The world is one and all things are in it

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to suggest that a more ambitious and structured ethical approach for environmental decision making is essential at this point of maturity of public and private management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reflects on the fact that the citizen‐consumer of our time views the environment as an integral part of collective well being and as a repository of public goods. Echoing authoritative sources that mull over, adopt and advocate for environmental conventions, agreements, regulations, guidelines, standards and good practices for countries, country groupings, industries, organizations and even households, the paper proposes specific steps to address the ethical queries concerned.

Findings

Calls for an integrated agenda for the global commons, based on a global policymaking mechanism, especially a global law and a global economic and financial system, keep proliferating, with the tacit understanding that higher ethical standards are of the essence. This implies that in matters environmental having the science, the economics and the politics right are necessary but not sufficient conditions to address questions that may fundamentally and irreversibly affect our present, our future and generations to come; and that entrepreneurs, corporate agents and public authorities need to deal with environmental conservation and management with resort to an ethical mode of reasoning and decision making as well.

Originality/value

Unlike a few decades ago, sound environmental conservation and management nowadays are largely viewed not only as public priorities, but also as moral imperatives. The paper calls for an unprecedented step further – to step up the ethical conversation about the environment and to embed the mechanism in the policymaking and compliance process, including through ethical audits.

Citation

Agatiello, O.R. (2009), "The world is one and all things are in it", Management Decision, Vol. 47 No. 7, pp. 1056-1064. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910978296