Environmental sustainability is the practice of ensuring that the demands of businesses and humans at large place on the environment are met without harming or reducing its capacity of providing humans with a good life, at present and in the future. For instance, a manufacturing company has to conduct its processes in a manner that does not cause pollution to protect humans, animals and plants from death, dangerous diseases and extinction.

Threatening environmental sustainability is unethical because it goes against the duty to protect the environment from pollution and destruction. Businesses need to learn how to balance their production processes and protect the environment since they should sustain the environment for the current and future generations. On the other hand, firms that violate the environment can be morally justified because if one’s concern is on ensuring development and profit under the pretext that the climate has and will continue to be sustainable. Although most organisations and those against environment conservation feel that environmental sustainability is overrated, the truth is there is a threat to the environment owing to modernisation and technology that has altered the ecological compositions.

So, it is morally wrong to want to excel at business t the expense of the environment, in this case polluting the water because people need clean water for consumption and other related uses that ensure a functional workforce.  The environment itself, specifically water has value for what it is. The species found in the waters are part of the primary life support system, and without them, everyone’s survival is at risk.

Environmental ethics has two major worries; ecological concerns regarding ecosystem integrity, and fairness or equity. Pollution by industry, while contributing to its profit decreases the population that depends on the waters and affects the quality of life as well as the health of animals, plants and people in the ecosystem.

Kantianism is an ethical theory by Immanuel Kant and is considered a deontological approach.  Kant argues that the sense of duty is what makes people act in a morally upright manner. He goes on to state that it is not the consequences of an action that determines whether it is right or wrong instead it is the motive of the individual who engages in the activity. Kant is of the belief that one has to act based on his duty if he wants to act morally. So, something is good when it is intrinsically motivated.

The major strength of the Kantian theory is that it values the fundamental role of actions as a duty, and does not use other mechanisms as a means to an end.  These are incorporated into three formulations known as the categorical imperative. Applying the fixed rules in a moral situation gives the moral agent a sense of direction to perform the appropriate action according to the categorical imperative which Kant beliefs is set to protect the essential values. However, the theory has various weaknesses, but primarily, it is accused of being complicated often resulting in conflicts of duty. For example, the categorical imperative identifies that one should always keep promises, and avoid lies. But, the theory does not provide a clear guideline or solution to deal with duty conflicts and ends up leaving the moral agent without a course of action.

The theory is appealing because it instils in one the sense and value of duty, preventing room for doubts and too many options. Doing what should be done in most cases results in the right outcomes thus validating one’s actions.  An equitable society is one which ensures fairness and justice to all regardless of their race, economic status or geographical distribution. The Kantian theory can provide an equitable society by making everyone perform their duty to allow for equality and equity.

 
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