Environmental Responsibility Guide for Business Students & Enterprises: Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss Mitigation

Abstract

The thesis attempts to raise the awareness of business role in climate change and biodiversity loss mitigation by describing the scope of environmental responsibility in different departments. It is commissioned by Oulu University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with WWF and designed as a part of Environmental Responsibility (5 cr.) course material. The study is comprised of three main parts: theoretical analysis of environmental responsibility in business, its scope and application based on the case studies, and a testing material for students and business representatives. The student questionnaire is based on the statistical data and facts about the climate and biodiversity conditions obtained from the Living Planet Report 2018. The business questionnaire is not limited to the scope of the Living Planet Report and contains questions on possible approaches to mitigation strategies. Consequently, the main objective of the guide is to introduce the reader to environmental responsibility on different levels of business operations and examine its width and applications. As a material for business students, it is set to increase the level of awareness in the future decision-makers. To achieve the set objectives, company interactions with biodiversity and ecosystem services, potential direct and indirect impacts, as well as means of regulating them through internal assessments and public engagement are analyzed. Moreover, the corporate barrier factors to implementation of mitigation strategies are briefly described. The research consists of secondary data analysis based on the sustainability reports of 6 Finnish companies representing the food, paper, and travel & transportation industry. The choice of their environmental strategies is further justified by the theoretical framework and industry specifics. The thesis recognizes the importance of both business ethics and potential opportunities discovered by climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. The research proved that, depending on the industry and specific activities, the objectives and approaches to environmental responsibility vary. The potential development areas in the chosen companies are market education and biodiversity management activities.