Achieving global net zero emissions by 2030 is currently the UN’s main goal. While all stakeholders are assigned to participate, I totally agree that the impact of individuals’ contribution to saving the planet is not as significant as the authorities and big organization can have. It is because these two sectors particular have responsibilities: governments to provide comprehensive environmental policies and coorporations to design sustainable business practices.
The government plays a critical role in developing integrated and centralized systems such as regulations or other practical directions to mitigate environmental problems. This approach is more effective, because the regulations have power to punish all violators. Consequently, activities that cause environmental issues decline. For example, in Bali, the governor issued a regulation to ban plastics bottle use for mineral water. As a result, the number of plastics waste decreases.
In addition, there are number of enterprises’ business models that not environmental friendly, such as using disposable packaging or non-biodegradable materials, which in the end become harmful waste to the environment. Moreover, since companies’ objectives are to maximize outputs and sales, then they produce a big number of products. The problem is that the more production leads to more sewage. In response, companies are encouraged to adopt more green business practices, therefore it reduces a considerable number of waste. For instance, as a company in consumer goods sector, which demand for its products are high, Unilever altering single-use packaging to a more sustainable one. Hence, waste is decline.
In conclusion, to achieve environmental improvement, governments and extended firms can bring greater impact due to their ability to implement effective control system and internalizing sustainable business processes.