Many businesses pay attention to environmentally friendly operations as the representatives of the general public care for nature today more than ever. However, some companies still face issues associated with environmental protection, which affects their performance adversely. For example, Thames Waters was recently charged with dumping waste in a river (Hargreaves, 2017). In the framework of ecocentrism, these actions are considered to be unethical as people affect nature adversely not because they satisfy their vital needs but because they are not willing to pay for utilization (Dussault, 2013). Fines can be treated as a strong solution to this issue even though it is not presupposed by the ethical theory discussed, as they ensure that some funds can be spent on protecting the environment. Still, it cannot be ignored that if the leader of Thames Waters had followed ecocentrism, he would have done everything possible to utilize wastes with minimal harm to nature, focusing on recycling.
Even though it is rather difficult to make an organization truly green, it is not impossible. Companies should do more for the environment to cover those issues they create, being committed to sustainability and economically viable. The environment is intrinsically valuable because it gives people a place and means to live. Thus, the policy of using innovative ways of energy conservation, recycling, and waste disposal is likely to benefit any company. To communicate it, leaders should encourage employees to participate in associated activities as volunteers and to fund the development of these innovations. Even though it may be costly and time-consuming, it can benefit the company enormously. It is important to educate personnel on the issue to avoid those problems that occur when some people are unwilling to accept changes. This policy is supported by ecocentrism and law as many countries consider such kind of environmental pollution to be a legal issue. In this way, no changes will be needed regardless of location.
References
Dussault, A. (2013). In search of ecocentric sentiments: Insights from the CAD model in moral psychology. Environmental Ethics, 35(4), 419-437.
Hargreaves, F. (201). Judge slams ‘inexplicable stupidity’ of people who flush nappies and tampons down toilets as Thames Water faces record fine for dumping a billion litres of waste. Web.