Climate Change and Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability - Monsanto Company - Case Study Example

Climate change and corporate social responsibility and sustainability Part The agriculture and food industry: Monsanto Company Monsanto is among the leading agribusiness companies in the world, originating from America and engaging in trade within multinational extents. The American trading company deals in both chemical and biotechnology products within the agribusiness industry. It is famous for its initiation of the programs into producing genetically engineered seeds and manufacturing the herbicide glyphosate. The company continues to engage in chemical and catalytic asymmetric researches, producing various products for marketing within the line of operations. Further, the company produces several aspects of detergents and pesticides, all originating from chemicals that it trades within its chains of production. It was until the 1908s that it made the breakthrough into the production of genetically modified crops, joining the bandwagon of the debates concerning the sustainability of the future generations from these scientifically modified products. The company trades in multinational platform, having operations in the USA and United Kingdom among several other countries. Monsanto emerges into the lights of debates on health and social issues concerning their products due to its delineation of hundreds of millions of dollars in the various cases it faced. Such include health issues relating to the quality of its products, especially over the agricultural biotechnology section, due to its production of controversial substances. However, the threat from and to this company emanate from the changing climatic factors and issues of corporate responsibility in the sustainability process (Leary, 2008, p 78). The corporate world continues to receive criticism for their reluctance to adopt environment friendly production and supply processes with respect to the goals for sustaining the future. Consequently, Monsanto is no exception in the wrangles concerning its commitment to factors of managing climatic change issues. The sustainability within agriculture industry has a three point-vision, in which it aims to produce more, conserve more and improve lives. The Monsanto commits to the goals of producing more while conserving the natural resources. However, its course of production is relative with respect to evaluating its impact on climate. The company deals in production of chemicals, which are largely responsible for the factor of global warming. These pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals affect the productivity of soil and pollute water sources, increasing pollution and furthering climate change. Despite their commitment to improving, the production rates for farmers and reduce costs of production, its supply and production chains result in some negative production processes that influence the climate of the world largely. Moreover, critics upon its initiative to compete with other companies yet it thrives on genetically modified seeds, term it unfair. Thus, with respect to its social responsibility strategies, the company fails to meet the expected guidelines despite its commitments. Further, it influences the process of climate change significantly considering the factor that it produces pollutant chemicals. Conversely, the impact of climate on the Monsanto is equally aggressive. The company, as it engages in the agribusiness, the continuing changes within the weather and climatic patterns affect its productions and supply chains. For instance, in sections where it has vast farmers relying on its productions, and factors of climate affect the farming conditions, and then it cannot sell its products, amassing losses from these factors. Additionally, when the factors of climate change affect the production areas where the company obtains its supplies for producing the herbicides among other products, then the costs of production for the company go high, affecting its profits (Leary, 2008, p 35). Moreover, climate change causes the company to lose its competitive advantage in the farming industry, especially considering that it has several farms producing agricultural produce, as the other farmers, it also suffers from climate change patterns. Thus, much as it contributes significantly to the climate change, it also suffers the impacts of the climate change accordingly. Clothing and fashion industry: All American Clothing Company All American Clothing Company is among the clothing manufacturing company in America, producing variety in the fields of clothes and shoes among other wear products. The textile company engages the American population by facilitating quality clothing wears for the populations all manufactured within the local confines of the industry. Further, the company gets its supply of cotton and other products required to manufacture the clothes from the local farmers in America. The company has a relatively high clientele, considering the quality and costs of its fashion wear as it facilitates to the American citizens as well as international customers who can purchase their products from online stores. The company traces its All American Jeans to the farmer in America who grows the cotton. The fashion industry is consequently under the emerging trends for need to incorporate environment friendly practices and manage the sustainability of the environment. The industry gets its supplies from the environment and further produces products to use in the same environment. Therefore, the factor of environment protection and corporate responsibility in sustaining programs is an essential development for the entire course of these companies. Similarly, with respect to All American Clothing Company, there are various structures from which it impacts the climate change processes and the changes impact the industry back. For instance, with respect to the impact of the company in the climate change processes, it is a manufacturing company, relying largely on fuels. Thus, the company in its production process it produces pollution of the air from the use of fuels to run its machines (Leary, 2008, p 57). This results in air pollution hence global warming. Additionally, the production of waste through water released into the sewer systems affects the water sources as it dispels into these sources. Further, the farmers through their use of chemicals to grow the cotton and other products to supply to the industry for use in manufacturing the trendy wears, they contribute in polluting the environment, contributing in climate change processes. Therefore, the clothing company through its direct and indirect driving factors contributes accordingly to the changes affecting the climate and sustainability of the environment. Similarly, the climate change factor also affects the production process of All American Clothing Company remarkably. The company relies on production of cotton from the local farmers. Thus, when the impacts of climate change affect the farmers and result in low crop yields, this affects the supply chain for the company (Leary, 2008, p 64). Thus, due to the impact of climate change on the supplier, the company suffers huge production costs resulting in loss. Additionally, when the impacts of climate change affect the financial industry across the globe, it affects the purchasing power of customers, resulting in loss to the company as they fail to meet their target sales. