Stakeholders in Sustainable Business Transformation
Part A
Question 1
Wood and coal are still being used by many households across the world to fuel open fires and the traditional cookstoves. Many believe that this practice has significantly devastated the global environment and has adversely affected human’s health. Therefore, many describe it an unsustainable and are calling for effective measures to be put in place to eliminate the effects of the practice. Various global environmental issues such as global warming, a decline in biodiversity, destruction of the ozone and others are associated with use of woods and coal in fueling open fires and traditional cookstoves (Wathore, Mortimer & Grieshop, 2017). These fuels usually harm human health due to the toxic smoke they emit into the atmosphere, hence polluting the environment (Lawrence & Weber, 2017). A significant percentage of outdoor air pollution is accounted for by the use of traditional cookstoves that emit dangerous smoke into the environment. Thus, the use of open cookstoves is largely responsible for the concerns of human health deterioration in today’s society.
To solve the mentioned global environmental concerns, there is a need for today’s society to adopt the use of better and clean cookstoves. The production of these cookstoves should be done in large masses to save humans from various health-related issues caused by smoke released by traditional cookstoves. The adoption of clean stoves will certainly help to improve the living conditions especially of the population that live in low-background neighborhoods. Modern and clean fuels such as biogas and ethanol are current used to fuel the modern cookstoves. Many believe that these fuels do not have adverse impacts on the global environment as well as human health as they do not release toxic substances. Thus, they are not likely to pose a threat to human health. Additionally, these fuels do not release toxic smoke, unlike the wood coal fuels used in traditional cookstoves, thus relying on the use of modern cookstoves will significantly reduce the emission of smoke into the environment.
With many households adopting the use of modern cookstoves, there is an assurance that the future global environment will remain clean and safe. The use of these cookstoves will significantly reduce the number of human lives lost due to the impact of unhealthy smoke released into the environment by the traditional cookstoves. The use of traditional cookstoves is responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer (Just, Rogak & Kandlikar, 2013). The ozone depletion is attributed to the toxic smoke released by the traditional cookstoves that is believed to contain carbon dioxide. As aforementioned, modern cookstoves do not release toxic smoke; thus, the adoption of these stoves will significantly reduce the concerns related to ozone layer depletion (Lawrence & Weber, 2017). The toxic smoke released by traditional cookstoves is also responsible for global warming. The smoke from these traditional stoves release carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere, which is believed to largely contribute to global warming. Unlike traditional stoves, the use of clean cookstoves by many families will help in resolving the concerns surrounding global warming by reducing instances of carbon dioxide emission into the environment.
Question 2
To resolves concerns surrounding the use of traditional cookstoves and adverse impacts related to economic development and poverty in today’s society, there is need for continuous widespread adoption of modern cookstoves. According to Grieshop, Marshall, & Kandlikar, (2011), public health and environmental sustainability are at risk related to the use of traditional cookstoves in today’s world. With many households adopting the use of modern cookstoves, people living in poor neighborhoods will hardly experience challenges related to health issues. Besides, this will significantly contribute to a reduction in the number of people losing their lives due to the health risks attributed to the use of traditional cookstoves (Grieshop, Marshal, & Kandlikar, 2011). Thus, those living in poor neighborhoods will be able to turn their focus on improving their livelihoods and society at large. This will significantly contribute to a reduction in poverty levels amongst the population living in poor neighborhoods and promote economic development.
The use of traditional cookstoves needs wood and coal fuels. In households that use such cookstoves, women and girls are given the duty of searching for wood fuel (Lawrence & Weber, 2017). They also cook, and with the use of traditional cookstoves, they get exposed to the toxic smoke that may significantly deteriorate their health (Chengappa, Edwards, Bajpai, Shields, & Smith, 2007). The use of traditional stoves is often associated with the search of wood fuel. Women and girls tend to suffer from back pains whenever they carry heavy loads of wood fuels from longer distances. Therefore, the use of modern cookstoves will certainly release women and girls from suffering from back pains associated with carrying of heavy loads of wood fuel. Furthermore, widespread adoption of clean cookstoves will help maintain their health status. With the use of modern cookstoves, women and girls will certainly be of good health and would likely to engage in some beneficial activities such as community building activities.
