Climate Change and the 2030 Corporate Agenda for Sustainable Development: Volume 19

This chapter aims to provide an overview of the Paris Climate Agreement, and to explore the meaning of this universal agreement for business.

This introductory chapter relies on secondary sources, and brings together evidence-based, conceptual and theoretical contributions from a diverse set of geographical locations, and disciplinary backgrounds.

It was found that although there is skepticism about achieving the ambitious set targets in the Paris Climate Agreement, the explicit political will from governments and business alike could be the engine for achieving the goals.

This chapter questions if the COP21 is the beginning of the end to the era of oil.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the phenomenon of climate change as it relates to the hospitality and tourism industry in developing countries. This review specifically analyzes how the industry is responding to the threat of climate change, particularly its response to the 2030 Corporate Agenda for Sustainable Development to combat climate change. The study also examines how the industry can subsequently help in eradicating poverty through its adaptive capacity and sustainable development initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change. It likewise addresses the challenges faced by the hospitality and tourism industry regarding equity in implementing the agenda for climate change posed by the Paris Climate Change Agreement/COP21.

Literature review was conducted to garner information which was presented from both a narrative and practical perspective.

Climate change is a real phenomenon and has started to impact the hospitality and tourism industry in developing countries. If not mitigated, the industry and pro-poor tourism efforts will be negatively impacted.

The study did not empirically analyze the relationship between climate change and tourism, tourism and poverty, and climate change, tourism, and poverty as well as their relationship to sustainable development.

To inform government and industry players of the causes and impacts of climate change and the adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

This study addresses the phenomenon of climate change exclusively as it relates to the hospitality and tourism industry in developing countries.

Climate change is one of the most major risks facing today’s companies. Evaluating the climate change risks and opportunities which are related to a company’s operations is important for both the companies and their stakeholders’ sustainability, as a whole. Thereby, from theoretical perspectives, the primary objective of the chapter is to illustrate the role of integrated reporting for business in climate change and the management of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change.

An extensive literature research is conducted in order to understand the relationship between integrated reporting and business role in climate change and also the role of reports in managing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change.

A company that successfully addresses the way in which it affects and is affected by climate change could manage its risk properly and also provide a positive contribution to the creation of more sustainable world and governments’ climate change goals.

The research is a theoretical study; for further studies, empirical studies can be conducted to understand the role of integrated reporting to manage the risks and opportunities associated with climate change.

This study may be useful for managers and governmental agencies in realizing the role between integrated reporting and its contribution to being a sustainable firm and in managing effects of climate change.

There is lack of studies that analyze the role of integrated reporting and the managing of risks and opportunities associated with the climate change. Examining the issue will add value to the literature in this area.

This chapter examines the UK and the Nigerian approach to reducing emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment as a result of gas flaring utilising the market-based regulation. Determining how different jurisdictions fare in the quest to reduce GHG emissions associated with the oil and gas industry is essential because: policy makers have realised the advantages of market-based regulation over the command-and-control regulation; and in the light of various pledges different countries have made in different forum to reduce the emission of GHGs, particularly in the wake of the recently held Paris climate change conference.

Library-based approach is used, providing conceptual and theoretical understanding of climate change, GHG emissions and various market-based regulatory tools utilised in the United Kingdom and Nigeria in regulating emission associated with operations in the oil and gas industry.

The study reveals the significance of environmental regulations that encourage region integration and flexibility in the implementation of environmental policies. Moreover, it finds that the Paris Agreement re-affirms the utilisation of market-based regulations and indicates a future for investment in the oil and gas industry.

The study revealed that there are lacunas in regulations and strategies for the implementation of environmental regulations which need to be addressed in order to achieve zero or a significant decrease in gas flaring.

This study provided an ample opportunity to theoretically examine market-based regulatory tools utilised in the oil and gas industry in a developed country in relation to a developing country.

This chapter reviews factors responsible for climate change, impacts of the change on animal health, zoonotic diseases, and their linkage with One-Health program.

This chapter is based on the available literature related to climate change and its effect on animal health and production from different points. The causes and change forcers of climate change, direct and indirect effects of the change on animal health management, host–pathogen–vector interaction, and zoonotic diseases are included. Inter-linkage between climate change and One-Health program are also assessed.