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every business and company within the textile and fashion industry to ensure they implement environment conservation strategies and corporate responsibility programs towards the management of climate change. Climate change affects the textile and fashion industry as much as the industry contributes to the issue. Consumer electronic industry: Sony Company Sony company remains committed to conducting its operations in a socially and environment responsible procedure, and sourcing its supplies from suppliers that share in its values. In order to engage in factors of positive change towards the society and environment, the company works in close relation with its supply chain, the suppliers and subcontractors to address the issues of health and safety concerns. It also focuses on environment protection issues related with the raw materials and components that it produces. The company engages in various management strategies to manage its procurement of chemical substances among the other supplies it requires to engage in production of its electronic products. However, despite these developments and commitment to the issue of environment conservation and social responsibility, the issue of climate change and sustainability continue affecting the company, as much as it contributes to the changes. With respect to the contributing factors of climate change and environment issues, Sony had several factors of its production processes that contribute significantly to the contentious issue of environment deterioration. The company deals in production of electronic, in which it employs the use of both chemicals and mineral substances among other products. The supply process of these components for production incorporates several channels for acquiring these supplies. For instance, the company as it purchases its chemical components for use in its production process; it faces issues of spillage and leakage of these chemicals, which cause pollution, crating sources for environment and climate change. Further, the mineral elements that constitute the metallic elements it uses in manufacturing process are from mining industry. Thus, as the company engages the suppliers from these industries, it creates possibilities of contributing to the climate change factors through pollution from these mining processes. Further, the products that soy products are metallic, and their disposal mechanisms are not efficient. Thus, when the products reach their termination point, the procedures of disposing them contributes to environment pollution, creating source for climate change and global warming issues. Therefore, in view of these various factors and processes relating to the supply and production chains of Sony Company, it is clear the need for establishing environment conservation strategies for the safety and management of climate change. The strategic procedures to enhance social responsibility of the company also face threat from the factor of climate change and impact it has in the industry. The electronics manufacturing industry faces threat of extinction due to climate changes as when the climate impacts the environment, the purchasing power of consumers reduces. Consequently, the company suffers loss as impacts of climate change on other related factors trickles to the industry. The consumers concentrate on acquiring many essential products such as food and clothing rather than comforts such as electronics. This spells losses for the part of companies such as Sony, all emanating from the growing changes in the climate of the world. Additionally, the factor of sustainability affects the company as the production costs go high due to costs of supplies increasing. These increase from the threat of extinction of the sources for the supplies in the industry affecting the production processes of the company. Thus, in view of these developments in the electronics and manufacturing industry, Sony has a role in initiating environment management strategies to sustain the environment for future generations. Part 2 Impact of climate change on segments of the world economy Introduction Among the defining challenges of this time is climate change. The signs on the general observation increase the worry over the developmental trends in the discussions into climate change. The receding forest coverage, increased and irregular rainfall patterns and the rising sea levels continue to exacerbate the existing economic, political and humanitarian stresses (Hardy, 2009, p 34). Consequently, the impacts continue affecting development in all parts of the world, irrespective of the level of the country in the world rankings of the economies. The leading global organization such as the UNDP and the World Bank continue to warn over the issue and initiate strategic measures and programs to tackle the problem as it affects the development agenda and threaten the sustainability for the future generations. These procedural developments seek to identify the mitigation measures for the increased rate of climate change. Climate change The climate change debates continue to affect varied sectors of the world economy remarkably. The various industries face changing face of legislation and policies regarding their operations. Further, the factors of climate change are also affecting the developmental agenda, contributing to remarkably adverse factors of prices for goods and services. This influences the economies of various sectors and industries accordingly. For instance, with respect to the policy and legislation regarding factors of pollution, the law affects the companies in industries directly and indirectly contributing to the issue (Hardy, 2009, p 62). For instance, with respect to the electronics manufacturing industry, the production of the raw materials contributes to pollution. However, the impact on the mining industries eventually reaches the company in the sector, due to the increased costs of supply from the costs of adhering to the policy regulating pollution. Thus, such companies suffer yet they indirectly contribute to pollution (Leary, 2008, p 78). The increased costs of transportation and higher electric charges affect the economy of such operational companies, affecting the industries accordingly. Further, changing weather patterns affect the agriculture industry, increasing costs of food; hence, creating humanitarian crisis of hunger. Thus, climate change is negatively influencing the developments within various sectors of the world economies, creating political and humanitarian stresses. Green house effect The greenhouse effect challenges the sustainability of the environment due to its impact in the subject of climate change. The process of the greenhouse effect in which the gases trapped in the atmosphere contribute to global warming and effects of pollution continue to affect various sectors of world economy (Jubb, Holper & Cai, 2010, p 57). For instance, the health sector faces challenges managing world