Principles of Sustainable Development of The BP Company - Case Study Example

The BP Company BP is a company that deals with crude oil and it was established in 1908. BP started with the extraction of oil and the company is based in the Persia region. Like any other oil dealer company, it has a responsibility to take care of the environment since it deals with the extraction, manufacture, and export of crude oil. Oil is one of the products that are very harmful to the atmosphere. Oil can be harmful to the environment through pollution to the land, water and air. Land pollution comes in when the oil spills are on the land hence interfering with the soil fertility, the spills can also pollute the water in that they interfere with the absorption oxygen which is a basic need for the aquatic life to survive. Oil refining entails a process of which gases are a byproduct. Some of these gases like the hydrocarbons are very harmful to the atmosphere since they are greenhouse gases which contribute to the global warming. The BP Company therefore is doing everything possible to ensure it does not compromise the issue of environmental sustainability. Principles of sustainable development Sustainable development refers to the kind of development that completely caters for the needs of all the current generations while ensuring that the future generation’s ability to cater for all of their needs is not at any manner compromised. Development in itself entails the process of social, economic and environmental development the reason being that development revolves around these three factors. This also means that the principles of development are defined in the three components and the balance of them all means sustainable development can be achieved. In addition, the measure of the three factors as the indicators shows the level of sustainability. The problems in the three systems are usually related and that means their solutions too are related (Harriet & Michele, 150). One of the ways in which sustainable development can be achieved in any organization is through environmental sustainability. In the millennium development goal, the seventh goal refers to the ensuring of environmental sustainability. Economic perspective A sustainably economic system refers to the situation whereby there is a continuous production of goods as well as services. This is to ensure there is no external imbalance leading to damages in terms of industrial and agricultural production. In addition, this is to ensure that all the external debts and the government is managed well. There are a number of factors that are used to measure sustainability through this principle like food, housing, clothing, health, education and transport (Harrison, 200). Efficient and effective resource allocation means that there had been some form of sustainable development that has been achieved. Environmental perspective A system that is environmentally sustained must be able to maintain a very stable base of its resources. Its renewable resources must not be over exploited and the non-renewable resources should also not be depleted. It entails maintenance of ecosystems, biodiversity and the atmospheric stability as well as economic resources. The ecology is a very important aspect as far as the issue of sustainable development is concerned. This means that there must be a limit on the population growth as well as the consumption rate (Harrison, 200). These two factors are very important because if their rate is high yet the environment is maintained then there can never be a sustainable development. Therefore, there should be a great deal of ecosystem resilience. Social perspective A system that is social sustainable is in a position to attain a state of distributional equity, gender equality, political participation and accountability, as well as equal social services like education and health. Apart from the provision and the balance in the provision and availability of basic needs, there should also be a point whereby the social needs of the individuals must be taken care of (Harrison, 200). All the social factors are very instrumental in dealing with the poverty eradication. Therefore, equal distribution of the social factors enables the country or governments achieve and maintain a sustainable development. The environmental responsibilities It is the responsibility of every organization to ensure that its operations do not pose any danger to the environment. Employment in the BP Company as well as individual responsibility goes hand in hand. Individual responsibility refers to a state in which a person takes full accountability of his or her actions. If an individual is an employee in a particular company, then it means he or she will be responsible at a personal level to his or her actions as far as the efforts of the company to achieve environmental sustainability are concerned. Some of the actions as an employee in the BP Company like the use of non-environmental pollution methods of doing things show some sense of individual responsibility. Such an action is very instrumental in the process of achieving environmental sustainability. This means that there is a great need for any nation to educate the citizens on the issue pertaining their responsibility as far as the issue of sustainable development is concerned (Essex, 108). This is whereby all the employees are educated on the needs for environmental, social as well as economic sustainability. In addition to that, they should be educated at their own personal capacity. Some aspects like relations that are only based on the aspect of tolerance and respect interfere with sustainability. This is because of the fact that if there is not equality that is practiced, then the country cannot experience sustainable development. Employees therefore are expected at an individual level to exercise some form of great responsibility towards caring for the environment and the ecology. It is their responsibility to ensure that wherever they are they take care of the surrounding as well as create some healthy relationship with others. All of these are geared towards the achievement of great sustainable development. Even though it is the right of the employees to live in a clean environment, it is also their responsibility to ensure that environment is clean and inhabitable. Environmental practices BP Company is doing much in the areas of waste management which refers to the process of practicing better ways of disposing the waste. There are many types of waste product. This means that their way of their disposal depends on the type of waste that is being dealt with. Therefore, one of the issues that revolve around waste management is the type of waste. In addition, the means in which the waste is being generated is another very important aspect of waste management (Lemman, 91). This is because in the oil company, waste is emitted through a solid, liquid or gaseous state. As a result, the ways of managing them differs. Another very important issue is