Chapter 29 – Environmental Sustainability in the Private Sector

In the last chapter, we explored corporate social responsibility (CSR). One part of CSR is limiting the negative impact businesses have on the environment. This chapter expands on that idea by looking more closely at environmental sustainability in the private sector.

Environmental sustainability means operating in ways that protect natural resources and reduce environmental harm. In practice, this includes managing water, energy, and raw materials carefully, cutting waste, and recycling whenever possible. It also involves shifting to renewable energy sources like wind and solar, and designing products that are environmentally friendly from production through disposal.

In this chapter, we will look at how businesses put these practices into action. We will see how companies are reducing their environmental footprint, what kinds of careers are connected to sustainability, and why these efforts matter for the future.