they establish assurance programs such as internal audit to be conducted regularly throughout the year to help in making sure that companies comply with the rules and regulations that have been set by the government regarding environmental protection.
In addition, corporations should build friendship with experts in the field of environmental conservation for expert advice on solutions to industry issues relating to environmental pollution.
This process leads to the sharing of useful ideas and the participation of employees, which increases the passion of the program itself as employees will be interested in a company that is unswerving towards environmental protection and be informed on the established policies regarding environmental issues.
This report by Fellow (23 May 2013) insists that stakeholders have embraced the fact that companies should engineer and nurture corporate sustainability.
Corporate responsibility and sustainability by PR Newswire (Achieving sustainable efficiencies)
According to this article by PR Newswire 17 September 2013), sustainability in today’s society can be said to be one of the driving forces of any corporation that is interested in growing now and in the future. Corporations should to change their approach and come up with effective ways that can lead to reduction of cost of production as well as being friendly to the environment.
Due to the increased demand for products, companies have resorted to using large amounts of energy that contaminate the environment, thus affecting millions of livelihoods across the world. According to the article released by PG & E, this situation can be avoided by the corporations investing heavily on technology and coming up with friendly renewable sources of energy that do not pose a threat to the environment.
While keeping growth objective in mind, companies can embrace new technologies and come with renewable sources of energy that can be produced from turbine or solar energy.
Turbines and solar energy can produce high megawatts that can be used in industries to replace the use of fossil fuels that contaminate the environment. This innovation is useful as it creates new avenues for revenue improvement and value creation as well as ensuring environmental restoration.
Companies that produce products, which result in the massive amounts of waste after consumption, should also come up with ways to avoid the pollution menace if they are concerned towards achieving sustainable environmental conditions. The presence of large amounts of garbage can have detrimental effects on the environment if no action is taken and this aspect affects the possibility of a better future.
However, this scenario can be avoided by recycling the products. Recycling of products has a great advantage to any company as it can lead to the generation of energy, which reduces the cost of production while increasing the value of the company’s products as the consumers see them as environmentally friendly.
In addition, recycling is very beneficial as it aids in the preservation of natural resources as used materials are recycled to new products and hence there is no need to process raw materials and this move leads to conservation for future use. Recycling of materials further helps the company to save more energy as recycled materials use less energy as compared to raw materials.
This report also indicates that companies should also be committed towards the production of wares that target all types of customers, including the low-income earners. Companies should not only be interested in the profit margin, but also on how they can add value to the disadvantaged in the society.
This goal can be achieved via the companies working with both suppliers and governments to ensure that the products they produce are also affordable. This way, the products will not only be available to the well off in the society, but also to the marginalised groups.
Companies should also be involved in sustainability agenda in a bid to be part of the team providing solutions to curb the vice of corruption by spreading international norms and standards that discourage any kind of fraud, which has led to the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Generally, this article by PR Newswire indicates that stakeholders are slowly accepting that corporate sustainability is a collective responsibility of everyone with corporations taking the lead in adopting novel technologies to address common challenges like pollution.
Reference List
Atwood, J 2013, How Global Corporations Can Help Meet Global Challenges, via Live Science database.
Fellow, A 2013, GRI Releases New Version of Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, via Bloomberg database.
Sustainable development is a major necessity and a concern in every state, Australia is one of the continents faced by this challenge. Due to demographic change, people deplete natural resources through their day-to-day activities. The issue of deforestation, poor sanitation, and depletion of natural water sources is common in urban areas. The report internalizes the state of Australia, causes of its problem, discusses the urban forms, community attitudes, resource management, policies, recommendations, and summarizes the major issues in the review.
Introduction
Australia is a continent that has registered a high growth of urban cities over the centuries. As such, there is an emerging need to carry out a sustainable approach in executing environmental, economical, and social planning in its urban cities. Additionally, there is a need to consider the communities and their attitudes in planning for resource management and policy formulation. Therefore, the report analyzes the urban situation, community attitudes to the environmental state of the urban area, resource management, policy development, and recommends probable solutions
Findings
The findings entail the urban form in Australia, community attitudes, resource management, and policies. The vitality of the findings explains how each one of them relates to sustainable development.
Urban Form
The urban form in Australia is characterized by high population growth and rural to urban migration. According to Hamin and Gurran (2009), high population growth causes climate changes that include extreme heat waves and rising sea levels. Poor biodiversity conservation has led to air and water pollution. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) argue that urban areas have poor water drainage, and the buildings lack proper garbage storage leading to poor environmental management. The arguments show that urban communities face difficulties in environmental conservation.