Beside natural causes of climatic change, greenhouse gases are increasing due to human activities, causing global climate changes which have direct and indirect animal health and production performance impacts. The direct impacts are increased ambient temperature, floods, and droughts, while the indirect are reduced availability of water and food. The change and effect also promote diseases spread, increase survival and availability of the pathogen and its intermediate vector host, responsible for distribution and prevalence of tremendous zoonotic, infectious, and vector-borne diseases. The adverse effect on the biodiversity, distribution of animals and micro flora, genetic makeup of microbials which may lead to emerging and re-emerging disease and their outbreaks make the strong linkage between climate change and One-Health.

Global climate change is receiving increasing international attention where international organizations are increasing their focus on tackling the health impacts. Thus, there is a need for parallel mitigation of climate change and animal diseases in a global form.

Most research on climate change is limited to environmental protection, however this chapter provides a nexus between climate change, animal health, livestock production, and the One-Health program for better livelihood.

The purpose of this chapter is to address the issue of climate change and its effects on developing insular countries like the Maldives in order to identify adaptive mechanisms and new opportunities in the international context towards achieving sustainable development, taking into account its environmental and social incidences.

Firstly, the chapter introduces some generalities of the Republic of the Maldives and its current challenges. Next, there is a description of the economy of the islands: here the importance of its major source of income, the tourism industry, is highlighted. Then, vulnerabilities and adaptive mechanisms are explored for the particular case of tourism.

Maldivian current efforts in disaster risk management (DRM) mitigation, preparedness, response, and reconstruction stages, and the work between government, private organizations, and civil society, implemented since the 2004 tsunami; and as a response to climate change, are examples of how to apply collaborative approaches proposed by Sustainable Development Objectives, COP21 agreement, and Sendai Framework.

It is difficult to measure the consequences of sustainable development actions by the Maldivian government, especially in the international environment.

The study of the Maldivian DRM strategy in the context of climate change and the lessons from the Maldives’ tourism sector development under climate action serves as a model for other international business organizations which aim to reach sustainable development standards in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

This chapter evaluated important opportunities for sustainable development agenda that can be learned from DRM measures in Maldives.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends of climate change and their impact on businesses in Kenya’s Public Listed Companies (PLCs).

Out of 66 PLCs, the researchers interviewed 10 companies, and therefore obtained a 15% sample. The methodology was utilization of both primary and secondary data and by use of a combination of the structured and unstructured interviews.

The findings indicated that, although climate change issues are mentioned or implied in strategic plans and core values, they rarely however, translate to normal or day-to-day conversation or operation of the businesses. PESTEL factors are cited as having a very positive impact on businesses that are technological and economic, contrary to environmental/climate change factors which have a more negative than positive effect on the business. Electricity outages/shortages will have serious impact, while agricultural, tourism, insurance, and aviation sectors are likely to be most severely affected by climate change. The hypothesis that climate change is affecting all businesses was accepted while that stating that climate change is significantly impacting businesses negatively rather than positively by increasing operating costs which may result to closure if not mitigated by 2030 was rejected.

Companies should not adopt a “business as usual” attitude but invest in training on effects and strategies for mitigation as well as adaptation and translate climate issues into action as well as create synergy in tackling climate change issues.

The research is valuable to environmentalists, meteorologists, business community, academicians, as well as scientists and scholars alike both nationally and internationally.

Climate change is the global problem that threatens the next generations, and results in serious environmental and socioeconomic issues. Countries have agreed to adopt a new climate agreement in 2015 at the Paris Conference. This chapter analyzes the corporate actions of how companies in Turkey will adapt themselves to COP21 needs, what does the agreement require to do in the Turkey’s companies to do, and determines what objectives are needed of Turkey’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution.

A comprehensive literature research is conducted in order to understand the effects of climate change on companies’ course of actions. The qualitative study is to understand Turkey’s companies’ policies about climate change.

Companies should have capacity to make the planet sustainable and create alternative solutions to social problems by mobilizing resources and making investments. In Turkey, companies have the responsibility to continue its sustainable development process. In many sectors, Turkey has additional policies and strategies about energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, waste, and forestry.

