Module 8

Sustainable Ethics and Sustainable Development

Learning Objectives

1. Define sustainable ethics and sustainable development

2. Create sustainability consciousness among students
3. Enlighten students towards environmental management
4. Compare and contrast the strategies and techniques implemented by the
government and the corporate world
5. Dicuss the importance of sustainable development
Introduction

The concept of ethics involves standards of conduct. These standards distinguish

between behaviors that are considered right or wrong. In some aspects, it would be very
difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, as there is no universal code of ethics.
Right and wrong are usually determined by an individual’s morals, and to change the
ethics of an entire society, it is necessary to change the individual ethics of a majority of
the people in that society.

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that is derived from the logical application of
human values. These values are the priciples that an individual or a society considers
important or worthwhile. Ethics plays a role in any types of human activities that involve
intelligent judgment and voluntary action.

Sustainable Ethics

It is an environmental ethics by the way people treat the Earth as if its resources
are limited. This ethics assumes that the earth’s resources are not limited and that
humans must use and conserve resources in a manner that allows their continued use
in the future. A sustainable ethics includes the following tenets:

1. The Earth has a limited supply of resources.

2. Humans must conserve the Earth’s resources with other living things.
3. Humans are part of nature and are part of natural laws.
Social Ethics Towards the Environment
1. Man-centered Perspective

Ethics that allot to humans that central position in environmental issues is

man-centered or anthropocentric. It believes that everything else in the physical
world should be considered as objects that exist for the purpose of satisfying
man’s need and wants. Man’s control of nature led us to consider natural object
as things that can be manipulated and exploited to serve our needs. This
perspective amounts to the idea that nature does not have any value if it does
not serve any purpose of man. It is very similar to an instrumental view of nature
where nature is reduced to a usable entity only if it serves human purposes. The
early years of industrialization were exemplified by thinking towards conservation
and protection of the environment. Conservation is a concern when humans
realize that their demands for resources would outstrip the supply. Thus,
resources need to be used wise and efficiently. Production represents the
concern that pollution needed to be controlled since it poses dangers to human
health.

2. Nature-centered Perspective

A nature-centered perspective defines biocentrism. Biocentrism is a recent

trend in the environmental arena. It puts intrinsic value on nature apart from the
value it acquires when humans put it into use. This perspective puts animals on
equal footing with humans in terms of their value as elements of the environment.
The US Wilderness Act of 1964 that set apart certain wilderness areas as closed
to development was among the early legislations supportive of this thinking. So it
is the Endangered Species Act that regulates the preservation of certain animals,
for their own sakes, without regard to the concerns of humans (Buchholz, 1998).
Preservation as opposed to conservation championed the prevention of further
development and exploitation of the certain resources such as natural scenery.
Landforms such as caves and mountains were considered as objects that should
be preserved for future generations of humans to appreciate and marvel at.
Biocentrism looks thus serving the needs of humans and the preservation of
nature. This approach is responsible for more respect for animal rights and even
for trees as promoted by anti-logging groups or tree lovers.

3. Eco-centered Perspective
 Environmentalist boils down to a respect for the laws of nature. The rights of
nature per se are recognized in another class of ethical thinking called
ecocentrism. On top of the concern for humans, animals, and plants is the
recognition that there are limits to our resources. Ecocentrism considers that
resources should be preserved. It also considers that interlinked problems of the
environment need to be given a global rather than local appreciation. The focus
of this perspective is on sustainability and the protection of the environment. Man
is included in these considerations but is no longer the sole and primary factor.
Rather, the risks posed to ecological systems are essential under this
perspective. Consequently, this issues that have emerged from this approach are
the protection of both human health and the environment. A few subscribers to
this perspective even attribute the much-increased environmental pollution to the
development of synthetic products like detergents, fibers and plastics (Buchholz,
1998).

State Ethics

The current code of ethics of the country is stated in the Philippine Environmental
Policy (PEP). It can be summarized into four main ideas – concern for others,
stewardship, preservation of culture, and balance development. These ideas, being
universal ideals, are similar to those in the policies of many other countries.