health due to impacts of pollution resulting from the greenhouse effect. Similarly, the various sectors such as agriculture cannot produce accordingly due to effects of pollution and undoing conditions of atmosphere that affect productivity of the sector. This affects the agriculture sector accordingly. Further, in mitigating the impact of greenhouse effect, there is the subject of capital expenditure required to implement the emission control systems. The various sectors of world economy have to invest heavily into upgrading the sources of pollution and installing control systems for their emissions, to comply with the stringent regulations on greenhouse emissions. Thus, these developments resulting from climate change continue influencing the various sectors of the world economy. Global warming Global warming as an effect of greenhouse emissions among other pollution factors continues to challenge the mitigation procedures to sustain the environment. The changes within the atmosphere continue to present challenges to the patterns in the agricultural sector as well as health sector. Other industries in the world economy fear the consequences of the out blown issue of global warming (Jubb, Holper & Cai, 2010, p 67). The industries contributing to the growing threat continue to adopt and implement procedures to address the issue. Nonetheless, the impact of Global warming remains eminent and challenges the concepts of sustainability and development for the entire world economy. The policies in place seek to enhance the process of engaging all the sectors concerned in the issue to address the impact of climate change resulting from Global warming. Further, the various establishments seek to curb the impact of climate change caused by Global warming on the various industries such as the changing demand of goods and services among other impacts. Dangerous climate change The dangers of climate change are evident from the increased changes in the rainfall patterns, doubling temperature levels and extreme cold in various areas that have regular atmospheric conditions. The rising sea level and melting glaciers, receding forest covers are among the dangerous changes observed. The analogous programs in the fight against global changes in climate continue to initiate their measures to avoid the effects of the dangerous climate changes (Hardy, 2009, p 89). The impacts of this change continue inflicting fear and stress in various sectors, politically and socially, as well as financially. These aspects present climate change as the eminent face of Armageddon for the world. The various complexities in the issue present challenges in addressing the issue and facilitating adaptive and mitigation procedures to climate change. Thus, it is essential to implement structures and programs for addressing these dangers as concerns the effects of climate changes. Science of climate change The opinion of science on climate change is unequivocally warning due to the empirical evidence of the impact the process is causing and the threat to the future of the world. The climate system is changing, factors of green hose effects and global warming; changing weather patterns and reduced forests coverage are evidence for the changes (Hardy, 2009, p 31). Further, science evaluates and projects the impacts of climate change on subject of climate change on the various sectors of the world economy. However, to the relief of the world, science is also among the most reliable sources for mitigating the impacts of climate change. Through establishments such as emission control systems and other technological discoveries to mitigate the issue, science helps solve the issue of climate change and reduce its impact on the world. UNDP The UNDP as an organization promotes pro-poor and growth adaptations that foster climate resilient financial improvement and sustainable living in the face of climate change. In mitigating the increased issue of climate change, the UNDP supports countries in integrating climate related risks and opportunities into the national planning strategies to address the need for developing sustainable development in these countries (Hardy, 2009, p 134). Thus, it provides the development of international guiding policies for its affiliate countries to establish flexible and resilient efforts in addressing the climate changes that face the globe. The UNDP supports creation of state institutions with robust and responsive strategies capable of managing the public and private sectors in innovating towards adapting to the changing climate conditions. World Bank The World Bank continues to express its concern over the growing threats of climate change on the economy of the world. The challenge to initiate economically sustainable procedures in addressing the subject of climate change is among the leading points of its agenda. For instance, in its recent developments, it initiated the fiancé ministers in the various countries to initiate funding for national strategies for managing the issues of climate change. Additionally, it also is facilitating funding procedures for various international strategies into addressing the issue of climate changes (Leary, 2008, p 87). Further, climate change also influences its operations as world economy relies on various sectors such as production and agriculture industries. Thus, ad the impacts of climate change strike the various industries, the World Bank suffers the impacts accordingly. Therefore, in push to sustain its position relating to world economy, the World Bank participates actively in developmental procedures and strategies for managing climate change across the universe. Mitigation and Adaptation In mitigating and adapting to the challenges resulting from climate change, there are three key areas incorporated. These sections include policy and planning, formulating, financing and implementing climate resilient projects and creating awareness on management and methodological support. Through strategic planning and policy constructions, the various stakeholders engage developmental approaches to the subject of climate change (Hardy, 2009, p 184). The policies help regulate and restrict the activities that cause the effect of climate change, such as deforestation legislation, greenhouse and global warming regulatory policies among other polices. In formulating and financing the projects, the stakeholder including UNDP and World Bank among others, facilitate the process of managing the climate change as it applies in the context of management. Further, information is essential in developing strategic measures to manage climate change and adapt to the changes (Leary, 2008, p 123). Thus, education programs into awareness over the management of the environment and creation of sustainability programs helps significantly to mitigate and adapt to the changes of climate change as they affect populations. Bibliography Jubb, I., Holper, P., & Cai, W. 2010. Managing climate change: papers from the Greenhouse 2009 conference. Collingwood, Vic, CSIRO Pub. Hardy, J. T. 2009. Climate change: causes, effects and solutions. Chichester, Wiley. Leary, N. 2008, Climate change and adaptation. London, Earthscan. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=429895. Read More