The use of traditional cookstoves is attributed to unhealthy food. Therefore, widespread adoption of clean cookstoves will ensure that households cook healthy food. This, in turn, will improve many people’s health, unlike the use of traditional cookstoves. Besides, people living in poor neighborhoods who commonly suffer from food-related diseases will have the energy to participate in economic activities that will contribute to economic development.
Part B: Hewlett-Packard (HP)
With the rising worldwide population looking for more prosperity besides the existence of limited natural resources, the usual way to carry the business is not an option. The challenge is to balance economic growth with conservational sustainability. It can also be a business opportunity for some global organizations. Hewlett-Packard’s mission to focus on environmental and social responsibility is not only helping the company to grow, but it is also helping the firm to translate its green footprints into desirable new business.
Section 1: External Factors or Influences
Various factors drive HP towards socially responsible business management practices, including laws and regulations, corporate social responsibility, and market trends.
Laws and Regulations. In today’s society, various environmental laws have been formulated and implemented to protect valuable eco-systems and natural resources. With the ever-increasing concerns addressing the need for businesses to engage in responsible business management practices, most organizations have started giving importance to these environmental laws and regulations (Tianlik et al., 2016). These laws and regulations also encourage global firms to maintain transparency and honesty in their business operations. Therefore, HP has been at the forefront to keep up with the national and international environmental laws and regulations by engaging in socially responsible business management practices. HP encourages transparency and honesty to support the formulation and implementation of policies that promote global economic growth in a social and accountable way. For example, the company unanimously supported negotiations on trade agreements that influence Transpacific and Transatlantic trades.
Corporate Social Responsibility. In many organizations, corporate social responsibility is becoming important not only to for them to function effectively, but also to expand their business operations and generate more revenue. These activities help various companies to generate goodwill in the eyes of their customers and government. In today’s society, many are increasingly becoming conscious about the environment, therefore companies should engage corporate social responsibility activities to meet the expectations of the consumers. In the case of HP, the company has undertaken several corporate social responsibility activities to ensure its sustainability, and corporate social responsibility remains true with the firm’s goals. The company also has in place numerous practices that are used to assess the firm’s strategy regularly (McElhaney, 2009). For example, the company’s leadership in corporate social responsibility and sustainability has enabled the firm to create a platform where it can work with other agencies, companies, and non-governmental organizations to influence future industries and national laws and regulations.
Market Trends. These trends largely influence how global businesses undertake their tasks. The trends tend to influence businesses to engage in sustainable environmental practices and formulate sustainable environmental policies. For HP, market trends have influenced the way the company undertakes its tasks, and currently, it has incorporated sustainable environmental practices into its operations. These trends have also enabled the company to gain a competitive advantage over its competition in the global market.
Section 2: Internal Factors or Influences
The concern the firm shows to its stakeholders and engaging in effective management are some of the factors that have influenced HP to shift more to environmental and socially responsible business practices.
Stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is an integral part of every business, as they largely influence the decision-making processes of a particular organization. Therefore, firms should meet their stakeholders’ expectations and maintain their loyalty to ensure they expand their business operations and increase their profitability. HP has given its stakeholders the prime importance by meeting their expectations. HP makes sure that it takes the stakeholders’ views about any emerging environmental trends, risks, and opportunities. The company is at the forefront to share with the stakeholders’ various challenges they encounter due to various environmental concerns such as climate change. In turn, they use the stakeholders’ insights to establish sustainable environmental management practices. The company’s stakeholders include employees, customers, legislators and regulators, and non-governmental organizations, among others. For instance, the company began cooperating with Conservation International in 2009. Conservation International is a non-governmental organization that employs various science and economic interventions to protect global biodiversity. In the process, HP and Conservation International have come up with sustainable environmental management practices to help maintain a healthy, clean, and safe environment.
