Corporate Environmentalism: Exploring the Validity of Voluntary Environmental Reform.

摘要

This research dissects the environmental sustainability claims made by ten large, publicly traded multinational corporations. The goal of this project is to 1) study well known businesses to uncover best (and worst) practices for pursuing environmental sustainability, 2) explore the ways in which voluntary environmental reform can compliment existing regulation and future government intervention, and 3) to equip consumers with the skills to differentiate between corporate greenwashing and legitimate attempts to practice environmentally responsible business. The study utilizes comparative analyses of 3M, Alcoa, Bayer, Duke Energy, Darden Restaurants, ExxonMobil, Kraft Foods, Kimberly Clark, Monsanto, and Nestle, in order to make statements about the relative strengths and weaknesses of various methods for achieving voluntary corporate environmental reform. In doing so, this project works to highlight some of the emergent themes within corporate environmental sustainability while underscoring the need for further reform. Over all, the project illustrates that while some commitments to environmental sustainability may be valid, they will not, on their own, be enough to address serious global environmental concerns.