1. Concern for Others

The global demand for some resources is sometimes influenced by

sociocultural preferences. The example of Germans preferring “green gold” was
already discussed. Non-green gold is typically produced in less developed
countries like Brazil where “garimpeiros” or “artisanal” miners extract the gold
under very difficulty and unsafe conditions. The concern for the workers,
particularly exploited women and children, is influencing state ethics. As gold is a
commodity that is often mined from such countries where the mining industry is
often associated with intertribal strife, smuggling, labor exploitation and
environmental degradation, non-green gold is of less value to enlightened rich
consumers. The latter pay extra for gold that is free for all these negative
connotations. Thus, the gold industry itself is induced to prove that their product
was extracted under more humane conditions than were reported in the media.
Government responds by crafting policies that show its concern for the people.

2. Stewardship Ethics
 The theme of sustainable development involves preserving some part of the
present exploitable mineral resources for the succeeding generations. Concern
for others is thus integral to this aspect of natural resource management.
Resources are looked upon as a legacy from one generation to the next.
Stewardship takes the future into account (Buchholz, 1998).

3. Preservation of Culture

The Philippine Environmental Policy (PEP) advocated the preservation of

important historic and cultural aspect of Philippine heritage.

4. Balanced Development

While the state encourages the “widest exploitation of the environment”, it

cautions against its degradation. Further, it prescribes the improved utilization of
renewable and non-renewable resources. Recognizing the burgeoning
population of the country as a heavy pressure point, it also advocates the
attainment of a “rational and orderly balance between population and resource
use”.

Corporate or Economic Ethics

Ethics that is defined in terms of marketplace performance is called economics

ethics (Buchholz, 1998). What is good for business is often called ethical under this
idea. Good business ethics are equivalent to corporations that have decided to conform
to sanctions, incentives, and whose corporate conscience has developed many
strategies that will be outlined below. These patterns of conduct begin to constitute the
ethics of the corporations. Economizing in the use of resources is equivalent to having a
successful business.

Sustainable Development

Sustainability is based on a simple principle. Everything that we need for our

survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.
Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can
exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other
requirements of present and future generation.
 Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It
contains within it two key concepts:

 the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world’s poor,
to which overriding priority should be given; and
 the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social
organization on the environment’s ability to meet the present and future
needs.
Actions that address the needs of the present without compromising the needs of
the future generations to meet their own needs are embodies in the concept of
sustainability development. It is equally concerned with socioeconomic development
(human well-being) and environmental quality. A society should manage its economic
growth in such a way as to do no irreparable damage to the environment. By balancing
economic requirements with ecological concerns, the needs of the people are satisfied
without compromising the needs of future generations. Environmental issues are
addressed at the same time that economic development is pursued but not at the
expense of the environment.

Sustainable development refers to achieving economic and social development

to ways that do not exhaust the country’s natural resources. It is also a process of
change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the
orientation of technological development and institutional change are made consistent
with the future as well as present needs.

Sustainable development implies economic growth together with the protection of

environment quality, each reinforcing the other. Its essence is a stable sustainable
relationship between human activities and the natural world which does not diminish the
prospects for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own.
Many observers believe that participatory democracy, undominated by vested interests,
is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development.

To achieve this, the government and the corporate world have applied three
major strategies in resource management. They are:

1. the regulatory or “command and control” approach

2. the economic incentives approach
3. the property rights systems approach

1. Regulatory or “Command and Control” Approach

 The regulatory or “command and control” approach is a direct regulation while
the economic incentive and the property rights systems approach are indirect forms
of regulation.

Governments take a direct approach by setting environmental standards or

targets that will achieve the kinds of solutions to environmental problems. This
approach is also called the “command and control” approach. The environmental
standards are set and enforced by legislation. Two kinds of standards are common –
health standards and technology-based standards.

a. Health standards are based on scientists’ calculations of how much quantity

of a hazardous substance is considered harmful to humans.
b. Technology-based standards are determined by the kind of device that is
used to control pollution.

