Business Ethics
The article that will be the basis for the discussion of an ethical issue is “Assessing McDonald’s Performance on Sustainability”. In this article the ethical issue being discussed is that of sustainability. For the past years, sustainability has been a very relevant issue among organizations because of the growing concern to protect all life systems and ensure that basic resources, such as water will be available for the survival of humans and the earth’s ecosystem. Sustainability is an ethical issue because it is concerned with humans and their future needs. Sustainability’s ethical component also lies in the fact that it is focused on socio-economic fairness in terms of the differences in the lifestyle of the rich and the poor.
One agrees that sustainability is an important issue. It is the least a company can do to maintain the balance of the ecosystem and give back whatever they reap from their business. The earth’s resources are slowly being depleted and if organizations continue to contribute to the destruction and degradation of the environment, not only will the plants and animals suffer, but eventually even humans will feel its impact. If multinational companies, like McDonald’s, which operates around the world, will start to do its share in advancing sustainability, then the future generation can still breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to a better tomorrow.
As McDonald’s has shown, a resolution to the issue of sustainability is possible if organizations put their minds and hearts to it. Like McDonald’s, companies can shift to biodegradable packaging materials to eliminate the harm done by waste materials to the environment. Reforestation can replace deforestation. The use of renewable energy sources may be tapped by companies, instead of utilizing coal and gas. There is a plethora of ways to support the issue of sustainability. If McDonald’s which has been the target of environmentalists can do it, there is no reason why other companies cannot follow suit.
Works Cited
Moss, Roddy Scheer and Doug. "Assessing McDonald's performance on sustainability." 8 February 2013. business-ethics.com. Web. 14 March 2013
Warner, Keith Douglass and David DeCosse. "Lesson four - The ethical dimension of sustainability." May 2009. scu.edu. Web. 14 March 2013
