This leads to a conclusion that greater interaction by multinational corporations in environmental concerns can make a real difference in people's lives and the sustainability of the world for future generations." (Collins, 2010) Within the U
Furthermore, multinational corporations already account for a sizable portion of world output and trade." (Costello, 2010) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is at the core of the environmental sustainability movement
Benefits from such investments include project security, improved relations with communities and governments, the support of potential customers and investors, positive reactions from international stakeholders and the ability to secure future contracts." (Dabbs, Bateson, 2002) Climate change is an additional political ideology that has produced pressure on multinationals to change business models and change the ways they do business
While it can be argued that the effects of economic liberalization over three decades have been largely positive, concerns are rising in capitals throughout the world that accelerating change is carrying an increasingly high price in terms of unemployment, social dislocation, income disparities, the exploitation of workers and environmental degradation." (d Aquino, 1996) The act of globalization and environmental degradation has become a theme in the multinational corporate attempt to spread operations across the world
On the other hand, multiple identities could result in stakeholder confusion and loss of legitimacy." (Huemer, 2010) "Key hallmarks of the modern economy are the continuing expansion and increasing significance of multinational corporations
In countries like Nigeria on continents such as Africa, the level of environmental degradation due to mining and exploitative efforts used to harness the resources from the land has rendered the society as well as the environmental base as compromised. "In assessing the performance of both Shell and the Nigerian government in the Niger Delta, it can be argued that since 1995 Shell has increasingly assumed more of the government's role in the development of the Niger Delta (Ite, unpublished workshop report; Ite, 2002)
97). (Levy, 1997) When multinational corporations decide to not engage in environmental sustainability, then environmental degradation, in some form, is likely to occur
By enhancing corporate environmental responsibilities and ethics, both the healthy environment and the strong economic development could be achieved optimistically and effectively." (Liu, 2010) Government appears to be the mitigating factor across the globe in environmental politics to ensure that multinationals are investing into sustainable ecological practices even at the multinationals economic expense
Unilever also helped to educate local communities on environmental conservation, particularly of surrounding rainforests." (Pretty, Smith, Goulding, Groves, 2008) Environmental Impact Proctor & Gamble (P&G) is a relatively new multinational corporation that has engaged sustainability whole heartedly
However, problems exist in this endeavor, as one of the respondents comments." (Pujari, 1996) "As in a few companies in the UK, the environmental coordinators of the companies in Germany also have due representation at Board level
Why is this? In Multicorp's internal documents from the late 1970s and early 1980s, the environment is not an apparent business issue." (Strannegard, 2000) Multicorp's business decision to indicate the environment is not a big deal reflects the valuation of assets during that period
The development and implementation of appropriate environmental policies can be a major market differentiator, as well as being commercially advantageous." (Walker, 2008) MNCs are forced to determine the level of environmental impact to which they are able to contribute through sustainability policies and programs
This global character is neither dependent on the number of countries a company is doing business in nor does it contradict a strong tie of the multinational corporation to its home country; it is not to be confused with 'footloose'." (Wettstein, 2005) Environmental consciousness is niche' area to which multinationals are emerging into