The oil industry and climate change: strategies and ethical dilemmas |
| |
| Institution: | 1. MEDIAN, Passeig Pintor Romero 8, 08197 Valldoreix, Spain;2. University Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, 08005 Barcelona, Spain;3. INSEAD, Boulevard de Constance, F-77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France;1. School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, PR China;2. Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas Development (China University of Petroleum (East China)), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, 266580, PR China;3. Institute of Energy, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, PR China;4. Sinopec Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute, Beijing, 100083, PR China;5. Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom;1. Department of Geoscience and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Stevinweg 1, Delft 2628CN, The Netherlands;2. Alboran Energy Strategy Consultants, Molslaan 220, Delft 2611CZ, The Netherlands;3. Sanford C. Bernstein, 50 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8SB, United Kingdom |
| |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the different climate change strategies chosen by three major multinational oil corporations: ExxonMobil, TotalFinaElf and BP Amoco. They are referred to, as the ‘fight against emission constraints,’ ‘wait and see,’ and ‘proactive’ strategies, respectively. The justifications given to support these strategies are identified. They cover the business, scientific, political, economic, technological and social dimensions. In a business ethics framework, the issue of climate change brings forth an ethical dilemma for the oil industry, in the form of a tension between profits and CO2 emissions. The strategies are analysed as three attitudes towards this dilemma: (i) placing priority on the business consequences while weakening the perception that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change; (ii) avoiding responsibility; and (iii) placing priority on the need for a modification of the business process while limiting the negative effect in terms of business consequences. In conclusion, we propose that beyond the ethical issues proper to climate change itself, additional ethical issues are raised if society at large is instrumentalised by an industry in its search for profit. Publicly gauging and valorising the ethical commitment of a corporation appear as ways of inducing more collaborative and proactive attitudes by business actors. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ |
|
