Management Communication: Climate Change and Business Impact

This argumentative essay, prepared for MGTS7610, explores the critical question of whether Australian businesses should be held responsible for mitigating the effects of climate change. The author presents a thesis arguing for business responsibility, emphasizing the significant contribution of various sectors, including businesses, to global warming through carbon emissions. The essay acknowledges that while businesses are not the sole contributors to climate change, they possess a powerful role in reducing carbon emissions. The essay discusses arguments for and against making businesses solely responsible, referencing sources such as Cox (2019) and the Commonwealth of Australia (2015) to support the claims. Examples of sustainability efforts by large multinational businesses are provided to illustrate the positive impact of business actions on the environment. Ultimately, the essay concludes that both businesses and other economic sectors should be responsible for mitigating climate change, advocating for collective measures to achieve reduced carbon emissions.

Running head: MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION
Management Communication: Business and Climate Change
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Business and Climate Change: Should Australian businesses be made responsible for mitigating the
effects of Climate Change?
Thesis
The thesis for this argumentative discussion is that ‘Should Australian businesses be made
responsible for mitigating the effects of Climate Change?’ It has been observed that almost all the
sectors in the economy contribute in global warming and climate change through carbon emissions.
Hence, strategies have been undertaken to reduce the carbon emission from the economic activities for
a better future. While some sectors contribute larger amount of carbon, such as, agriculture, transport,
manufacturing, energy, etc., some businesses contribute lesser amount of carbon. However, every
sector and every business should come forward to mitigate the effects of climate change in Australia. In
this paper, the role of the businesses will be evaluated and discussed to understand that whether the
business sector should be made sole responsible for mitigating climate change effects.
Businesses should be made responsible for mitigating the effects of Climate Change
According to a report by Cox (2019), despite taking measures, the GHG emissions in Australia is
still increasing. Abolition of carbon tax has led to continuous increase in the carbon emissions, especially
from the transport sector and LNG production. In 2018, the emissions increased by 0.7%, worth of 3.5
million tonnes. It have been observed that carbon emission has increased more from the business sector
than from the agriculture and energy sectors, where investment is being made for renewable energy
sources. Not only the production activities, but the household and commercial consumption of
electricity, transportation for supply and distribution, coalmine projects, are some of the major sources
of carbon emission from the business sector. Therefore, the businesses should be made responsible for
mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing their carbon emission.
Businesses should not be made responsible for mitigating the effects of Climate Change
On the other hand, as seen from earlier research studies, businesses are not the only source of
carbon emission. Various sectors contribute in global warming through GHG emissions. For example,
livestock breeding in the agricultural sector releases a huge volume of GHG into the environment, rapid
urbanization and deforestation are contributing in air pollution, increased demand for private vehicles
create higher demand for fossil fuel and this also contributes a high amount of carbon dioxide into the
environment. Therefore, adaptation and resilience initiative strategies have been designed and

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undertaken that target all the major sectors of the economy, such as, Coasts, Cities and built
environment, Water resources, Health and wellbeing, Disaster risk management, Natural ecosystems,
and Agriculture, forestry and fisheries to implement measures that would reduce carbon emission.
Since, an economy consists of all the above sectors, and not only the business sector, hence, all the
sectors should be made responsible for mitigating the climate change effects (Commonwealth of
Australia, 2015).
Reiteration of Thesis
It can be said that while the business sector should not be made sole responsible for reducing
the climate change effects in Australia, but it does have a powerful role in implementing measures to
reduce the carbon emission. For example, large multinational businesses like, Coca-Cola has aimed for
water neutrality, Unilever has committed to have 100% sustainable agricultural sourcing for its products,
McDonald’s has committed to use raw meat and oil only from sustainable sources and Walmart has
committed to become carbon neutral and these type of sustainability efforts should be made by other
local and global businesses also. Even though Dauvergne & Lister (2015) pointed out that the businesses
use the sustainability measures as business tools, but usage of those measures has a positive impact on
the environment and the society. Therefore, businesses as well as all the economic sectors should be
made responsible for mitigating climate change effects and all these sectors should take measures to
achieve less carbon emissions.

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References
Commonwealth of Australia. 2015. National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy. Department of
Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/adaptation/strategy.
Cox, L. 2019, June 6. Australia's emissions still rising, says report withheld in defiance of Senate
order. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/06/australias-emissions-still-rising-says-
report-withheld-in-defiance-of-senate-order.
Dauvergne, P., & Lister, J. 2015. Eco-business: a big-brand takeover of sustainability. Cambridge, MA:
The MIT Press.