This research is a theoretical study about companies’ policies and strategies to comply with climate change in the case of Turkey. For further studies, researchers can make comparisons between companies’ contributions.

This study may be useful for the board of directors and managers since they should become aware of understanding of the climate change effects. Stakeholders are looking directly at companies how they manage these challenges to use resources. The problem is in the interests of everyone, but companies have major responsibility to do something else. Organizations can have sustainability efforts by understanding the threats and opportunities of climate change.

This study is valuable and attractive to give comparison about practicing strong legal framework and clear rules, long-term approach, connection with sustainable development goals.

This teaching case intends to be a tool for academic purposes as a way to show the different assessments an investor should make and the many problems he/she may face, when evaluating a megaproject. It reviews the experience of two large corporations in Chile, intending to build a major hydroelectric generation project in Chile while facing major opposition from environmental NGOs and other stakeholders. Although in the view of many industry experts and consultants Hidroaysén was a good and necessary project, the environmental implications and some of the project’s stakeholders created a deadlock.

This teaching case was written with the idea of being used as a tool for classes in order to discuss the implications of environmental issues in big projects. The research was based on particular information of the project, financial data of the companies involved, and other public sources (news, interviews, etc.).

The conclusion of this case is that private initiatives, without the right alignment of political actors and civil society, could face the risk of being blocked and not being executed.

COP21 guidelines for responsive investment could be a guideline to follow, aligning private interest with development for countries in the third world.

We offer a way to analyze external impacts on a project of this kind, that using a common framework (COP21 guidelines) could avoid risks taking all considerations into the project.

The purpose of this chapter is to give an interpretation to the limits of Indonesia’s forestry policy through the sustainable development approach analyzing the crossroads between economic development and environmental sustainability. There is an expansion and intensification of industrial plantations such as palm oil, as part of the economic development strategy, which must coexist with ongoing efforts of conservation of forest resources in the pursuit of environmental sustainability, including policies such as the Forest Moratorium.

The study explores the influence of the economic development of the palm oil industry in the environmental sustainability of the Forest Moratorium during the period 2011–2014. A case study on the Forest Moratorium is presented analyzing the operativeness of sustainable development principles in the discourse and concrete actions of this specific policy.

The study evidences that there is a basic problem in Indonesia’s forestry policy and the sustainable development approach, not only because of its inherent contradictions, but also due to the flaws in its interpretation and implementation. It is necessary to rethink the sustainable development, its scopes and limitations, taking into consideration its hybridity, dynamism, and constant transformation. It is also necessary to consider the feasibility of a paradigm shift or a search for sustainable solutions based on other parameters. One way of doing it should include a more participatory approach with a joint work by the government, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and academia.

First, as this is a case study the findings are not generalizable; and second, the social dimension of sustainable development is not incorporated in its entirety, as this study focuses mainly on the economic and environmental dimensions.

The findings contribute to the discussion in the theoretical and public policy fields, on the crossroads between economic development and environmental sustainability in the international agenda for sustainable development.

The study allows capturing the discussion in a concrete case and learning from the experience of Indonesia, its institutional failures, and the causes of its environmental problems.

This chapter seeks to place the Paris agreement on anthropogenic greenhouse gases (COP21) in a wider picture on how the global solar photovoltaic (PV) market has been created and shaped over decades. The chapter discusses the role of solar PV actors, as well as other actors in the market-shaping process. The aim is to show how the COP21 can be interpreted in a wider historical perspective.

The chapter builds on expert interviews conducted after the COP21, as well as secondary data on historical studies on evolution of solar energy markets in various countries.

Although scientists and entrepreneurs have been important in creating and shaping the global solar PV market, it is noted that other actors have also had an influence on the market development. Particularly, politicians are seen as playing a crucial role through legislation and funding. Unfortunately for the solar PV market, support has fluctuated over time. The COP21 provides a clear pathway for positive support, and it is expected to bind governments for pro-solar politics even during low prices of fossil fuels and economic downturn.

The chapter provides an overview of what has happened in the history of global solar PV market. It gives reasoning as to why the COP21 is important in securing support for the solar PV market. Thus, it can provide reasoning as to why the COP21 can make a difference.

This is the first academic study that portrays the COP21 against historical evolution of the global solar PV market.