2. Economic Incentive Approach

The economic incentive approach is not always the best response of a state
because it is expensive and inflexible and it requires the weighing of cost against the
benefits that are derived. It does not allow businesses to develop their unique methods
of solving the perceived problem, with the focus mostly on cleaning up the pollution after
the damage has occurred. Incentives for reducing wastes may produce better results.

Economic Incentive Instruments (EIIs) are another form of ensuring compliance

by citizens and corporations. When regulations alone can not accomplish the
modification of the behaviour of polluters, economic incentive is used. EIIs consist of a
variety of charges, taxes, deposit-refund, information programs, subsidies, and tradable
permits. Sometimes, these are also called market-based instrument because it is the
business condition and not the government that determines the costs.

a. Charges or Fines

When businesses are not able to comply with pollution standards, a

system of imposing charges or fines takes over. Businesses suffer the extra
costs when they emit excessive polluting substances. This serve an incentive
for them to improve their behaviour.

b. “Green” Taxes

Taxes are regular obligation imposed by the government to businesses. A

business that emits pollutants can be charged tax rates that are computed
according to the amount of damage the business caused the environment.
Taxes are more effective than quantities-based standards because a
 business can feel the incentive to reduce its emissions even lower than the
standard. When this happens, the business’ savings on tax payments can go
to research for more pollution-abatement technologies. Where a polluting
material contains associated pollutants that are not covered by the pollution
material standard, the incentive to reduce the primary polluting material can
also result to lesser emissions of associated pollutants.

c. Deposit-Refund Schemes

Government may impose an additional charge, called a surcharge, on the

price of a product that a factory produces. When the used product is returned
for recycling, the government refunds the surcharge. Deposit-refund
schemed were quite successful in Sweden. When a factory uses a potentially
polluting product, it pays the government a sum of money, in this case called
a deposit. After the product is used and pollution is avoided, the product is
returned to an authorized collection point and the factory gets the refund of
the deposit.

d. Information Programs
The government or other groups like nongovernmental organizations can
conduct information programs about certain practices that may influence the
consumers to change their behaviour. Substances that contain harmful
elements like radon or lead are tested or pesticides products are labelled to
inform the public. The results may make the consumers prefer one product
over another. Some legislation pieces require manufacturers to inform the
public when they use airborne toxic chemicals in amounts greater than
acceptable standards.

e. Tradable Emission Permits

Governments issue permits to businesses that allow them to emit specific
pollutants up to the certain limit. When one company produces pollutants in
less amount that permitted, it may “sell” or trade its permit to the companies
that exceed its limit.

f. Subsidies
 Government can grant subsidies, soft loans or by changes in accounting
procedures. Give further incentives to business to adopt environmentally
clean technologies. An example of the last is when the cost of capital is
handled to result in benefits to the business like shortening the depreciation
period. Another is when the business is allowed consumer rebates when they
purchase devices that control pollutants.

3. Property Rights Approach

The phrase “tragedy of the commons” was coins in 1968 by Garret Hardin, a
professor of Biology in University of California. He wrote about a pasture open to
everyone where herdsmen decide to keep on adding as many cattle as they could
without regard for the limited nature of the grass. The common is degraded because
each herdsman pursues only his personal interest since he is free to do so. Society
suffers consequently. The air we breathe, the water we pump out of the ground, and
the high seas away from territorial boundaries of states can also be classified as
commons no one owns the commons. Thus, anyone does as he pleases without regard
for what may be bad for the environment.

The complete lack of government and social controls is detrimental to the

environment. Since agricultural lands are often tied down to a property rights system in
most democratic countries, the threat of legal sanctions and the disapproval of the other
members of the society are weak even if bad things happen to the land. As Beder
(1993) stated, the “social conscience of the individuals may not be enough to protect
what is common to the members of the society”.