Management. As the issue of sustainability is increasingly becoming important in today’s society, firms should be able to carry out their business practices in more environmentally friendly and socially acceptable ways. In this regard, companies should maintain effective management practices to make sure they follow the mentioned rules, and that they sustain competitive advantage over their competition and to generate more revenue (Beer, Voelpel, Leibold, & Tekie, 2005). At HP, the groundwork of the company’s sustainability work is formed by active guidance and effective employee contribution. The head of sustainability leads the project to assure that the firm’s sustainability work serves as a motivating influence for the organization. Its board of directors oversees the company’s global citizenship efforts. The board’s responsibility is to ensure that global citizenship is a measure of the firm’s plan. The company requires senior leaders to report to the board of directors directly to state whether the company’s operations align with its global citizenship purposes, and are accountable for developing sustainability company-wide.
Section 3: Global Impacts of Sustainable Development Initiatives
Successful sustainable development contributes to an improved economy and global environment. Improvements in sustainable development initiatives play a key role in the development of communities where many people would like to live, work, and play. Regarding this, HP has been at the forefront of developing a greener environment where many can desire to be at. To achieve this, the company has undertaken various efforts in the field of education, entrepreneurship, and health.
To solve most of the complex problems encountered by many in today’s society, HP considers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education to be important. With this approach, the company aimed at making a better STEM education system from primary schools to university level. A global network of educators initiated this approach, and by 2012, HP had already educated approximately 250,000 students across the world (Dias, Mills-Tettey, & Nanayakkara, 2005). HP’s initiatives have played an integral part in making the environment stronger as they consider rising by refining the effectiveness of their supply chain, operations, and products and solutions. All these efforts enabled HP to be the first global information technology company to set greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Moreover, the company’s initiatives have helped in decreasing the footprint of computing and printing developments in the business. The company’s initiatives also support its customers’ environmental goals.
In 2014, the company’s initiatives established a goal to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of the firm’s product portfolio1 by 40 percent by 2020 compared to the 2010 levels. The company currently uses products and solutions by the customers to generate 55 percent of the firm’s carbon footprint and 70 percent of the water footprint. Before the company can progress in environmental functioning across each stage of its product’s life, the firm ensures that it assesses the carbon footprint and other influences of all the products and solutions. The ultimate goal of the company is to produce environmentally friendly products. GHG emissions associated with energy utilization and the usage of advanced HP technology are the main ecological effects attributed to the firm’s movements. The company has also been able to focus on other areas such as producing clean energy and establishing smart building design. The company was able to increase its investment capability in renewable energy by 150 percent in all sites in 2014. The company’s initiatives also struggle to generate less waste and use less water. By using revolutions such as leak detection systems and low-impact landscaping, the company has been able to reduce its facilities water consumption in water-stressed areas by 32 percent compared to 2013.
Section 4: Harnessing Technology for Sustainable Development
Producing environment-friendly greener technology is the ultimate goal of HP; therefore, it has taken numerous efforts to achieve this objective. The company’s focus is to generate energy-efficient products. For undertaking this initiative, HP has become a well-known firm across the globe. The company has created numerous ecological product solutions such as HP smart print and HP closed-loop ink cartridge recycling.
HP Smart Print. This is a free product offered by HP, and it only prints the web content that is required. It helps an individual to save paper and ink during printing. The smart print chooses the part it thinks an individual may want to be printed and leaves out an additional ad and unnecessary content (Whitmarsh, O’donnell & Hertling, 2017). One of the most energy effective smart printers is the HP Office Jet Pro X. The smart print also offers customers with an efficient and inventive product as a service. These include HP-managed print services that cut paper wastes by at least 25 percent and carry energy usage discounts of 20-40 percent for customers. These initiatives help to reduce the environmental influences at the product’s end of life.
HP Closed-Loop Ink Cartridge Recycling. HP comprises the circular economy across its value chain by terminating the material loop, offering service models that carry substitutes to linear life cycles, and designing out waste. Focusing on this approach, it is a closed-loop recycling program in which the HP planet partners program is used to recover plastics from HP ink and toner cartridges. The program is combined with other plastics to create new HP ink supplies. HP continues to increase the use of closed-loop materials in its products as they still comprise of recycled plastics. Approximately 75 percent of HP ink cartridges and 25 percent of HP jet laser toner cartridges comprise of these recycled plastics.
References
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