Architectural designs in Australian urban centres lead to poor ventilation systems in buildings. The spaces that are left are very small, leading to overcrowding in buildings. According to Hamin and Gurran (2008), buildings overcrowd the urban cities and leave little space for recreational grounds. Every state needs recreational grounds, and in the case of Australia, the buildings have consumed the greater part of the region. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) argue that there is a need for parks and trees within a city. However, in Australia, people have depleted natural resources, which include forests and water sources.
Community Attitude
Communities have attitudes, norms, and values toward natural resources. The values determine their reaction to the environment that they interact with everyday. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) stipulate that for sustainability, planners should have an insight of the community’s cultural dimensions. They also argue that the planners should consider the local government’s perception regarding the natural resources in the community. Most of the local people view the natural resources as sacred, which helps to conserve the resources (Roseland, M. 2012). In Australia, community participation has led to challenges and hindered the progress of projects.
Community participation is a strong foundation of any planning or policy formulation. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) highlight that for the local people to participate they must have a positive attitude towards the policies and the projects. The report analyses the perceptions of the local people in three ways in respect to natural resources. These ways include the attitude towards conservation of resources, the forest, and the cost plus the benefit of the community members towards the natural resources. Consequently, scholars argue that the perception of the local people depends on the incentives provided to them by implementers.
Their participation in community meetings and in development actions will majorly depend on the incentives. These arguments take an insight on the importance of community participation but first the planners have to carry out an investigation of the communities’ norms and attitudes.
Creating a communal positive attitude is not a guarantee of sustainable development. Roseland, M (2012) confirms that planners do not solve the reason why people deplete the natural resources. Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) emphasizes on the same by arguing that the implementers do not consider the drivers of depleting the resources that positive attitudes cannot solve. Their arguments recommend that community sensitization and addressing of their economical needs promotes sustainable resource conservation.
Resource Management
A sustainable resource management must include a shared vision, proper communication, social efficiency, and specialist integration. Ritchie and Thomas (2013) argue that sustainable ecological risk management should be holistic and integrative in nature to accommodate different ideas from various individuals. Additionally, Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012) argue that there is need for specialists from various disciplines to ensure a suitable management of natural resources, financial disciplines, economical aspects, and social scientists. This type of management helps planners to view the problem from different perspective and achieve its solutions.
In managing natural resources, there is need to have representatives from the local and national government. According to Ratsimbazafy, Harada, and Yamamura (2012)implementers should have a collaborative approach, which involves the local administration, wildlife representatives, and the local community. The approach ensures that there is a proper communication of the information from the implementers to the national, local and community level.
It also promotes communal ownership of the project enhancing the community participation. Furthermore, the ideas and the managerial skills of the participants help in achieving the success of the initiative. The local knowledge is important in identifying the challenges since they have firsthand information of the problems that they face. The community key informants play a greater role in community mapping and identifying resources that can be useful in the development such as human skills.
Policies
Environmental planning in urban cities is important because policies are vital in ensuring sustainability. According to Hamin and Gurran (2008), policies remind every individual the importance of acting in a particular way. To minimize environmental degradation, planners must disseminate the policies to the judicial system of a nation and the key personnel of various departments. Distributing the policy ensures accountability and efficiency. In several nations, the government can transform the policies into law where every citizen is bound to respect it and respond to the bill. The environmental policies should cater for the wildlife, people in contact with the environment, and the way forward in achieving environmental conservation.
Recommendations
The way forward in achieving a sustainable management of environment is to formulate new approaches that help people to adapt to new climate changes. Ritchie, and Thomas (2013) propose that an integrative approach is important in addressing environmental and social challenges in urban areas. They also emphasize on awareness creation, capacity building, and training. Roseland (2012) includes the community-based efforts in accomplishing sustainable growth. Most importantly on encouraging community participation and including key informants such as chiefs and community elders in the initiatives.
Conclusion
The essay demonstrates that the relationship between urban form, community perspectives to natural processes, sustainable resource management, and policy formulation are vital in considering a sustainable development. The environmental policies in Australia will be a success when all the planners put these factors into consideration. The international bodies such the United Nations, ILO, World Bank and other local organizations have come up with strategies and policies that will help nations to accomplish their sustainable development goals. These concerns are due to the common problems faced by many countries in the struggle to maintain a sustainable development in conserving the environment.
References
Hamin, E., & Gurran, N. (2009). Urban Form and Climate Change: Balancing Adaptation and Mitigation in the US and Australia. Habitat International, 33(3), 238-245.
Ratsimbazafy, C., Harada, K., & Yamamura, M. (2012). Forest Resources Use, Attitude, and Perception of Local Residents towards Community Based Forest Managements. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment. 4 (13), 321-332.
Ritchie, A., & Thomas, R. (Eds.). (2013). Sustainable Urban Design: An Environmental Approach. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Roseland, M. (2012). Toward Sustainable Communities: Solutions For Citizens And Their Governments (Vol. 6). Vancouver: New Society Publishers.