the cost of management. Some of the waste due to their toxic nature requires a lot of money and technological advancement to be able to manage them. This means that the process may be very expensive even more than the cost of the product production. Due to that, many people may opt to dispose the waste in their untreated state. However, this is not the case in the BP. The company has a strategy of waste purification before disposal. Another very important issue as far as the management of waste is concerned in the factor of laws and regulations that pertains to the waste disposal. There are some agreements like the Basel convention, which dictates the ways in which the waste must be managed. All of the above issues are some of the hindrances of waste management. The company ensures that it complies with the regulations that are laid down by these organizations. Environmental actions BP Company is involved in a number of actions to prevent pollution. Pollution refers to the process of introducing particulate matter, chemicals and biological matters in the environment, which causes some discomfort or harm to the living things or human beings. Pollution is therefore a very dangerous act to the environment as well as the living thing. Earlier, pollution has been dealt with in the form of cleaning up after the act of pollution has been done. However, with the adverse effects that pollution has already caused, better means of dealing with pollution has been invented. This is whereby; pollution is being dealt with at the source in the BP Company. In other words, there has been invention of ways of preventing pollution. This is whereby depending on the type of pollution that is to be caused, different ways of pollution strategic management have been invented (Dorion, 32). These ways of preventing pollution have in turn led to a process of environmental protection. Since pollution is mainly cause by the human activities, then one of the principles towards achieving prevention of pollution is by educating the human beings. The employees have been fully trained on the processes that are in sue in the oil processing as well as the technologies in use. The reason being it is to get them equipped with skills and knowledge on how to deal with pollution. The role of education is in equipping them with creative and innovate ideas of dealing with pollution. The following are the principles and practices that are involved in process of pollution control in the BP Company. The principle of recycling is very important. This is whereby some of the product like the containers is being recycled for future use. Use of the products that are likely to cause minimal pollution or less waste during their use, manufacturing and disposal. This is whereby the chemicals and the processes that are being used in the oil refining gives less harmful byproducts. The process of production can also be altered to minimize toxic chemicals use. This means avoiding some steps. Energy consumption is being reduced through taking necessary steps especially in the processes which demands much heat. Better housekeeping ways to be implemented to minimize the leaks as well as releases that are fugitive during the process of oil and other byproducts manufacturing. The sustainable issues around these practices and actions A change like the invention of new ways of research and health treatment has been very instrumental in development of environmental sustainability. This is because sustainable environment can not be achieved with unhealthy population and so it has impacted it positively. There are also some policies as well as legislations which have been devised and are greatly encouraging change towards the achievement of environmental sustainability of which the company is in full support. Some of the policies, agreements and legislations like the Kyoto protocol, Montreal convention, Basel convention and many others address the issues of climate, environment and pollution (Doppelt, 109). All of which are factors that are very key as far as the issue of sustainability is concerned. Their implementation, enforcement and compliance in the company is what brings about the change. When pollution is done away, the emission of green house gases and the environment is finally taken care of, and then physical evidence of the changes can be experienced in terms of environmental sustainability. Relevant recommendations There are a number of recommendations as far as the company’s efforts to eliminate pollution are concerned. This is with reference to the spillage of oil that happened in the gulf region whereby the BP Company was responsible. According to the report that was released, it was discovered that there was a problem with the systems hence the spillage which caused a great deal of damage. With reference to that I would like to recommend a serious and frequent environmental inspection, risk assessment and environmental audit. This will ensure such kind of dangers are traced early enough or rather are anticipated so as so avoid such kind of damage. Also there should be a regular maintained and inspection of all the equipments and machineries being used in the company (Baker, 103). This will ensure that all of the equipments are in order and good for use hence ensuring that there will be no spillage at whatever circumstance. There should also be regular training for the employees in the company to ensure they are well equipped in terms of knowledge on the new emerging ways of pollution control and prevention. This is because as the company invents new technology there is also a need for the employees to be trained on the new ways of pollution control. Conclusion One of the ways in which sustainable development can be achieved in any organization is through environmental sustainability. In the millennium development goal, the seventh goal refers to the ensuring of environmental sustainability. This means every person, institution; organization and country should take the issue of environmental sustainability very seriously. There should be measures put in place to ensure the environment is protected against any form of pollution (Ann, 200). Reference Ann, Manias. Treating environmental toxins. London: InfoBase publishing, 2009. Print. Baker, Speziale. Sustainable development. London: Routledge, 2006. Print. Doppelt, Burns. Leading change toward sustainability: A change management guide towards business. Greenwich: Greenleaf Publishing, 2003. Print. Dorion, Charles. Pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print. Essex, Steve. Rural change and sustainability: Agriculture the environment and communities. London: CABI, 2005. Harriet, Burns & Michele, Mike. Cities and climate change: urban sustainability and global environment. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. Harrison, Robert. Pollution: causes, effects and control. Canada: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001. Print. Lemman, Mike. Waste management. Sydney: UNSW Press, 1997. Print. Read More